10 things that happened the last time Serena Williams was not World No. 1

Angelique Kerber, who won the US Open women’s singles title earlier this week, ended Serena Williams’ 186-week reign. 186 weeks – or 3 years and a little over 7 months is a long time, and that number itself proves the absolute dominance of the American on the women’s tennis circuit.

Williams matched a record set by German tennis legend Steffi Graf, whose record for most Grand Slam titles in the Open Era – 22 – Williams tied at Wimbledon with a title win over Angelique Kerber.

The American lost in the semi-finals of the US Open, where she has earned six titles in the past, for the second year running, having lost out to Italy’s Roberta Vinci last year.

That gave Kerber the World No. 1 ranking and the second Grand Slam title of her career. It is also staggering that Kerber has made the finals of three of four Grand Slams this year, winning two – the first of them the Australian Open in January, where she played and beat Serena Williams for the title.

Kerber’s reign marks the first time since Steffi Graf that a German woman has held the World No. 1 title – but here are some interesting facts from the last time Serena Williams did not hold the title:

 

Oscar Pistorius murdered Reeva Steenkamp

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South African Paralympian Oscar Pistorius, who came to be known as the Blade Runner, was one of the most iconic stories in sport. 

In early 2013, however, Pistorius shot and killed his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp, through the door of a bathroom in a house the couple shared in Pretoria, South Africa in the early hours of Valentine’s Day. 

He would go on to be charged with, and convicted of, her murder after a lengthy trial.