5 longest winning streaks on the WTA tour since 2000, featuring Serena Williams and Venus Williams
The WTA tour has witnessed several brilliant players over the last two decades, including the likes of Serena Williams, Venus Williams and Victoria Azarenka.
While they have all suffered defeats and disappointments, there have been times when their aura of dominance seemed unshakeable as they kept winning match after match.
Similarly, World No. 1 Iga Swiatek is currently in a purple patch, winning 20 straight matches. Swiatek's winning streak commenced at the Qatar Open, which was the first of three consecutive WTA 1000 tournaments that she won.
She won 17 straight matches to lift three trophies and extended her unbeaten run to 19 after winning her Billie Jean King Cup ties. Currently competing at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, the Pole won her opener against Eva Lys to extend her streak to 20 consecutive wins.
But her incredible run pales in comparison to the streaks compiled by a number of top players in the past.
Here's a look at the women with the longest winning streaks on the WTA tour since 2000:
#5 Serena Williams - 25 matches (2013-14)
2013 was the best year of Serena Williams' career. After her 14-match winning streak came to an end in the final of the Cincinnati Open, she embarked on a 25-match unbeaten run that continued until the 2014 Australian Open.
2013 Cincinnati Women's Final:
(2)Victoria Azarenka def. (1)Serena Williams 2-6, 6-2, 7-6(6)
It was the 3rd meeting of the year between these two and Azarenka's 2nd win. It was her 3rd title of the season and 1st in Cincinnati.
This was Serena's 4th and final loss of 2013. https://t.co/nLQ0ffIiJb
Serena Williams started the streak at the US Open. She defeated Victoria Azarenka in a rematch of the previous year's final to successfully defend her title.
Williams' next tournament was the China Open, which she won without dropping a set. She then successfully defended her WTA Finals crown as well. Williams defeated Angelique Kerber, Agnieszka Radwanska and Petra Kvitova in straight sets during the group stage.
She was tested in the semifinals and final by Jelena Jankovic and Li Na respectively, but won in three sets to clinch her 11th title of the season. This also meant she ended the year on a 18-match winning streak.
Serena Williams started the 2014 season by winning the Brisbane International, which extended her unbeaten run to 22 matches. She entered the Australian Open as one of the favorites to win the title, but lost to former World No. 1 Ana Ivanovic in the fourth round. The defeat put an end to her winning streak of 25 matches.
#4 Victoria Azarenka - 26 matches (2012)
Victoria Azarenka's steady rise to the top was cemented by her performances in 2012. She started the year on a winning note by winning the Sydney International. The Belarusian carried this momentum into the Australian Open, where she claimed her maiden Grand Slam title and clinched the World No. 1 ranking as well.
Azarenka continued her winning ways at the Qatar Open, claiming her third title of the season and extending her unbeaten run to 17 matches. She withdrew from the Dubai Open due to an injury, but brushed aside all concerns regarding her form and fitness by winning the Indian Wells Open.
The Belarusian entered the Miami Open as the favorite, but Marion Bartoli handed Azarenka her first loss of the season in the quarterfinals. With that defeat, her winning streak ended at 26 matches.
#3 Justine Henin - 32 matches (2007-08)
2007 was the most successful season of Justine Henin's career, as she was at her dominating best. She won 10 titles from 11 finals, ending the year as World No. 1. After her loss to Marion Bartoli in the semifinals of Wimbledon, she didn't lose a single match for the rest of the season.
Henin's winning streak started at the Rogers Cup, where she won her 35th career title. She then won her seventh Grand Slam title at the US Open before continuing her winning ways in Germany, snapping up two indoor titles in the country.
Henin extended her streak to 25 by successfully defending her WTA Finals crown. She then started the 2008 season by winning the Sydney International. The Belgian was a prime contender to win the Australian Open, but lost in the quarterfinals to Maria Sharapova.
With the loss, Henin tasted defeat for the first time after 32 wins on the trot.
#2 Serena Williams - 34 matches (2013)
Serena Williams crushed the competition in 2013. A 78-4 win-loss record, 11 titles from 13 finals and 21 wins over top-10 players were some of the highlights from her career-best season.
.@SerenaWilliams 11th title of 2013, sets #WTA single-season prize money record $12,385,572--> bit.ly/1aNertx http://t.co/C0DIDNH36u
Serena Williams commenced the longest winning streak of her career at the Miami Open, claiming a record sixth title at the tournament. A title at the Charleston Open and a couple of Fed Cup victories added to her tally of wins.
The American then easily brushed past her competition during the European clay season. Williams won the Madrid Open, the Italian Open and Roland Garros in a remarkable performance on the red dirt. She then arrived at Wimbledon riding a 31-match winning streak and was heavily favored to successfully defend her title.
However, Serena Williams lost to Sabine Lisicki in the fourth round, putting an end to her winning streak of 34 matches.
#1 Venus Williams - 35 matches (2000)
Venus Williams tops the list with a whopping 35 consecutive wins in 2000. Her winning streak began at Wimbledon, where she won her maiden Grand Slam title. She defeated World No. 1 Martina Hingis, sister Serena Williams, and Lindsay Davenport en route to the title while also winning the doubles title at the All England Club.
Williams then won three tournaments in the lead-up to the US Open. She continued her hot streak to win her second Grand Slam title in New York. Once again, she defeated the top two players in the world, Hingis and Davenport, to lift the trophy. This brought her unbeaten run to 26 matches.
There was no end to Venus Williams' dominance as she found more success at the Sydney Olympics. She won the gold medal in singles and doubles to establish herself as a leading force on the women's tour.
Williams then reached the final of the Linz Open, but lost to Davenport in three sets. The loss ended her winning streak of 35 matches.
The longest winning streak in WTA history belongs to Martina Navratilova, who won a whopping 74 matches in a row in 1984, a record that's unlikely to be broken. Steffi Graf came quite close, putting together a winning streak of 66 matches between 1989 and 1990.