Looking back at Serena Williams' dominance on clay
While most of Serena Williams' titles have come on the hardcourts, her achievements on clay often catch people by surprise. In fact, even before winning her first Grand Slam singles title at the 1999 US Open, she had success at Roland Garros in doubles. The American made the final in mixed doubles at the 1998 French Open and won the women's doubles title in Paris in 1999.
Williams won her first title on clay in 2002 at the Italian Open, defeating Justine Henin in the final. The following month, she defeated sister Venus Williams to win her first French Open. Her win in Paris was the first of four successive Grand Slam triumphs. She won Wimbledon and the US Open in 2002 and the Australian Open in 2003 to complete a career Grand Slam in singles, dubbed the "Serena Slam."
Williams' most successful period on clay was during 2012-2018, posting a 84-5 record. She won 10 titles on the surface in those six years, including triumphs at Roland Garros in 2013 and 2015, while being a finalist in 2016. Her career record on the surface stands at 179-38.
From 2012-2018 (didn't play clay 2017), Serena had an 84-5 win/loss record on clay. That's a 94.4 win %, and she won 10 clay-court titles in that period. It was her most dominant surface in arguably the most dominant period of her career https://t.co/8dPwwe68ig
Williams went on maternity leave following her triumph at the 2017 Australian Open and didn't compete on clay at all that year.
Serena Williams was unbeaten on clay in 2013
Serena Williams' dominance on clay peaked in 2013, when she was undefeated on the surface and won five titles.
The American started her winning streak at the Charleston Open, defeating former World No. 1 Jelena Jankovic to successfully defend her title. Her next victory came at the Madrid Open, where she managed yet another successful title defense. Her opponent in the final was long-time rival Maria Sharapova, who she defeated in straight sets.
Next up was the Italian Open, which Williams won in emphatic fashion. She didn't lose more than three games in any set and didn't drop more than four games in any match en route to the title. She defeated Victoria Azarenka to win her third consecutive title on clay. It was also her second title in Rome and her first since 2002.
At Roland Garros, Williams was the overwhelming favorite to win the title and she did just that. In the final, she faced defending champion Maria Sharapova. She secured a straight-sets win over the Russian to win her second title in Paris and first since 2002. The victory also saw her complete a double career Grand Slam.
Williams' final tournament on clay in 2013 was the Swedish Open. She won the title without dropping a set, beating Johanna Larsson in the final. This was also her first title at the WTA 250 level.
Including a 2013 year with 28 matches on clay and 28 wins: titles in Charleston, Madrid, Rome, Roland Garros and Bastad. twitter.com/gfin240/status…
Serena Williams' remarkable clay campaign in 2013 ended with five titles and a 28-0 record. She won the three biggest tournaments on the surface - the Madrid Open, Italian Open and Roland Garros - consecutively, a remarkable feat.
No player on the women's tour has managed such an incredible run on clay since then. The fact that Williams has been able to achieve so much on her so-called 'weakest surface' is testament to her incredible talent and versatality.