Watch: Serena Williams shows outlandish defense in rally against Aryna Sabalenka from 2021 Australian Open
Serena Williams' long absence from the tour due to a leg injury has given tennis fans plenty of time to reminisce over her past successes.
ESPN's SportsCentre recently took to Twitter to post a video of one of Williams' matches from the 2021 Australian Open. The short video clip has Williams showcasing her brilliant defense during an extended baseline rally against Aryna Sabalenka towards the end of the first set.
Playing in her first match against Sabalenka -- one of the biggest strikers in the women's game -- Williams showed incredible resilience to stay in the rally despite being pushed on the backfoot from the first shot itself.
#ThatsaWThrowback to this ridiculous rally from @serenawilliams 😳 #ThatsaW https://t.co/WUVkt7Bo59
The 34-second clip shared by SportsCenter features one of the best rallies from the match, in which Williams exhibited great court coverage and outlandish defensive skills to outlast her opponent.
Pushed onto the backfoot by a strong Sabalenka serve, Williams showed great hustle to retrieve the piercing groundstrokes being fired down at her from the other end. The American's defensive skills in the rally frustrated Sabalenka, who eventually went for too much on an overhead and found the net.
Australia's strict COVID-19 restrictions meant that no fans were present to witness Williams' defensive prowess from the stands. Nonetheless, the 23-time Grand Slam champion left the commentators in awe of her physical fitness and tenacity.
After surviving Sabalenka's onslaught in the fourth round, Williams beat fellow former World No. 1 Simona Halep in the quarterfinals.
And while she lost in the semifinals to eventual champion Naomi Osaka, her run at the tournament gave her plenty to build on.
Serena Williams climbs 5 spots in latest WTA rankings
Serena Williams last played a competitive match at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships, where she was forced to retire from her opening-round encounter against Aliaksandra Sasnovich after suffering a foot injury.
The American's continued absence from the tour has taken a toll on her ranking; she recently dropped out of the top 200 after dropping the points earned during her semi-final run at the 2021 Australian Open.
The American did see a minor improvement in her standing in the latest updated rankings, climbing five places to go from No. 247 to No. 242.