Serena Williams hopes of equalling Margaret Court’s record 24 Grand Slam wins over at Australian Open

Out | Williams was beaten by Wang Qiang over three sets
AFP via Getty Images

Serena Williams’ hopes of equalling Margaret Court’s record 24 Grand Slam wins were ended in the third round of the Australian Open today by Wang Qiang.

Williams, who had come into the first Grand Slam of the year in good form having won her first title the preceding week since becoming a mother, lost 6-4, 6-7, 7-5 to the 27th seed.

The 38-year-old has now not won a Slam since this event in 2017 when she was eight weeks pregnant with her daughter.

And the American eighth seed was quick to berate her level of performance against a player she had knocked out of last year’s US Open in less than 45 minutes.

“I made a lot of errors,” she said. “I didn’t hit any of those shots in New York or in general in a really long time. I just made far too many errors to be a professional athlete today.

“I’m definitely going to be training tomorrow. That’s first and foremost, to make sure I don’t do this again.”

Wang saved four break points in the first set before breaking Williams to go 5-4 up and then serve out the set. Serving for the match at 5-4 in the second, Wang briefly stuttered as Williams broke back and took the tiebreak to force a decider. But once again, Williams’ game faltered in the decider for Wang to round off one of the biggest wins of her career.

Her error-strewn performance on court once more raised the question of whether she will evermatch Court’s record in terms of career Grand Slam singles wins.

In Pictures | Australian Open 2020

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Since making her Grand Slam return as a parent at the 2018 French Open, she has made four finals and lost each one. Her departure in the third round was her earliest Australian Open exit since 2006.

But she is adamant she can convert a major win in 2020. Williams, who earlier in the tournament had joined Roger Federer as the only player to pick up 350 career Grand Slam singles wins, said: “I don’t play just to have fun. To lose is really not fun. I definitely do believe or I wouldn’t be on tour. But I can’t play like that. I literally can’t do that again. That’s unprofessional. It’s not cool.”

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