Serena Slam
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The Serena Slam is the term coined for American tennis player Serena Williams on her achievement of being the reigning champion of all four Grand Slam tournaments, although she did not win them all in the same calendar year (called a True Grand Slam). However, a 1984 ruling by the International Tennis Federation declared a Grand Slam when a player was holding all four major titles at the time.
Williams won the 2002 French Open, Wimbledon, the U.S. Open, and the 2003 Australian Open. The term was coined after she captured the U.S. Open singles title, in anticipation of the possibility of the accomplishment.
Critics of the achievement dubbed it a Sister Slam: Williams encountered her sister, Venus Williams, in the finals of each of these four tournaments, creating for some people the impression that perhaps in some of the tournaments the best player had not won.
The player who came closest to stopping the "Serena Slam" was Belgian Kim Clijsters, who held two match points against Williams in the third set of the semifinals of the 2003 Australian Open, before falling, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5. Williams's Grand Slam streak was ultimately halted by Belgian Justine Henin-Hardenne, who defeated her in the semifinals of the 2003 French Open.
Prior to this streak, Williams had only won one Grand Slam singles title, the 1999 U.S. Open. Since this streak was severed at the 2003 French Open, she has won three Grand Slam singles titles (2003 Wimbledon and the 2005 and 2007 Australian Open).
[edit] Similar achievements
The International Tennis Federation officially established the "new" Grand Slam rules when Martina Navratilova was in the middle of winning six consecutive Grand Slam titles: the 1983 Wimbledon, U.S. Open, and Australian Open (which at that time was held in December), and the 1984 French Open, Wimbledon, and U.S. Open. When she won the French Open in 1984, the ITF awarded her the Grand Slam distinction. It has also been achieved by Steffi Graf, who won the 1993 French Open, Wimbledon, and U.S. Open, and the 1994 Australian Open. "True" Grand Slams, in which a player has won all four Grand Slams in a calendar year, have been won by female players Maureen Connolly (1953), Margaret Smith Court (1970), and Steffi Graf (1988), and male players Don Budge (1938) and Rod Laver (1962 & 1969).
Talk of a "Roger Slam" emerged when Roger Federer played for the French Open in 2006, as he entered the event holding the other three Grand Slam titles. However, Federer would fall short of this feat by one match, losing to Rafael Nadal in the final. Federer will have a second attempt at the achievement when the 2007 French Open begins on 27 May 2007.
[edit] Serena Slam, match by match
| Year | Date | Grand Slam | Round | Oppnent | Score |
| 2002 | 29, May | Roland Garros | 1R | Martina Sucha (SVK) |
6-3 6-0 |
| 30, May | 2R | Dally Randriantefy (MAD) |
6-2 6-3 | ||
| 1, June | 3R | Janette Husarova (SVK) |
6-1 6-3 | ||
| 2, June | 4R | Vera Zvonareva (RUS) |
4-6 6-0 6-1 | ||
| 4, June | QF | Mary Pierce (FRA) |
6-1 6-1 | ||
| 6, June | SF | Jennifer Capriati (USA) |
3-6 7-6(7-2) 6-2 | ||
| 8, June | F | Venus Williams (USA) |
7-5 6-3 | ||
| 2002 | 24, June | Wimbledon | 1R | Evie Dominikovic (AUS) |
6-1 6-1 |
| 26, June | 2R | Francesca Schiavone (ITA) |
6-3 6-3 | ||
| 28, June | 3R | Els Callens (BEL) |
7-6(7-5) 7-6(7-2) | ||
| 1, July | 4R | Chanda Rubin (USA) |
6-3 6-3 | ||
| 3, July | QF | Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) |
6-3 6-2 | ||
| 4, July | SF | Amelie Mauresmo (FRA) |
6-2 6-1 | ||
| 6, July | F | Venus Williams (USA) |
7-6(4) 6-3 | ||
| 2002 | 26, August | US Open | 1R | Corina Morariu (USA) |
6-2 6-3 |
| 28, August | 2R | Dinara Safina (RUS) |
6-0 6-1 | ||
| 30, August | 3R | Nathalie Dechy (FRA) |
6-1 6-1 | ||
| 1, September | 4R | Daja Bedanova (CZE) |
6-1 6-1 | ||
| 3, September | QF | Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) |
6-2 6-2 | ||
| 6, September | SF | Lindsay Davenport (USA) |
6-3 7-5 | ||
| 7, September | F | Venus Williams (USA) |
6-4 6-3 | ||
| 2003 | 14, January | Australian Open | 1R | Emilie Loit (FRA) |
3-6 7-6(7-5) 7-5 |
| 16, January | 2R | Els Callens (BEL) |
6-4 6-0 | ||
| 18, January | 3R | Tamarine Tanasugarn (THA) |
6-1 6-1 | ||
| 20, January | 4R | Eleni Daniilidou (GRE) |
6-4 6-1 | ||
| 22, January | QF | Meghann Shaughnessy (USA) |
6-2 6-2 | ||
| 23, January | SF | Kim Clijsters (BEL) |
4-6 6-3 7-5 | ||
| 25, January | F | Venus Williams (USA) |
7-6(7-4) 3-6 6-4 |
