GREATEST
OF ALL
TIME

Power. Precision. Wit.

We break down why Serena Williams is such a dominant force in tennis.

By Kyle Kim and Los Angeles Times Staff

By Kyle Kim and Los Angeles Times Staff

THE ROAD TO NO. 1

One of Williams' most impressive accomplishments is the longevity of her time at the top. At 35, Williams is older than the average age of the current top 10 player by eight years. The only other female pro her age or older in the top 50 is her sister Venus Williams, 36.

Rank 100 400 300 200 500 1 Grand Slam titles Grand Slam titles 1 3 Williams has one of the longest careers in history compared to other No. 1 players Sources: Womens Tennis Assn., Assn. of Tennis Professionals Sources: Womens Tennis Assn., Assn. of Tennis Professionals Active Retired Note: Ranking data for active players are as of Jan. 30, 2017. Note: Ranking data for active players are as of Jan. 30, 2017. Career length:21 years Rank: No. 453 No. 313 Rank: No. 1 No. 767 No. 803 No. 893 22 years No. 11 No. 2 No. 7 No. 34 Serena Williams 310 weeks at No. 1 223 weeks at No. 1 Novak Djokovic 302 weeks at No. 1 Roger Federer Venus Williams 11 weeks at No. 1 No. 215 17 years No. 3 Steffi Graf 377 weeks at No. 1 15 years 18 years 14 years 286 weeks at No. 1 Pete Sampras 2017 2016 2014 2012 2010 2008 2006 2004 2002 2000 1998 Williams enters WTAranking at No. 453 Oct. 28, 1997 Dethrones her sister Venus as Wimbledon champion to take No. 1 ranking for the first time July 8, 2002 Williams slips to No. 139, citing injuries, lack of fitnessand depression Williams slips to No. 139, citing injuries, lack of fitnessand depression Williams slips to No. 139, citing injuries, lack of fitnessand depression Williams loses the U.S. Open semifi-nals, breaking a 186-week streak at No. 1 – an accomplishment only she and former top player Steffi Graf share Williams loses the U.S. Open semifi-nals, breaking a 186-week streak at No. 1 – an accomplishment only she and former top player Steffi Graf share Williams loses the U.S. Open semifi-nals, breaking a 186-week streak at No. 1 – an accomplishment only she and former top player Steffi Graf share July 10, 2006 As defending champion at Wimble-don, Williams loses in the round of 16. Her ranking falls to 169. As defending champion at Wimble-don, Williams loses in the round of 16. Her ranking falls to 169. July, 4, 2011 July, 4, 2011 July, 4, 2011 Sept. 12, 2016 Williams wins the Australian Open and her 23rd grand slam, breaking the record for most grand slam titles won by any player in the Open Era Williams wins the Australian Open and her 23rd grand slam, breaking the record for most grand slam titles won by any player in the Open Era Williams wins the Australian Open and her 23rd grand slam, breaking the record for most grand slam titles won by any player in the Open Era Jan. 28, 2017 Jan. 28, 2017 Patrick Mouratoglou becomes Williams’ exclusive coach, helping her rise back to the top Patrick Mouratoglou becomes Williams’ exclusive coach, helping her rise back to the top September, 2012 0 100 200 300 400 500
July 8, 2002 Patrick Mouratoglou becomes Williams’ exclusive coach, helping her rise back to No. 1 Patrick Mouratoglou becomes Williams’ exclusive coach, helping her rise back to No. 1 September, 2012 *Ranking data for active players are as of Jan. 30, 2017. *Ranking data for active players are as of Jan. 30, 2017. Rank 100 400 300 200 500 1 Grand Slam titles Grand Slam titles 1 3 Williams has one of the longest careers in history compared to other No. 1 players Active Retired Career length:21 years Rank: No. 453 No. 313 Rank: No. 1 No. 767 No. 803 No. 893 22 years No. 11 No. 2 No. 7 No. 34 Serena Williams 310 weeks at No. 1 223 weeks at No. 1 Novak Djokovic 302 weeks at No. 1 Roger Federer Venus Williams 11 weeks at No. 1 No. 215 17 years No. 3 Steffi Graf 377 weeks at No. 1 15 years 18 years 14 years 286 weeks at No. 1 Pete Sampras 2017 2016 2014 2012 2010 2008 2006 2004 2002 2000 1998 Williams enters WTAranking at No. 453 Oct. 28, 1997 Oct. 28, 1997 July, 4, 2011 July, 4, 2011 July, 4, 2011 Sept. 12, 2016 Sept. 12, 2016 Williams wins the Australian Open and her 23rd grand slam Williams wins the Australian Open and her 23rd grand slam Jan. 28, 2017 Jan. 28, 2017 Sources: Womens Tennis Assn., Assn. of Tennis Professionals Sources: Womens Tennis Assn., Assn. of Tennis Professionals Dethrones her sister Venus as Wimbledon champ to take No. 1 ranking for the first time Dethrones her sister Venus as Wimbledon champ to take No. 1 ranking for the first time Williams slips to No. 139, citing in-juries, lack of fit-ness and depres-sion Williams slips to No. 139, citing in-juries, lack of fit-ness and depres-sion Williams loses the U.S. Open semifinals, break-ing a 186-week streak at No. 1 – an accom-plishment only she and former top player Steffi Graf share Williams loses the U.S. Open semifinals, break-ing a 186-week streak at No. 1 – an accom-plishment only she and former top player Steffi Graf share Williams loses the U.S. Open semifinals, break-ing a 186-week streak at No. 1 – an accom-plishment only she and former top player Steffi Graf share As defending champion at Wimbledon, Williams loses in the round of 16. Her ranking falls to 169. As defending champion at Wimbledon, Williams loses in the round of 16. Her ranking falls to 169. As defending champion at Wimbledon, Williams loses in the round of 16. Her ranking falls to 169. July 10, 2006 July 10, 2006
*Ranking data for active players are as of Jan. 30, 2017. *Ranking data for active players are as of Jan. 30, 2017. 100 400 300 200 No. 500 1 Williams enters WTAranking at No. 453 Williams enters WTAranking at No. 453 Oct. 28, 1997 Oct. 28, 1997 Dethrones her sister Venus as Wimbledon champion to take No. 1 ranking for the first time Dethrones her sister Venus as Wimbledon champion to take No. 1 ranking for the first time July 8, 2002 July 8, 2002 Williams slips to No. 139, citing injuries, lack of fitness and depression Williams slips to No. 139, citing injuries, lack of fitness and depression Grand Slam titles Grand Slam titles July 10, 2006 July 10, 2006 Patrick Mouratoglou becomes Williams’ coach, helping her rise back to the top Patrick Mouratoglou becomes Williams’ coach, helping her rise back to the top September, 2012 As defending champion at Wimbledon, Williams loses in the round of 16. Her ranking falls to 169. As defending champion at Wimbledon, Williams loses in the round of 16. Her ranking falls to 169. July, 4, 2011 July, 4, 2011 Williams loses the U.S. Open semifinals, breaking a 186-week streak at No. 1 Williams loses the U.S. Open semifinals, breaking a 186-week streak at No. 1 Sept. 12, 2016 Sept. 12, 2016 1 3 Williams has one of the longest careers in history compared to other No. 1 players Active Retired Serena Williams Rank: No. 453 Rank: 310 weeks at No. 1 Venus Williams 223 weeks at No. 1 Novak Djokovic 286 weeks at No. 1 Pete Sampras 377 weeks at No. 1 Steffi Graf 302 weeks at No. 1 Roger Federer No. 1 11 weeks at No. 1 Career length:21 years No. 313 No. 767 No. 803 No. 893 22 years No. 7 No. 34 No. 215 17 years No. 3 15 years 18 years 14 years Williams wins the Australian Open and her 23rd grand slam Williams wins the Australian Open and her 23rd grand slam Williams wins the Australian Open and her 23rd grand slam Jan. 28, 2017 Jan. 28, 2017 Jan. 28, 2017 2017 2016 2014 2012 2010 2008 2006 2004 2002 2000 1998 Sources: Womens Tennis Assn., Assn. of Tennis Professionals No. 17* No. 2
Williams has one of the longest careers in history compared to other top players Active Retired Sources: Womens Tennis Assn., Assn. of Tennis Professionals Sources: Womens Tennis Assn., Assn. of Tennis Professionals *Ranking data for active players are as of Jan. 30, 2017. Serena Williams Rank: No. 453 Rank: No. 1 Venus Williams Novak Djokovic Pete Sampras Steffi Graf Roger Federer Careerlength:21 years No. 313 No. 767 No. 803 No. 893 22 years No. 7 No. 34 No. 215 17 years No. 3 15 years 18 years 14 years No. 11 No. 2 3 100 400 300 200 No. 500 1 Grand Slam titles Grand Slam titles Williams loses the U.S. Open semifinals, breaking a 186-week streak at No. 1 Williams loses the U.S. Open semifinals, breaking a 186-week streak at No. 1 Sept. 12, 2016 Sept. 12, 2016 1 Williams wins the Aus-tralian Open and her 23rd grand slam Williams wins the Aus-tralian Open and her 23rd grand slam Jan. 28, 2017 Jan. 28, 2017 2017 2016 2014 2012 2010 2008 2006 2004 2002 2000 1998 Williams enters WTAranking at No. 453 Williams enters WTAranking at No. 453 Oct. 28, 1997 Oct. 28, 1997 Dethrones her sister Venus as Wimbledon champion to take No. 1 ranking for the first time Dethrones her sister Venus as Wimbledon champion to take No. 1 ranking for the first time July 8, 2002 July 8, 2002 Williams slips to No. 139, citing injuries, lack of fitness and depression Williams slips to No. 139, citing injuries, lack of fitness and depression July 10, 2006 July 10, 2006 As defending champion at Wimbledon, Williams loses in the round of 16. Her ranking falls to 169. As defending champion at Wimbledon, Williams loses in the round of 16. Her ranking falls to 169. July, 4, 2011 July, 4, 2011 Patrick Mouratoglou becomes Williams’ coach, helping her rise back to the top Patrick Mouratoglou becomes Williams’ coach, helping her rise back to the top September, 2012

Williams has won more singles, doubles and mixed doubles titles combined than any other pro – male or female. Her 2017 Australian Open victory secured one of the highest all-time tennis records: most Grand Slam titles in the Open Era.

23 TK 18 17 18 22 Most Grand Slam singles titles by a player 0 5 10 15 20 25 R o g er F ede r er Ma r tina N a v r a til o v a Chris E v e r t S t e f f i G r af S e r ena W illiams Note: Includes titles during Open Era only Sources: WTA, ATP

What is a Grand Slam?

Professionals play different tournaments year-round but the most important are the four Grand Slam tournaments: The Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open.

"SERVICE, WILLIAMS"

These are two words you should dread hearing from an umpire when facing Williams on the court, due to the speed and power of her serve.

"Serve is very important for me, I think in general. I feel really dominant when I do serve like that."
–Serena Williams
2016 Wimbeldon semifinals news conference, after hitting 61 aces en route to the finals.
Source: WTA Fastest serve, All-Time 100 110 120 130 B r enda S chul t z -Mc C a r t h y Julia Goe r g e s S e r ena W illiams V enus WIlliams S abine Lisicki 131.0 (2014 Standford) 129.0 (2007 U.S. Open) 126.1 (2012 French Open) 126.0 (2007 Indian Wells) 128.6 mph (2013 Australian Open)
Williams' 128.6 mph serve

What’s equally as important, but sometimes glossed over is a second component of Williams' serve: her deadly accuracy.

The last component is her ability to disguise her serves, making it hard for the opponent to anticipate where the ball will go. This combination is why her serves are such a dominant part of her game.

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First serve placement
7.8% 45.8% 46.4% Center Wide Body

Williams usually hits down the “T” (center) or wide on her first serves, according to an analysis of roughly 3,500 serves. Hitting out in either corner, while risky, makes it harder for the opponent to return the ball.

Second serve placement
42% 25.2% 32.5% Center Wide Body

If she does not make her first serve, Williams usually hits toward the opponent’s body, based on an analysis of 2,400 second serves.

The combination is also why Williams' ability to ace an opponent is unmatched in women’s tennis.

What is an ace?

Every point starts with one player serving. An ace occurs when the receiver is unable to touch a legal serve with her raquet, usually due to speed or angle.

The queen of aces

Out of any female tennis pro, Williams is by far the most likely to serve an ace by a margin of 3 to 1.

Likelihood of acing during a serve, women
4.08% Average female pro 0% 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 Venus Williams Steffi Graf Maria Sharapova Serena Williams 13.19% 5.26% 5.19% 3.78%
4.08% Average female pro 0% 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 Venus Williams Steffi Graf Maria Sharapova Serena Williams 13.19% 5.26% 5.19% 3.78%
4.08% Average female pro 0% 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 Venus Williams Steffi Graf Maria Sharapova Serena Williams 13.19% 5.26% 5.19% 3.78%
4.08% Average female pro 0% 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 Venus Williams Steffi Graf Maria Sharapova Serena Williams 13.19% 5.26% 5.19% 3.78%

When compared to the men, Williams' likelihood to serve an ace is still twice the average.

Note: Ace data for men and women includes only players who have at least 10 matches charted Serena Williams 13.19% Andre Agassi 5.46% Ivo Karlovic 26.64% Pete Sampras 16.09% Andy Roddick 13.22% Novak Djokovic 6.26% 7.80% Average male pro 0% 5 10 15 25 20 3 8 13 23 18 2 7 12 22 17 1 6 11 21 16 4 9 14 24 26 19 Source: Tennis Abstract Match Charting Project
Note: Ace data for men and women includes only players who have at least 10 matches charted Serena Williams 13.19% Andre Agassi 5.46% Ivo Karlovic 26.64% Pete Sampras 16.09% Andy Roddick 13.22% Novak Djokovic 6.26% 7.80% Average male pro 0% 5 10 15 25 20 3 8 13 23 18 2 7 12 22 17 1 6 11 21 16 4 9 14 24 26 19 Source: Tennis Abstract Match Charting Project
Serena Williams 13.19% Andre Agassi 5.46% Ivo Karlovic 26.64% Pete Sampras 16.09% Andy Roddick 13.22% Novak Djokovic 6.26% 7.80% Average male pro 0% 5 10 15 25 20 3 8 13 23 18 2 7 12 22 17 1 6 11 21 16 4 9 14 24 26 19 Note: Data includes only players who have at least 10 matches charted Source: Tennis Abstract Match Charting Project
Serena Williams 13.19% Andre Agassi 5.46% Ivo Karlovic 26.64% Pete Sampras 16.09% Andy Roddick 13.22% Novak Djokovic 6.26% 7.80% Average male pro 0% 5 10 15 25 20 3 8 13 23 18 2 7 12 22 17 1 6 11 21 16 4 9 14 24 26 19 Note: Data includes only players who have at least 10 matches charted Source: Tennis Abstract Match Charting Project

When she's down a point, the margin can become even greater, according to analysis done by IBM. In the video below, Williams is down a game at the 2012 Wimbledon finals and serves four aces in a row to break even (she eventually won the match, and set the record for most aces served by men or women at the tournament that year):

Could you return Williams' serve?

In the real world, probably not. But in our simulation, maybe. See if you are able to just get the timing of trying to return her serves in the stripped-down environment below.

TapClick anywhere when the ball approaches to try and return her serve

PLAYING THE POINT

As a strong baseline player (playing at the back of the court versus at the net), Williams' forehand and backhand are one of the best in womens tennis. The dominant shot method, used in the charts below, was developed by Nikita Taparia, an engineer and scientist at the University of Washington (read the full methodolody here).

Williams' forehand dominance

- 0. 005 0. 000 0. 005 0. 0 10 0. 0 15 0. 0 20 0. 02 5 0. 0 30 0. 0 3 5 0. 040 Sv e tlana K uzn e t s o v a Madi s on K e y s R obe r t a V inci V ic t oria A z a r enka V enus W illiams Simona Halep Agni e s zka Rad w anska Garbine Muguru z a An g elique K erber S e r ena W illiams T op 1 0 r an k ed .038 .034 .001 .012 .013 -0.002 .019 .014 .018 .001 Average 320
Williams' backhand dominance

- 0. 08 - 0. 0 7 - 0. 06 - 0. 05 - 0. 04 - 0. 0 3 - 0. 0 2 - 0. 0 1 0. 00 0. 0 1 Sv e tlana K uzn e t s o v a Madi s on K e y s R obe r t a V inci V ic t oria A z a r enka V enus W illiams Simona Halep Agni e s zka Rad w anska Garbine Muguru z a An g elique K erber S e r ena W illiams .004 .002 0.005 -0.026 -0.063 -0.034 .002 Average Serena Williams -0.012 -0.012 -0.014 -0.014 -0.017 -0.017 Top 10 ranked

Most players win points in rallies of three shots or fewer, and that remains even more true for Serena.

Percent of points played by rally length

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 7 0 80 Rally length: 1-3 hits Average Serena Williams 63% 54% 25 22 12 9 9 6 Serena finishes off opponents more quickly Doesn’t get drawn into long rallies 4-6 6-9 10 and over

Percent of points played by rally length

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 7 0 80 Rally length: 1-3 hits Average Serena Williams 63% 54% 25 22 12 9 9 6 Serena finishes off opponents more quickly Doesn’t get drawn into long rallies 4-6 6-9 10 and over

ABOUT THE DATA

Ranking data come from the Womens Tennis Assn. and ATP. Match data was available by the Tennis Abstract Match Charting Project by Jeff Sackmann which is the largest tennis open-source dataset available. Though detailed records of more than 1,400 professional matches comprise the dataset, not all matches are recorded for individual players.

Ryan Menezes, Armand Emamdjomeh, Priya Krishnakumar and Eben McCue contributed to this project.

Photos by Getty Images.