About a year back, tennis legend Serena Williams was fighting for her life. Today, she has staged a remarkable comeback and is on the cusp of yet another milestone in her glittering career.
After beating Anastasija Sevastova 6-3, 6-0 in a fierce semi-final match at the US Open earlier this week, Serena has advanced to the finals of the event in great fashion. A victory in the finals will get her tied with Margaret Court for the all-time record of the most Grand Slam singles titles ever.
Serena currently hast 23 singles major titles and an Olympic gold medal along with a great number of doubles titles. But what makes her entry into another Grand Slam final special is that it comes just a few months after child-birth.
The 36-year-old champion, after giving birth to her daughter Alexis Olympia on September 1, 2017, via emergency cesarean section, had a near-death experience that involved pulmonary embolism and forced her on bed rest for the next six months.
And yet, the champion woman is now back on the tennis court and is giving it her all.
Getting back on track, however, wasn't easy. Before the US Open, Williams played in five tournaments with mixed results. In August this year, she faced a comprehensive 6-1, 6-0 drubbing at the hands of Johanna Konta of Great Britain in the opening round of a US Open tune-up tournament in San Jose, California.
It was one of the worst losses of her professional career, but then she quickly shrugged that off. Earlier in July, she had also reached the women's singles final at Wimbledon, eventually losing to German player Angelique Kerber.
After the loss at Wimbledon, an emotional Serena had told the press, "It's obviously disappointing, but I can't be disappointed. I have so much to look forward to. I'm literally just getting started."
Indeed she has shown the world that she is just getting started on the new phase of her career. Reaching the finals of two Grand Slams in one year on her comeback trail would have been another boost to the champion.
Serena won her first Grand Slam title in 1999 at the age of 18. In the following 19 years, she has proven time and again that she is one of the greatest superstars of the tennis world. A true living legend.
Now by reaching the US Open Final at this stage of her career, and after battling serious health issues, her nerves of steel have been evident again. She has six US Open titles to her name and regardless of whether she wins her seventh this time, Serena Williams has shown that she is already a winner.
