Serena Williams had a bit of a rough patch earlier this summer when she made those offensive remarks about the Steubenville Rape Case, got ethered by Maria Sharapova, and shockingly lost in the fourth round of Wimbledon. This weekend, Williams reinstated her reign as the best in the world with a win in the U.S. Open.
Williams had a pretty easy run up until her final match against Victoria Azarenka. The Belarusian player gave Williams a fight, but ultimately Williams came out on top in straight sets, 7-6, 6-7 (6-8), 6-1. The wind was an issue for Williams at first—she even complained that she couldn't play in it during the match—but she overcame her consequent errors for the victory.
This victory gives the superstar her fifth U.S Open title, her ninth of the season, and the 17th major title of her career. Williams had already beaten Azarenka in last year's final.
Williams has also earned the largest purse in woman's sports after taking the match, earning $2.6 million for winning the U.S. Open series and an extra $1 million for the title. The purse makes Williams the first woman's tennis player to surpass $9 million in earnings in a year in tennis history.
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[via USA Today]
