Serena Williams wins her seventh Australian Open singles title, beating her sister Venus 6-4, 6-4 in the final in Melbourne on Saturday. It is Serena’s 23rd Grand Slam title, a record in the open-era </s> Tennis star Serena Williams has taken her record-setting 23rd Grand Slam singles title with a win against her sister Venus at the Australian Open Saturday.

The win moves Serena to the top spot in the number of major tennis titles during the Open era, which began in 1968.

It's Serena's seventh Australian Open victory, winning 6-4 6-4 against her older sister. She now returns to the No. 1 spot after losing that ranking in September to Angelique Kerber.

Despite an intense game in the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, the two sisters were all smiles and compliments in the post-match ceremony.

"There's no way I could be at 23 without her," Serena, 35, said of her sister. "Thank you Venus for inspiring me to be the best player I can be."

"Serena Williams. That's my little sister, guys," Venus said. "Your win has always been my win."

The last time the two sisters faced off for the Australian Open was in 2003, which resulted in a win for Serena. She now has a 17-11 career record against Venus, which includes a record of 10-5 of Grand Slams, The Associated Press reports.

With a combined age of 71, the sisters made up the oldest women's Grand Slam final. At 36, Venus was the oldest Grand Slam finalist in 23 years.

"I really elevated my game somehow," Serena told ESPN afterward, saying she still thinks she's in the prime of her career. "I really wanted to get to 23 so bad, more than you can imagine" she added.

The Australian Open continues Sunday, when Roger Federer is scheduled to face off against Rafael Nadal in the men's final. </s> MELBOURNE — Serena Williams continued to make history at the Australian Open when she won her 23rd career Grand Slam title on Saturday night.

The 35-year-old Serena Williams had to turn aside her older sister, Venus, at 36 the oldest Australian Open finalist in the Open Era, in a 6-4, 6-4 final victory. This was the Grand Slam contested by the two oldest women’s finalists in the Open Era.

The two sisters shared a long hug on court after the 1 hour, 22 minute match, once again, seeming to defy any possibility of sibling rivalry.

“I really would like to take this moment to congratulate Venus, she’s an amazing person,” Serena said of her sister. “There’s no way I’d be at 23 (titles), or I’d be at one. She’s my inspiration. Thank you Venus for inspiring me to be the best player I could be.”

This was Venus Williams’ 15th Grand Slam final — she’s won seven in her career, but has lost both Australian Open finals she’s played.

This was Venus’ first trip to a Grand Slam final since she lost to Serena at the 2009 Wimbledon Championships. In 2011, she was diagnosed with Sjogren’s Syndrome and it took her time to be able to combat the autoimmune disease.

“To enjoy this moment and be breathing, this is a beautiful thing,” Venus said. “I’m so happy to be able to play in front of you. Serena WIlliams — that’s my little sister, you guys. Congratulation Serena on winning No. 23 and I’ve been there alongside you, sometimes against you. I’m enormously proud of you.”

Serena continues her record as the oldest women’s champion at a major in the Open Era — she also held that record when she won the 2016 Wimbledon title at 34 years and 287 days old.

The victory moves Serena ahead of Steffi Graf, who has 22 Grand Slam titles, to own the record of Grand Slam titles won by a woman in the Open Era.

Serena is now just one Grand Slam singles trophy behind equaling Australian Margaret Court’s record of 24 major titles that bridged the pre-Open and Open Eras. Court was on hand in Rod Laver Arena watching as Serena Williams inched closer to her record.

Serena’s win also returns her to the world No. 1 ranking, which she surrendered to Angelique Kerber after the German won her second Grand Slam title of 2016 at the U.S. Open in September.

The sisters have played 28 times in their career with this being their 15th at a Grand Slam. They played their first career match against each other here at Melbourne Park in 1998 — it was a second round match that the 17-year-old Venus won over the 16-year-old Serena.

Serena has now beaten Venus 17 times with 10 of their outings at the majors. They’ve played in nine Grand Slam finals with Serena winning seven of those meetings. </s> MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Serena Williams has won her record 23rd Grand Slam singles title with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over her older sister Venus in Saturday’s Australian Open final.

With her record seventh Australian title, the 35-year-old Williams moved ahead of Steffi Graf for the most major titles in the Open era. Margaret Court won 24 majors, but collected 13 of those before the Open era.

The victory at Rod Laver Arena also ensured Serena Williams will regain the top ranking, which she lost in September after 186 straight weeks when Angelique Kerber won the U.S. Open.

It was Serena’s seventh win in nine all-Williams Grand Slam finals, and the first since Wimbledon in 2009. It was 36-year-old, No. 13-seeded Venus Williams’ first trip back to a major final in 7 ½ years.

Williams has won 15 majors since last losing to Venus in a Grand Slam final, at Wimbledon in 2008.

Venus walked over to Serena’s side of the net and the sisters hugged.

“This was a tough one — I really would like to take this moment to congratulate Venus,” Serena Williams said. “She’s an amazing person. There’s no way I’d be at 23 without her. She’s my inspiration and the only reason I’m standing here today. Thanks for inspiring me to be the best player I can be.

The match didn’t live up to its classic billing, with nerves and tension causing uncharacteristic mistakes and unforced errors and four consecutive service breaks before Venus finally held for a 3-2 lead. That included a game when Serena had game point but served back-to-back double-faults and three in all to give up the break.

There were six service breaks in all. Both players were relatively subdued, except for Serena’s racket smashing spike on the court in the third game that earned her a code violation.

After making the three double-faults in the fourth game, however, the younger Williams didn’t face another break point in the 1-hour, 22-minute match.

In terms of total years, it was the oldest Grand Slam women’s final in the Open era with the Williams sisters combining for 71 years, 11 months.

Serena Williams now has a 17-11 career record against her sister, including a 10-5 advantage at Grand Slams.

Serena hadn’t wanted to talk about the No. 23 before or during the tournament. She finally can now.

She tied Steffi Graf’s mark of 22 Grand Slam singles titles in the Open era by winning Wimbledon last year. She missed her chance to break Graf’s record with an upset semifinal loss at the U.S. Open — for the second year running — and hasn’t wanted to talk about the number 23 since arriving in Australia.

Until this trip, Venus hadn’t reached another major final since 2008. She didn’t make the second week for a few years as she came to terms with an energy-sapping illness since being diagnosed with Sjogren’s syndrome in 2011, and made her comeback to the semifinals at Wimbledon last year. </s> Serena Williams is alone at the top when it comes to Grand Slam achievement in the Open era.

By defeating her sister Venus Williams 6-4, 6-4 in the Australian Open final Saturday, Serena Williams won her 23rd major title, breaking the record she had shared with Steffi Graf.

Serena Williams has experienced some high-anxiety moments in major matches, and she did again on Saturday. In the early going, she smashed her racket in frustration after falling down on the baseline, and she served three tentative double-faults in a span of four points.

However, she soon settled down — and made history. Serena closed the match on her first championship point, charging the net with a forehand that Venus could not successfully return.

As difficult as it must have been to play against her sister, the enormous reward will likely help compensate for any mental anguish.

It’s Serena Williams’ seventh Australian Open title and second in the past three tournaments in Melbourne. She also has seven titles at Wimbledon, six at the US Open and three at the French Open.

She remains one Grand Slam championship behind the all-time leader, Margaret Court, who has 24 titles in the Open and amateur eras. Court, an Australian who won 13 majors before the dawn of the Open era in 1968, was among those applauding the Williams sisters at Rod Laver Arena.

Saturday’s victory also means Williams will regain the world No. 1 ranking from Angelique Kerber, who was eliminated in the fourth round in Melbourne. Next week will be Williams’ 310th at the top of tennis.

Venus Williams, a seven-time Slam champion, was in the final of the Australian Open for the first time since 2003.

In an on-set interview with ESPN, Serena Williams received a letter of congratulations and a pair of shoes from NBA Hall of Famer and legendary No. 23 Michael Jordan. One shoe was red and black — the Chicago Bulls‘ colors — and the other was a more Serena-esque pink.

“Thank you, Michael. I can’t believe I’m saying thank you Michael Jordan,” Williams said. “He’s the greatest.”

Tennis icon Billie Jean King also sent a pair of tweets Saturday morning to honor the Williams sisters.

After the match, the sisters expressed their love and respect for each other in moving speeches to the crowd.

“Serena Williams … that’s my little sister, guys,” said Venus, who was up first, laughing. “Congratulations, Serena, on No. 23. I have been right there with you.

“Your win has always been my win. I think you know that I’m enormously proud of you. You mean the world to me.”

“I really would like to take this moment to congratulate Venus,” she said. “She’s an amazing person. There’s no way I’d be at 23 without her. There’s no way I’d be at one.”

Venus Williams made her deepest run in a Slam draw since the 2009 Wimbledon final, when she also lost to Serena. But to compete in this crucible, Venus needed to serve fairly flawlessly. Her serve was broken four times Saturday.

When they posed for the obligatory prematch photos, Venus smiled and flashed her teeth; Serena smiled a coy, tight-lipped smile.

Serena Williams’ nerves emerged with those early double-faults and the cracked racket, but her break of Venus’ serve in the seventh game proved to be the difference.

There has never been a front-runner like Serena. She is now 21-0 after winning the first set in a major final. After the fourth game of the first set, the younger Williams didn’t face another break point in the 1-hour, 22-minute match.

In the second set, the seventh game again proved unlucky for Venus, who was broken to give Serena the decisive edge.

The matchup between 36-year-old Venus and 35-year-old Serena was the oldest for a women’s major final in the Open era, with a combined 71 years, 11 months. Williams also became the oldest Slam winner in the Open era at 35 years, 124 days.

Serena Williams now has a 17-11 career record against her sister, including a 10-5 advantage at Grand Slams and a 7-2 edge in Slam finals.

It was 19 years ago that they first met here in Melbourne, with Venus winning a second-round match. In 2003, they played their first Australian Open final, and a steely Serena escaped with a three-set win.

After Venus’ final errant shot, Serena fell back awkwardly and sat down. Venus came running to her side of the net and wrapped her long arms around her little sister. They held on for what seemed like a long, long time.

When Venus won a match this fortnight, Serena felt a sense of urgency to win her own. The match over, they chatted nonstop while posing with their respective trophies.

“She’s the only reason the Williams sisters exist,” Serena said, “inspiring me to be the best player I can be.”

This story is featured on ESPN.com </s> MELBOURNE, Australia — Serena Williams has won her record 23rd Grand Slam singles title, and her sister was right there on court to give her a congratulatory hug.

The all-Williams final — the first at the Australian Open since Serena won the first edition of the family rivalry here in 2003 — went to the younger sibling 6-4, 6-4 on Saturday night.

With her record seventh Australian title, Williams, 35, moved ahead of Steffi Graf for the most major titles in the Open era. Margaret Court has the all-time record and was also in the crowd for the final at Rod Laver Arena.

Court won 24 majors, but collected 13 of those before the Open era which began in 1968 after the sport became professional.

The victory also ensured Serena Williams will regain the top ranking, which she lost in September after 186 straight weeks when Angelique Kerber won the U.S. Open.

It was Serena’s seventh win in nine all-Williams Grand Slam finals, and the first since Wimbledon in 2009. It was 36-year-old, No. 13-seeded Venus Williams’ first trip back to a major final in 7½ years.

Serena sat on the court, holding both arms up to celebrate, before Venus walked over to her sister’s side of the net for a hug.

“This was a tough one,” Serena Williams said. “I really would like to take this moment to congratulate Venus, she’s an amazing person — she’s my inspiration.

“There’s no way I would be at 23 without her — there’s no way I would be at one without her. Thank you Venus for inspiring me to be the best player I can be and inspiring me to work hard.”

Williams has won 15 majors since last losing to Venus in a Grand Slam final, at Wimbledon in 2008. That was the seventh and last major title that the older of the Williams sisters won.

Venus hadn’t made the second week of a major for a few years as she came to terms with an energy-sapping illness since being diagnosed with Sjogren’s syndrome in 2011, and made her return to the semifinals at Wimbledon last year.

“She’s made an amazing comeback … I don’t like the word comeback,” Serena Williams said. “She’s never left. She’s been such a great champion.”

The match didn’t live up to its classic billing, with nerves and tension causing uncharacteristic mistakes and unforced errors and four consecutive service breaks before Venus finally held for a 3-2 lead in the first set. That included a game when Serena had game point but served back-to-back double-faults and three in all to give up the break.

There were six service breaks in all. Both players were relatively subdued, except for Serena’s racket smashing spike on the court in the third game that earned her a code violation.

After the fourth game, however, Serena Williams didn’t face another break point in the 1-hour, 22-minute match.

“Serena Williams, that’s my little sister, guys. Congratulations Serena on No. 23,” Venus said. “I have been right there with you. Some of them I have lost right there against you. It’s been an awesome thing, your win has always been my win, you know that. All the times I couldn’t be there, wouldn’t be there, didn’t get there, you were there.”

Venus stayed in the match with 21 winners, and won the longest rally of the match, but couldn’t seem to keep up with her sister as the match progressed.

In terms of total years, it was the oldest Grand Slam women’s final in the Open era with the Williams sisters combining for 71 years, 11 months. Roger Federer will be aiming to increase his all-time men’s record to 18 when he takes on 14-time major winner Rafael Nadal on Sunday night, completing the singles finals lineup of all 30-somethings.

Serena got a little bit superstitious Down Under, and hadn’t wanted to talk about the No. 23. “Now we can talk about it,” she said.

Now there’s a limited-edition racket — 23 to be released, with proceeds going to The Serena Williams Fund — and a pair of custom-made shoes — sent by former NBA star Michael Jordan. It had Jordan’s usual jersey number No. 23 stamped on the heel, helping to provide some synchronicity for the numbers involved.

— Twins Bob and Mike Bryan missed out on a doubles record late Saturday, losing the final 7-5, 7-5 to Henri Kontinen of Finland and John Peers of Australia.The third-seeded Bryan brothers were trying to win their 17th Grand Slam title, which would have tied them with John Newcombe for the most titles all-time. </s> Serena Williams will meet Venus Williams in the final of the Australian Open on Saturday.

The Williams sisters last met in a Grand Slam final in 2009, when Serena beat Venus at Wimbledon. Venus Williams last won a major in 2008, when she beat her sister at Wimbledon.

Serena is looking to win her 23rd Grand Slam title, which would give her sole possession of the Open Era record for major titles. Currently, she is tied with Steffi Graf at 22.

Venus Williams beat CoCo Vandeweghe in the semifinals, while Serena Williams beat Mirjana Lucic-Baroni. </s> Serena Williams will play her sister Venus in the Australian Open final today.

The 22 Grand Slam winner dismissed her Croatian opponent Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 6-2 6-1 to join her sister who had earlier come from a set down to beat fellow American, CoCo Vandeweghe.

Both sisters last met in Melbourne in 2003 in the finals. Serena had won the title six times. Venus best showing was playing the final with Serena 14 years ago.

'For us both to be in the final is the biggest dream come true for us,' said Serena, a year her sister's junior.

'She's my toughest opponent, no one has ever beaten me as much as Venus has. I just feel like no matter what's happened we've both won … A Williams is going to win this tournament.'

The six-times champion was all but untouchable when her first serve hit the mark and sealed the win when Lucic-Baroni smashed a forehand into the net, the American reaching her 29th grand slam final where she will bid for a 23rd major title.

Serena gave her opponent a huge hug at the net before watching on smiling as Lucic-Baroni took a selfie as a memento of her day in the sun.

'Honestly she's inspiration, she deserves all the credit today,' said Serena. 'Everything she's gone through, she inspires me.'

Venus needed almost three times as long to overcome world number 35 Vandeweghe, who broke the 13th seed on her first service game and won the opening set on a tiebreaker. Venus went on to clinch the next two sets, remarkably saving 12 of 13 break points she faced, seven in the second set alone.

Venus danced around the court in breathless delight at her victory and gave the crowd an elaborate version of her traditional twirl, having ensured she would become the oldest Australian Open women's finalist in the professional era.

'Everyone has their moment in the sun,' Venus said. 'Maybe mine has gone on a while but I'd like to keep that going. I got nothing else to do, let's keep it going.'

Meanwhile, Rafael Nadal will battle his friend, Roger Federer for the Australian Open title on Sunday after Nadal edged hard fighting Grigor Bulgarian Dimitrov 6-3 5-7 7-6 6-7 6-4 in the semi-final.

The five-set thriller stretched past midnight in Melbourne, with Nadal serving out the game at 5-4 for his 21st Grand Slam final and a possible 15th career grand slam if he was able to beat Roger Federer. </s> Garbiñe Muguruza won her first Wimbledon title by overcoming Venus Williams in a women's final that was marked by long rallies and creative shotmaking in a gripping first set. Williams was unable to take advantage of early chances against Spain's Muguruza — who only grew more accurate and confident as the match progressed.

It's the second Grand Slam win for Muguruza, 23, who defeated Serena Williams in last year's French Open. Saturday's win comes two years after she lost on Wimbledon's Center Court to Serena Williams.

"Well done today. Beautiful," Venus Williams said on the court after the match, congratulating Muguruza. She added that she hopes to have more chances to add to her Grand Slam titles.

"I grew up watching her play, so it was incredible" to play her in the Wimbledon final, Muguruza said. For the record, when Williams turned pro in 1994, Muguruza was around 1.

At age 37, Williams lost a chance both to win her sixth Wimbledon singles title and to become the oldest woman to win a Grand Slam in the Open era. She won in women's doubles at this tournament last year, playing alongside her sister Serena.

This had been expected to be a close, tight match, and for most of the first set, it lived up to its billing. But Williams wasn't able to win a game in the second set.

Both players held their serves through the match's first 10 games — including a key save by Muguruza, who escaped the first break point for either player to keep it even at 3-3. In the next game, Williams successfully defended her own break point.

Williams finally faltered in the 11th game, hitting a shot long after a spirited rally to give Muguruza a 6-5 advantage that cleared the way for her to take the first set, 7-5. That was after Williams squandered two set points of her own against Muguruza's serve.

Williams unraveled from the start of the second set, losing on her serve to get into an 0-1 hole against Muguruza. Williams then sprayed unforced errors around the court in the next game, and despite recovering with some inspired shotmaking, she only won two points to create a 2-0 deficit. Muguruza then broke Williams' serve again in short order, taking control, 3-0.

By the end, Williams had hit into five double-faults and notched 24 unforced errors to Muguruza's 11.

The second set was over in a blur, with Muguruza hammering accurate shots and Williams struggling to regain any sense of momentum. Williams was able to save two championship points — but she lost on a challenge by her opponent, who successfully argued that Williams' backhand to the baseline had landed long.

Muguruza had reached this final with the help of her play at the net — she won 18 of the 24 points in which she approached the net in the semifinal. Against Williams, she created pressure from the baseline, using her forehand to move Williams around the court. And in response to some of Williams' ventures to the net, Muguruza was able to use an accurate backhand to foil the American.

The men's title will be decided Sunday, when Roger Federer will face Marin Cilic of Croatia.
Serena Williams defeats her sister Venus Williams 6-4, 6-4 to win the women's singles and an Open era-record 23rd Grand Slam singles title.