Serena Williams; An American In Paris

Lawn Tennis, Paris Open, Lawn Tennis Magazine

An American In Paris
By Tripp Mateschitz, Lawn Tennis Correspondent, Posted: Monday, February 9, 2009 4:40pm PST USA

Serena Williams; An American In Paris, Lawn Tennis Magazine

PARIS--(lawntennismag.com) Almost exactly ten years ago, Serena Williams of the USA won her first career singles WTA Tour tournament title at the 1999 Paris Open. This week Williams returns to Paris as the world number one.

And on that Sunday of the Paris final in 1999, Serena along with her sister, the reigning Wimbledon champion Venus Williams made history as the first sisters to win WTA Tour singles tournaments in the same week. Venus took the singles title

American Serena Williams

“This is a start for me,” Serena Williams would say after winning the 1999 Paris final, her first tournament title.

at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, a tournament which has since relocated to Memphis, Tennessee.

“This is a start for me,” Serena would say after winning the Paris final.

And what a start it would be. After winning her first grand slam that September at the US Open, Williams last month claimed her 10th grand slam title at the Australian Open while also reclaiming the world's top ranking.

Williams won tennis' greatest prize, Wimbledon in 2002 and 2003 and has also won the Australian Open and the US Open multiple times. However Williams has been victorious only once at the French Open, in 2002.

And in yet another stunning record and rare accomplishment for Williams, she would become the last player female or male to hold the four grand slam titles all at once, beginning with her championship win on the clay at Paris. Over the course 52 weeks from the 2002 French Open though the 2003 Australian Open, Williams went 28-0 in grand slam matches.

Favoring playing first strike tennis, Williams has enjoyed more success on the indoor hardcourts of the Paris Open than she has outdoors on the slower red clay of the French Open. Williams is 13-1 at the Paris Open, having also taken the title in 2003.

And after competing at the Paris Open this week, the American visits Paris again in late May for the French Open.

“It would be great to win more than one, two, more than two grand slams this year. More than three!” she said.

“That would be awesome. Obviously my sights are on doing well in Paris.”

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