Another massive moment came for Serena Williams on January 12th in Auckland, Australia. She acquired her 73rd World Tennis Association Title, which came after five missed attempts. Four of these five events were Grand Slam Finals, with age beginning to falter her capabilities on the court. Regardless, Serena Williams defeated Jessica Pegula six to four in the vote with the win marking Williams first championship victory since becoming a mother before the 2017 Australian Open. Expressing her emotions, she noted how grateful she is for this win while holding a photograph of her daughter.

Match Details

The 2020 Auckland Grand Open wasn’t just a substantial event for Serene Williams, but also Jessica Pegula. It marked her 2nd time on the world stage, with the millions of viewers not fazing her out. Before Serena Williams could gain her momentum, this twenty-five years of age star defeated the champion for three consecutive rounds. Unfortunately, in the 4th round, this future tennis star made a critical mistake on the double break. It allowed for Serena to have an opening, allowing for groundstrokes with substantial momentum to breakdown Jessica Pegula over time. Tennis supporters hadn’t seen Serena Williams act in this manner since 2015 when all feared her ferocity on the court.

After acquiring this opening, Serena Williams found her momentum and began to dominate the younger athlete. The capabilities displayed by Williams mimicked her Semi-Final matchup against Amanda Anisimova. Four round was won back to back by Serena, allowing her to acquire the six over three. Before Jessica defeating Serena for three rounds, the Number 1 Champion had won the initial two rounds from pure luck. It should be noted that Pegula displayed her full talents against Williams in those final four rounds. However, it’s nearly impossible to halt Serena once she’s begun finding the court rhythm. Analysts have praised Jessica Pegula for keeping her composure in such a challenging moment.

Donations to Australia

When speaking with reporters from Fox Sports, Serene Williams expressed that she’d notice slight improvements throughout the week. The superstar noted that after multiple tough matches in Auckland, the momentum required to win this championship title was acquired. Shortly after winning her 73rd title, Serena Williams announced that she’d donate all prize money earned from the Auckland Open towards these bushfires. Williams is also auctioning off every dress worn throughout the last week and donating the proceeds to Australian Firefighters.