It’s safe to say that no sister act has ever been a bigger hit on the New York Stage than Venus and Serena Williams. The two marquee-topping champions have combined for a total of eight US Open singles titles, with Serena capturing six and Venus, two. In the weeks leading up to the 2022 US Open, Hall of Fame tennis writer Steve Flink is recounting each of those remarkable title runs. In this installment, Flink describes how a revitalized Serena brought home the 2008 US Open crown.
After capturing her second US Open in 2002, securing three major titles and finishing that season at No. 1 in the world, a prideful Serena Williams fell upon some hard times over the next five years. Despite taking two more Grand Slam singles titles in 2003, she was sorely hampered by a knee injury which kept her out of the US Open that year, slipping to No. 3 before dropping to No. 7 the following year, No. 11 in 2005 and No. 95 at the end of 2006. In the latter year, Williams struggled inordinately with the knee injury, played only four WTA tournaments all season, and even slipped outside the Top 100 for a time.
And yet, Williams made a significant comeback in 2007 when she was ranked No. 7 and won her eighth major title at the Australian Open. Her determination to reinvent herself by the start of 2008 was strikingly evident. Her pursuit of the game’s premier prizes was a higher priority than ever before. Her quest to be the best in her profession was once again back on full display.
That was very clear as Williams approached the 2008 US Open. She knew it was about time she regained the crown. It had been too long since she ruled on the hard courts in New York.
In the middle of that summer season, Williams had seemed on course to win Wimbledon, but she was outplayed in the final by her sister Venus. That stinging setback made the insatiable Serena even hungrier for the US Open title.
In her last four US Open appearances since claiming her second singles title in New York six years earlier, Serena had not advanced beyond the quarterfinals, losing to Jennifer Capriati, Venus Williams, Amelie Mauresmo, and Justine Henin across that that period. While those were all extraordinary opponents,the fact remained that Serena had not been anywhere near the winner’s circle at the US Open since 2002, and, to a champion of her stature, that was clearly unacceptable.
Nonetheless, her 2008 season—outside of the strong showing at Wimbledon—had not lived up to the lofty standards she set for herself. To be sure, Williams did have a 17-match early-season winning streak and titles at Bangalore, Miami and Charleston. But, following the latter of those triumphs, she did not win another title on her way to the US Open.
Williams was seeded fourth in New York behind Serbians Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic, and 2004 US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova. Ivanovic had been to the final of the Australian Open that year and had won the French Open. The 20-year-old was a dazzling shotmaker but prone to beating herself. Jankovic had been a semifinalist at the 2008 Australian and French Opens but she relied heavily on counter-attacking rather than taking matters into her own hands. Kuznetsova was versatile and cagey, but likewise brittle, seldom holding up under pressure the way she had four years earlier at the Open.
And so the tennis cognoscenti was largely looking for Williams to surpass that trio, and, for that matter, everyone else. She had a gravitas that they did not, and there was a sense that Williams was even more highly-charged than usual to win again on the hard courts in her home country’s Grand Slam tournament. For too long she had come to New York knowing she was not at her peak physically, mentally or emotionally, realizing that she was going to be hard-pressed to produce her finest tennis at the Open.
This time around, it was different. Williams found her stride swiftly, losing only 14 games in four matches on her way to a quarterfinal duel with No. 7 seed Venus Williams under the lights in Arthur Ashe Stadium.
It was a scintillating contest worthy of a final, ranking right up there among the three or four best matches the sisters have ever played against each other, featuring stupendous serving and stunning ferocity from the baseline, along with brilliant foot speed on both sides of the net. Venus, of course, had some confidence after ousting Serena at Wimbledon. Serena, however, was certain that her best was good enough to beat anyone else—including her remarkable sister.
These were ideal circumstances because the two sisters went out on the court liking their chances yet simultaneously recognizing that victory would not be easily achieved. It was an absorbing battle from beginning to end. Venus served for the first set at 5-4, but a flurry of big hitting from Serena enabled her to break back. Later, Venus moved in front 6-4 in a tie-break but Serena mightily collected four points in a row to somehow seal the set.
In the second set, Venus built a 5-3, 40-0 lead, but Serena would not surrender. Venus had another set point with Serena serving at 5-6, and four more in the second set tie-break. In the end, Serena triumphed 7-6(8), 7-6(9) to take a 9-8 lead in their career series. Altogether across the two sets, Serena saved a total of 10 set points. It was a standout clutch performance.
Next on the agenda for Serena was a semifinal appointment with No. 6 seed Dinara Safina, the Russian player who had beaten Williams on clay at Berlin earlier in the season. Williams started slowly and cautiously, trailing 0-2 in the first set, falling behind break point in the third game. But she started hitting through the ball impeccably off the ground thereafter, and took six of seven games for the set. From 1-1 in the second set, Williams swept four games in a row, ultimately prevailing 6-3, 6-2, essentially allowing Safina to beat herself with 41 unforced errors.
Williams could almost taste the title now, but she fully understood that overcoming the No. 2 seed Jankovic would be a difficult task. Jankovic was among the most guileful competitors in the game, always probing, ever persistent and purposeful, seldom making tactical mistakes. She was a superb match player who could sometimes allow her emotions to overflow, but almost always recover her equilibrium. Jankovic was not going to blow her opponents off the court, but her ground game was first-rate and her ball control commendable off both sides. Moreover, Jankovic had ousted Williams earlier that year on hard courts at the Australian Open.
The Williams-Jankovic final was highly entertaining, a duel for connoisseurs of the sport, a showdown featuring a pair of fierce competitors who were single-minded in their desire to succeed. Jankovic led early at 2-1, 40-0, but when Williams broke her there the momentum shifted and the American moved comfortably to an opening-set triumph. But Jankovic was tactically savvy and strategically sound in the second set. Williams was down 3-5, 0-40 but her poise under pressure was remarkable as she steadfastly held on. Nonetheless, Jankovic had a fourth set point in the tenth game, only to double fault it away. Williams was unstoppable the rest of the way, completing a 6-4, 7-5 victory for her third US Open crown and her ninth major altogether.
It had been a long time coming as Williams secured her first major of any kind since the Australian Open early in 2007. No wonder the champion was so delighted by her success. It was sorely sought.
As she said, “I’ve been working so hard all year. Sometimes I wake up at like 6 a.m. to go practice and it is too dark. No one really knows the work that an athlete puts in. You know, it’s worth it. I felt like ‘Gosh, I’ve been working the hardest. I should win.’”
Expanding on that theme, she added, “I feel like there is so much I can do in my career yet.”
Jankovic was disappointed but not disconsolate. She said, “I really gave my best throughout the whole tournament. It was a great learning experience. She is a great athlete. If you really want to beat Serena you have to go higher than a level above your best. I tried everything and unfortunately it was not enough.”
Those were sentiments that have been expressed by many players over the years. Williams had looked fatigued late in the second set of her skirmish with Jankovic, but she was fueled by the evening audience in Arthur Ashe Stadium and propelled by her own unmatchable fighting spirit. At 26, she had reignited her career with her championship run at the US Open, reclaiming the No. 1 world ranking after that critical win. Although Jankovic would end the year on top largely because of her supreme consistency, deep in her psyche Serena Williams thought she was the best player in the world and carried herself accordingly.
At the 2008 US Open, Serena reaffirmed that she was back where she belonged, a champion through and through, and an unwavering individual driven by powerful private engines to bring out her best for the biggest occasions.
