170-790: The BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells is an annual professional tennis tournament held in Indian Wells, California , United States. It is played on outdoor hardcourts at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden , and is held in March. The tournament is part of the ATP Masters 1000 events on the ATP Tour and part of the WTA 1000 events on the WTA Tour . The tournament is the best-attended tennis tournament outside
340-536: A felt coating. Traditionally white, the predominant colour was gradually changed to optic yellow in the latter part of the 20th century to allow for improved visibility. Tennis balls must conform to certain criteria for size, weight, deformation , and bounce to be approved for regulation play. The International Tennis Federation (ITF) defines the official diameter as 65.41–68.58 mm (2.575–2.700 in). Balls must weigh between 56.0 and 59.4 g (1.98 and 2.10 oz). Tennis balls were traditionally manufactured in
510-409: A racket and balls. The components of a tennis racket include a handle, known as the grip, connected to a neck which joins a roughly elliptical frame that holds a matrix of tightly pulled strings. For the first 100 years of the modern game, rackets were made of wood and of standard size, and strings were of animal gut . Laminated wood construction yielded more strength in rackets used through most of
680-485: A 128-player grid, with the 32 seeded players getting a bye (a free pass) to the second round. Indian Wells lies in the Coachella Valley (Palm Springs area), about 125 miles (201 km) east of downtown Los Angeles . The tournament is played in the Indian Wells Tennis Garden (built in 2000) which has 29 tennis courts, including the 16,100-seat main stadium, which is the second largest tennis-specific stadium in
850-582: A 46–3 record on the United States Tennis Association junior tour and was ranked No. 1 among under-10 players in Florida. When Williams was 10, Richard stopped sending his daughters to national junior tennis tournaments, as he wanted them to "go slowly" and focus on school, and because he wanted to ensure they would not burn out before turning professional. Experiences of racism also influenced this decision, as he had heard white parents talk about
1020-481: A Compton man who shared her father's name and subsequently founded The Venus and Serena Williams Tennis Tutorial Academy. When Williams was nine, she and her family moved from Compton to West Palm Beach, Florida so she could attend the tennis academy of Rick Macci , who provided her with additional coaching. Macci did not always agree with Williams's father, but respected that "he treated his daughters like kids, allowed them to be little girls". By 1991, Williams had
1190-614: A World Group II tie in the Fed Cup . She played and won her only match against María Irigoyen to help the US team win against the Argentines. After a 14-year boycott of the Indian Wells Masters, Williams announced that she would be competing at the event . Upon her return, she received a standing ovation from the crowd and won her first match in straight sets. She reached the semifinals, but
1360-535: A best-of-five, wins the match. Only in the final sets of matches at the Olympic Games and Fed Cup are tiebreaks not played. In these cases, sets are played indefinitely until one player has a two-game lead, occasionally leading to some remarkably long matches . In tournament play, the chair umpire announces the end of the match with the well-known phrase " Game, set, match " followed by the winning person's or team's name. A game point occurs in tennis whenever
1530-523: A boxed set which included a net, poles, rackets, balls for playing the game – and most importantly you had his rules. He was absolutely terrific at marketing and he sent his game all over the world. He had very good connections with the clergy, the law profession, and the aristocracy and he sent thousands of sets out in the first year or so, in 1874." The world's oldest annual tennis tournament took place at Leamington Lawn Tennis Club in Birmingham in 1874. This
1700-616: A call from the server to his opponent. It was popular in England and France, although the game was only played indoors, where the ball could be hit off the wall. Henry VIII of England was a big fan of this game, which is now known as real tennis . An epitaph in St Michael's Church, Coventry , written c. 1705 , read, in part: Here lyes an old toss'd Tennis Ball: Was racketted, from spring to fall, With so much heat and so much hast, Time's arm for shame grew tyred at last. During
1870-543: A combined 39 major titles: 23 in singles, 14 in women's doubles, and two in mixed doubles. She is joint-third on the all-time list and second in the Open Era for total major titles. She is the most recent woman to simultaneously hold all four major singles titles (2002–2003 and 2014–2015), and to win the Surface Slam (major titles on hard , clay and grass courts in the same calendar year), which she accomplished in 2015. She
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#17328513417382040-582: A different road, and it worked for us." Williams's parents initially wanted their daughter to wait until she was 16 to participate in professional tournaments. In 1995, just after turning 14, Williams planned to make her professional debut as a wild-card entry in the Bank of the West Classic in Oakland , California, but was denied due to age-eligibility restrictions. She subsequently filed an antitrust lawsuit against
2210-552: A doubles team. The single player gets to utilize the alleys normally reserved only for a doubles team. Conversely, the doubles team does not use the alleys when executing a shot. The scoring is the same as for a regular game. This format is not sanctioned by any official body. "Australian doubles", another informal and unsanctioned form of tennis, is played with similar rules to the Canadian doubles style, only in this version, players rotate court position after each game, each player taking
2380-550: A group of American and French tennis players playing exhibition matches to paying audiences. The most notable of these early professionals were the American Vinnie Richards and the Frenchwoman Suzanne Lenglen . Players turned pro would no longer be permitted to compete in the major (amateur) tournaments. In 1968, commercial pressures and rumours of some amateurs taking money under the table led to
2550-529: A hollow rubber ball covered with felt over or around a net and into the opponent's court . The object is to manoeuvre the ball in such a way that the opponent is not able to play a valid return. If a player is unable to return the ball successfully, the opponent scores a point . Playable at all levels of society and at all ages, tennis can be played by anyone who can hold a racket, including wheelchair users . The original forms of tennis developed in France during
2720-570: A knee injury. She then played in Dubai , losing to Venus in the semifinals. Williams was beset by ankle and quadriceps injuries at the Sony Ericsson Open , and was upset in the final by Victoria Azarenka . This was the first of four consecutive losses for Williams, the longest losing streak of her career. After Ericsson, she was defeated in her opening matches in Barcelona , Rome , and Madrid . At
2890-524: A restaurant, and the injury caused her to miss the rest of the year. She finished 2010 ranked No.4 in singles and No.11 in doubles. On March 2, 2011, she confirmed that she had suffered a hematoma and a pulmonary embolism . Williams made her first appearance on the WTA tour in almost a year in Eastbourne , where she lost in round two to Zvonareva. In June, she attempted to defend her title at Wimbledon , but
3060-532: A result, both Serena and Venus pledged to boycott the event, even though it was a mandatory stop on the WTA tour; Serena's boycott lasted until 2015. Williams then lost to Jennifer Capriati in the quarterfinals of three tournaments: Miami Masters , the French Open and Wimbledon . She claimed her second title of the year at the Rogers Cup , defeating Capriati in the final. In September, Williams lost to her sister in
3230-496: A season (her total for 2013 was $ 12.4 million). Only Rafael Nadal (in 2013), and Novak Djokovic (in 2011, 2012 and 2013) have earned more money in one season. Williams finished as the year-end No.1 for the third time, becoming the oldest No.1 player in WTA history. She was named the ITF World Champion for the fourth time. She received two prizes at the 2013 ESPY Awards : Best Female Athlete and Best Female Tennis Player,
3400-413: A sequence of games played with service alternating between games, ending when the count of games won meets certain criteria. Typically, a player wins a set by winning at least six games and at least two games more than the opponent. If one player has won six games and the opponent five, an additional game is played. If the leading player wins that game, the player wins the set 7–5. If the trailing player wins
3570-485: A sequence of sets. The outcome is determined through a best of three or five sets system. On the professional circuit, men play best-of-five-set matches at all four Grand Slam tournaments, Davis Cup, and the final of the Olympic Games and best-of-three-set matches at all other tournaments, while women play best-of-three-set matches at all tournaments. The first player to win two sets in a best-of-three, or three sets in
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#17328513417383740-502: A solicitor, and his friend Augurio Perera developed a game that combined elements of racquets and the Basque ball game pelota , which they played on Perera's croquet lawn in Birmingham , England. In 1872, along with two local doctors, they founded the world's first tennis club on Avenue Road, Leamington Spa . This is where "lawn tennis" was used as the name of an activity by a club for
3910-467: A straight sets victory over No.3 Halep. Williams's attempt at capturing the "Grand Slam" (winning all four Grand Slams in a calendar year) came to an end at the US Open , where she lost to Roberta Vinci in the semifinals. The defeat has been described by some as one of the biggest upsets in tennis history. On October 1, Williams called an end to her season, stating that she had been injured for most of
4080-608: A tennis court at the Staten Island Cricket Club at Camp Washington, Tompkinsville, Staten Island , New York. The first American National championship was played there in September 1880. An Englishman named O.E. Woodhouse won the singles title, and a silver cup worth $ 100, by defeating Canadian I. F. Hellmuth . There was also a doubles match which was won by a local pair. There were different rules at each club. The ball in Boston
4250-708: A total of 23 Grand Slam titles, and was consequently named Female Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press. She was also the International Tennis Federation World Champion in both singles and doubles. In 2010, Williams's first tournament was in Sydney , where she lost in the final to Dementieva. At the Australian Open , Williams was the defending champion in both singles and doubles. She reached
4420-459: A turn at playing alone against the other two. As such, each player plays doubles and singles over the course of a match, with the singles player always serving. Scoring styles vary, but one popular method is to assign a value of 2 points to each game, with the server taking both points if he or she holds serve and the doubles team each taking one if they break serve. Wheelchair tennis can be played by able-bodied players as well as people who require
4590-410: A two-year probation, which meant that if she committed another offense at a Grand Slam during the next two years, she would be suspended from the following US Open. If, however, she committed no offenses, her fine would be reduced to $ 82,500. Although Williams initially did not express regret for her outburst, she eventually apologized, saying she was humbled by the experience. Williams continued in
4760-488: A wheelchair for mobility. An extra bounce is permitted. This rule makes it possible to have mixed wheelchair and able-bodied matches. It is possible for a doubles team to consist of a wheelchair player and an able-bodied player (referred to as "one-up, one-down"), or for a wheelchair player to play against an able-bodied player. In such cases, the extra bounce is permitted for the wheelchair users only. Serena Williams Serena Jameka Williams (born September 26, 1981)
4930-591: A woman in the Open Era. Williams also tied Evert and Navratilova's record of 18 career Grand Slam singles titles won in the Open Era. By virtue of winning both the US Open and the US Open Series , Williams collected $ 4 million—the biggest payday in tennis history. At the 2014 WTA Finals in Singapore, Williams advanced to the final for the third consecutive year despite having equaled her career-worst loss in her second round robin match against Simona Halep . She claimed
5100-405: Is a let or net service , which is void, and the server retakes that serve. The player can serve any number of let services in a point and they are always treated as voids and not as faults. A fault is a serve that falls long or wide of the service box, or does not clear the net. There is also a "foot fault" when a player's foot touches the baseline or an extension of the centre mark before the ball
5270-556: Is acknowledged that this stereotype still exists). In 1954, Van Alen founded the International Tennis Hall of Fame , a nonprofit museum in Newport, Rhode Island. The building contains a large collection of tennis memorabilia as well as a hall of fame honouring prominent members and tennis players from all over the world. Part of the appeal of tennis stems from the simplicity of equipment required for play. Beginners need only
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5440-405: Is also, with Venus, the most recent player to have simultaneously held all four major women's doubles titles (2009–2010). Williams was the world's highest paid woman athlete in 2016, earning almost $ 29 million. She repeated this feat in 2017 when she was the only woman on Forbes ' list of the 100 highest-paid athletes, with $ 27 million in prize money and endorsements. Williams won
5610-521: Is an American former professional tennis player. Widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time, she was ranked world No. 1 in singles by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) for 319 weeks, including a joint-record 186 consecutive weeks, and finished as the year-end No. 1 five times. She won 23 Grand Slam women's singles titles, the most in the Open Era , and the second-most of all time . She
5780-482: Is called the doubles alley, playable in doubles play. The line that runs across the centre of a player's side of the court is called the service line because the serve must be delivered into the area between the service line and the net on the receiving side. Despite its name, this is not where a player legally stands when making a serve. The line dividing the service line in two is called the centre line or centre service line. The boxes this centre line creates are called
5950-504: Is history's first tennis player known by name. Another of the early enthusiasts of the game was King Charles V of France , who had a court set up at the Louvre Palace . It was not until the 16th century that rackets came into use and the game began to be called "tennis", from the French term tenez , which can be translated as "hold!", "receive!" or "take!", an interjection used as
6120-434: Is hit. If the second service, after a fault, is also a fault, the server double faults , and the receiver wins the point. However, if the serve is in, it is considered a legal service. A legal service starts a rally , in which the players alternate hitting the ball across the net. A legal return consists of a player hitting the ball so that it falls in the server's court, before it has bounced twice or hit any fixtures except
6290-471: Is not played, the set is referred to as an advantage set , where the set continues without limit until one player leads by a two-game margin. A "love set" means that the loser of the set won zero games, colloquially termed a "jam donut" in the US. In tournament play, the chair umpire announces the winner of the set and the overall score. The final score in sets is always read with the winning player's score first, e.g. "6–2, 4–6, 6–0, 7–5". A match consists of
6460-417: Is often the same width as the others. The players or teams start on opposite sides of the net. One player is designated the server , and the opposing player is the receiver . The choice to be server or receiver in the first game and the choice of ends is decided by a coin toss before the warm-up starts. Service alternates game by game between the two players or teams. For each point, the server starts behind
6630-437: Is the only player to accomplish a Career Golden Slam in both singles and doubles. Along with her elder sister Venus , Serena Williams was coached by her parents Oracene Price and Richard Williams . Turning professional in 1995, she won her first major singles title at the 1999 US Open . From the 2002 French Open to the 2003 Australian Open she was dominant, winning all four major singles titles (each time over Venus in
6800-457: Is the youngest of Price's five daughters, after half-sisters Yetunde , Lyndrea, and Isha Price, and full older sister Venus. She also has at least seven paternal half-siblings. When the children were young, the family moved to Compton, California , where she started playing tennis at the age of four. Her father home-schooled her and Venus. While he and her mother have been her official coaches, her other mentors have included Richard Williams,
6970-422: Is unusual in that it is played on a variety of surfaces. Grass , clay , and hard courts of concrete or asphalt topped with acrylic are the most common. Occasionally carpet is used for indoor play, with hardwood flooring having been historically used. Artificial turf courts can also be found. The lines that delineate the width of the court are called the baseline (farthest back) and the service line (middle of
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7140-636: The 2005 Australian Open , Williams rejected suggestions that she and her sister were a declining force in tennis. She defeated top seed Davenport to win the tournament, claiming her second Australian Open trophy and seventh Grand Slam singles title. The victory moved her back to No.2. Williams completed just two tournaments between the Australian Open and Wimbledon, losing to Venus in Miami and Francesca Schiavone in Italy. A reoccurring ankle injury caused her to miss
7310-548: The 2022 US Open . Williams won 14 major women's doubles titles, all with her sister Venus, and the pair was unbeaten in major doubles finals (the best unbeaten record in major finals in any discipline of the sport). The sisters achieved a non-calendar year Grand Slam between the 2009 Wimbledon Championships and the 2010 French Open , which granted the sisters the doubles world No. 1 ranking . Williams won four Olympic gold medals , three in women's doubles—an all-time joint record in tennis, shared with her sister. The duo are
7480-751: The Australian Open , defending her title. After she lost to Daniela Hantuchová in the third round, she told the press that she was injured. In her biography, Williams wrote that she was suffering from depression during this time. She stayed away from tennis for six months during the 2006 season, and began seeing a therapist daily. After a chance meeting with a young girl who idolized Williams and believed in her, Williams signed up to play in Cincinnati in July, her first tournament since January. She had slipped to No.139, her lowest ranking since 1997. On her return, Williams defeated Myskina and Bethanie Mattek , before losing in
7650-493: The Australian Open , she claimed her tenth Grand Slam singles title by defeating Safina. This win restored her No.1 ranking and made her the all-time career prize money leader in women's sports, a title previously held by golfer Annika Sörenstam . Serena and Venus also won the doubles event at the Australian Open for the third time. At the Open GdF Suez , Williams withdrew before her semifinal match against Dementieva because of
7820-511: The Australian Open . After recovering, Williams won her first title of the year in Scottsdale, Arizona , defeating No.2 Capriati, in the final. She then won the Miami Masters for the first time after beating No.3 Hingis in the quarterfinals, No.2 Venus in the semifinals, and No.1 Capriati in the final, becoming only the second player in the Open Era to defeat the world's top 3 ranked players at
7990-576: The Evert Cup in California, defeating Steffi Graf in the final. At the Miami Masters , Williams had her 16-match winning streak ended by her sister in the first all-sister singles final in WTA history. In the doubles event at the French Open, she and Venus won the title after defeating Hingis and Anna Kournikova in the final. Williams missed Wimbledon in 1999 due to injury. When she returned to
8160-639: The Family Circle Cup to Henin. She also lost to Mauresmo in the semifinals of the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome. Despite these defeats, Williams was the top seed at the French Open , where she lost in the semifinals to eventual champion Henin; this was Williams's first loss in a Grand Slam tournament since 2001. The match was controversial, with Williams questioning Henin's sportsmanship, and spectators applauding Williams's errors. Williams rebounded from
8330-578: The French Championships date to 1891, although until 1925 they were open only to tennis players who were members of French clubs. Thus, Wimbledon, the US Open, the French Open and the Australian Open (dating to 1905) became and have remained the most prestigious events in tennis. Together, these four events are called the Majors or Slams (a term borrowed from bridge rather than baseball ). In 1913,
8500-543: The French Open . She returned to Wimbledon as the 4th-seeded player, but was defeated in the third round. At the US Open , Williams lost to her sister in the fourth round. Williams played just one more match that fall, a loss to No.127 Sun Tiantian at the China Open in Beijing. She failed to qualify for the year-end championship for the first time since 1998, and she finished 2005 ranked No.11. Williams made her 2006 debut at
8670-586: The Hopman Cup , where she and her partner John Isner lost to Poland. At the Australian Open , Williams defeated Sharapova for the 16th consecutive time to claim her sixth Australian Open singles title and 19th career Grand Slam singles title. With this victory, Williams surpassed both Evert and Navratilova for the second most Grand Slam singles titles won in the Open Era. She is the only player in history to win all four Grand Slams at age 30 or older. She and Venus next traveled to Buenos Aires to face Argentina in
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#17328513417388840-712: The Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year a record four-times (2003, 2010, 2016, 2018), Comeback of the Year one time (2007), and in December 2015 was named Sportsperson of the Year by Sports Illustrated magazine. In 2020, the Tennis Channel ranked Williams as the greatest female tennis player in history. She is the highest-earning woman athlete of all time. Williams was born on September 26, 1981, in Saginaw, Michigan , to Oracene Price and Richard Williams. She
9010-490: The NASDAQ-100 Open in March 2004, where she won the title for the third consecutive year. Although ranked No.7, Williams was seeded second at the French Open, where she lost to Capriati in the quarterfinals. A few weeks later, Williams was seeded first at Wimbledon , even though her ranking had dropped to No.10. She won six matches en route to the final, where Maria Sharapova defeated her. The loss caused her to drop out of
9180-612: The Summer Olympic Games since 1988 . Historians believe that the game's ancient origin lay in 12th-century northern France, where a ball was struck with the palm of the hand. Louis X of France was a keen player of jeu de paume ("game of the palm"), which evolved into real tennis , and became notable as the first person to construct indoor tennis courts in the modern style. Louis was unhappy with playing tennis outdoors and accordingly had indoor, enclosed courts made in Paris "around
9350-553: The Sunshine Double . Dubbed the "Grand Slam of the West", it is the most-attended tennis tournament in the world other than the four Majors , with over 450,000 visitors during the 2015 event. In 2009, the tournament and the Indian Wells Tennis Garden were sold to Larry Ellison . On March 8, 2020, the tournament was postponed, and later canceled, to halt the potential spread of COVID-19 . Venus and Serena Williams refused to play
9520-564: The U.S. National Indoor Championships in Oklahoma City with Venus, which made them the third pair of sisters to win a WTA title. Williams finished the year ranked No.20 in singles, the fastest achievement of that milestone in women's history. In February 1999, Williams won her first professional singles title when she defeated Amélie Mauresmo in the final of the Open Gaz de France in Paris. In March, Williams won her first WTA 1000 event at
9690-454: The WTA Finals title, which was her seventh title of the year, and finished the year ranked No.1 for the fourth time in her career. She held the top ranking for the entire calendar year, a feat not accomplished since Graf achieved it in 1996. Williams was voted WTA Player of the Year and ITF World Champion for a third consecutive year. Williams began the 2015 season by reaching the final of
9860-558: The World Covered Court Championships for indoor courts were awarded annually; Sweden, France, Great Britain, Denmark, Switzerland and Spain each hosted the tournament. At a meeting held on 16 March 1923 in Paris, the title "World Championship" was dropped and a new category of "Official Championship" was created for events in Great Britain, France, the US and Australia – today's Grand Slam events. The impact on
10030-407: The "Surface Slam" after Martina Navratilova (1984) and Steffi Graf (1993, 1995, 1996). At the 2003 Australian Open , Williams faced Venus for the fourth consecutive Grand Slam tournament final. She defeated her older sister and became the sixth woman in the Open Era to complete a Career Grand Slam, alongside Graf, Navratilova, Margaret Court , Chris Evert and Billie Jean King . She also became
10200-525: The 18th and early 19th centuries, as real tennis declined, new racket sports emerged in England. The invention of the first lawn mower in Britain in 1830 is believed to have been a catalyst for the preparation of modern-style grass courts, sporting ovals, playing fields, pitches, greens, etc. This in turn led to the codification of modern rules for many sports, including lawn tennis, most football codes, lawn bowls and others. Between 1859 and 1865, Harry Gem ,
10370-419: The 2015 French Open , Williams defeated Lucie Šafářová in three sets to claim the trophy and win her third French Open and 20th Grand Slam singles title. The accomplishment made Williams only the third person in history to win each Grand Slam at least three times, the others being Court and Graf. At Wimbledon, Williams defeated three former No.1 players—Azarenka, Sharapova, and her sister Venus—to advance to
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#173285134173810540-406: The 20th century until first metal and then composites of carbon graphite, ceramics, and lighter metals such as titanium were introduced. These stronger materials enabled the production of oversized rackets that yielded yet more power. Meanwhile, technology led to the use of synthetic strings that match the feel of gut yet with added durability. Under modern rules of tennis, the rackets must adhere to
10710-583: The Career Golden Slam in singles) and winning eight out of thirteen singles majors, including all four in a row from 2014 – 2015 to achieve a second "Serena Slam". At the 2017 Australian Open , she won her 23rd major singles title, surpassing Steffi Graf 's Open Era record. After becoming pregnant, she took a break from professional tennis, but reached four major finals upon returning to play. In August 2022, Williams announced her impending "evolution" away from professional tennis. She played her final match at
10880-658: The Fed Cup final to help the US win the title. Williams ended the year ranked in a career-high world No.4 in just her second full year on the main tour. In 2000, Williams failed to defend her titles in Paris and Indian Wells, although she did win the Faber Grand Prix in Germany. Soon afterwards, she missed the French Open due to injury. She recovered and played at the Wimbledon Championships , where she lost to Venus in
11050-518: The Fed Cup. The week of April 20 marked Williams's 114th consecutive week ranked No.1, the third-longest run in WTA history at the time, behind Graf's 186 weeks and Navratilova's 156. In the semifinals of the Mutua Madrid Open , Williams suffered her first defeat of the season, ending a 50-match winning streak at Premier-Mandatory events . She played one match at the 2015 Internazionali BNL d'Italia before withdrawing with an elbow injury. At
11220-476: The French Open, she lost in the quarterfinals to the eventual champion Kuznetsova. This ended her 18-match winning streak at Grand Slam tournaments. She rebounded at Wimbledon , prevailing over Dementieva in the semifinals and Venus in the finals. The victory was her third Wimbledon title and her 11th Grand Slam singles title. For the second consecutive year, Serena and Venus claimed the Wimbledon doubles title, which
11390-576: The IOC decided to reintroduce tennis as a full-medal sport at Seoul in 1988. The Davis Cup , an annual competition between men's national teams, dates to 1900. The analogous competition for women's national teams, the Fed Cup , was founded as the Federation Cup in 1963 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the ITF. In 1926, promoter C. C. Pyle established the first professional tennis tour with
11560-461: The Indian Wells tournament from 2001 to 2014 despite threats of financial sanctions and ranking point penalties. The two were scheduled to play in the 2001 semifinal but Venus withdrew due to an injury. Amid speculation of match fixing, the crowd for the final loudly booed Serena when she came out to play the final and continued to boo her intermittently through the entire match, even to the point of cheering unforced errors and double faults. Williams won
11730-432: The International Lawn Tennis Federation (ILTF), now the International Tennis Federation (ITF), was founded and established three official tournaments as the major championships of the day. The World Grass Court Championships were awarded to Great Britain. The World Hard Court Championships were awarded to France; the term "hard court" was used for clay courts at the time. Some tournaments were held in Belgium instead. And
11900-481: The Medibank International and the Australian Open . She and Venus won the doubles event at the latter tournament, becoming only the fifth doubles team in history to win all four Grand Slam women's doubles titles during their career, completing a "Career Grand Slam". Her next event was the Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells , where she defeated Clijsters in the final. During the tournament, Richard Williams stated that racist comments were made to him by spectators. As
12070-407: The Olympics after the 1924 Games , but returned 60 years later as a 21-and-under demonstration event in 1984. This reinstatement was credited by the efforts of then ITF president Philippe Chatrier , ITF general secretary David Gray and ITF vice president Pablo Llorens, with support from International Olympic Committee president Juan Antonio Samaranch . The success of the event was overwhelming, and
12240-498: The Open Era to hold the ranking. In the Miami final, Williams recorded her 70th come-from-behind win. The victory made Williams a six-time champion in Miami, breaking the record she held with Graf. She also became the fourth woman in the Open Era to win a given tournament six times. Williams then defended her Charleston title, winning the event for the third time. She won her 50th career singles title in Madrid , prevailing over Sharapova in
12410-792: The Toyota Princess Cup in Tokyo, and Anastasia Myskina to win the Sparkassen Cup in Leipzig. She reached the final at the Home Depot Championships in Los Angeles, where she lost to Clijsters in straight sets. Williams finished 2002 with a 56–5 win/lose record, eight singles titles, and the No.1 ranking. Her three consecutive Grand Slam titles in 2002 made her only the third player in history to win
12580-483: The US Open doubles competition, teaming up with Venus to capture their third Grand Slam doubles title of the year, and the tenth of their career. Williams won all three of her round-robin matches at the year-end WTA Tour Championships , defeating Venus, Dementieva, and Kuznetsova. She advanced to the final after Caroline Wozniacki retired from their semifinal match. In the final, Williams defeated her sister to claim her second singles title at this event. Williams finished
12750-486: The US Open, Williams beat Janković to win the China Open, which was her 10th title of 2013. She went undefeated at the WTA Championships, triumphing over Li Na in the final and becoming the first person to defend the title since Henin in 2007. She also became the oldest player to win the WTA Championships, the fourth player to win it four times or more, and the first female player to win more than $ 10 million in
12920-657: The United States and Europe. Although the process of producing the balls has remained virtually unchanged for the past 100 years, the majority of manufacturing now takes place in the Far East . The relocation is due to cheaper labour costs and materials in the region. Tournaments that are played under the ITF Rules of Tennis must use balls that are approved by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and be named on
13090-668: The United States and the Americas (behind the US Open in the Eastern United States ). Preceding the Miami Open , it is the first event of the " Sunshine Double " — a series of two elite, consecutive hard court tournaments in the United States in early spring. Between 1974 and 1976, it was a non-tour event and between 1977 and 1989 it was held as part of the Grand Prix Tennis Tour . Both singles main draws include 96 players in
13260-817: The WTA, but withdrew it at her parents' request. Her first professional event was in October 1995 at the Bell Challenge in Quebec, where she used a wild-card entry to circumvent age-eligibility rules. She lost in the first qualifying round to 18-year-old American Annie Miller . After not playing in 1996, Williams won her first main-draw match at the Ameritech Cup Chicago in November 1997. Ranked No.304, she upset No.7 Mary Pierce and No.4 Monica Seles , recording her first career wins over top 10 players and becoming
13430-503: The Williams sisters in a derogatory manner during tournaments. In 1995, when Williams was in the ninth grade, her father pulled his daughters out of Macci's academy and took over all coaching at their home. When asked in 2000 whether it would have been more beneficial for them to have followed the normal path of playing regularly on the junior circuit, Richard responded, "Everyone does different things. I think for Venus and I, we just attempted
13600-452: The abandonment of this distinction, inaugurating the Open Era , in which all players could compete in all tournaments, and top players were able to make their living from tennis. With the beginning of the Open Era, the establishment of an international professional tennis circuit, and revenues from the sale of television rights, tennis's popularity has spread worldwide, and the sport has shed its middle-class English-speaking image (although it
13770-454: The arm than most strings. Most synthetic strings are made from monofilament or multifiliament nylon strings. Monofilament strings are cheap to buy, and are used widely by many recreational level players for their all round performance, while multifilament strings are created to mimic natural gut more closely by weaving together fibres, but are generally more expensive than their monofilament counterparts. Polyester strings allow for more spin on
13940-432: The ball than any other string, due to their firm strings, while keeping control of the ball, and this is why many players use them, especially higher player ones. Kevlar tennis strings are highly durable, and are mostly used by players that frequently break strings, because they maintain tension well, but these strings can be stiff on the arm. Hybrid stringing is when a tennis racket is strung with two different strings for
14110-410: The baseline, between the centre mark and the sideline. The receiver may start anywhere on their side of the net. When the receiver is ready, the server will serve , although the receiver must play to the pace of the server. For a service to be legal, the ball must travel over the net without touching it into the diagonally opposite service box. If the ball hits the net but lands in the service box, this
14280-406: The baselines, dividing it into two equal ends. It is held up by either a cord or metal cable of diameter no greater than 0.8 cm ( 1 ⁄ 3 in). The net is 3 feet 6 inches (1.07 m) high at the posts and 3 feet (0.91 m) high in the centre. The net posts are 3 feet (0.91 m) outside the doubles court on each side or, for a singles net, 3 feet (0.91 m) outside
14450-455: The best performances of her career, and "arguably the most powerful display ever seen in women's tennis". Williams won the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami for the fourth time by defeating Henin, but then lost to her in the quarterfinals at the French Open . During a fourth round match against Hantuchová at Wimbledon, Williams collapsed from an acute muscle spasm. After a medical timeout, rain forced play to be suspended for nearly two hours. When
14620-515: The call, and threatened to shove a tennis ball down her throat. Williams was penalized a point for unsportsmanlike conduct, which resulted in Clijsters winning the match. The following day, Williams was issued a fine of $ 10,500. After further investigation, the Grand Slam Committee fined her $ 175,000 in place of suspending her from the 2010 US Open or other Grand Slams. They also placed her on
14790-442: The chair umpire in tournament play. A break point occurs if the receiver, not the server , has a chance to win the game with the next point. Break points are of particular importance because serving is generally considered advantageous, with servers being expected to win games in which they are serving. A receiver who has one (score of 30–40 or advantage), two (score of 15–40) or three (score of love–40) consecutive chances to win
14960-520: The championship became one of the few fully combined events on both the Association of Tennis Professionals and Women's Tennis Association tours. The Indian Wells Open has become one of the largest events on both the men's and women's tours. In 2004, the tournament expanded to a multi-week 96-player field. Winning the Indian Wells Open and the Miami Open back to back has been colloquially termed
15130-464: The clay-court season (and to ensure her eligibility for the 2016 Summer Olympics), Williams travelled to Brindisi, Italy , where she competed with that country's team for a place in the Fed Cup 's World Group. Williams and teammate Alison Riske lost the decisive doubles match to Errani and Flavia Pennetta, which meant the United States was relegated to World Group II. It was Williams's first loss in
15300-424: The court). The short mark in the centre of each baseline is referred to as either the hash mark or the centre mark. The outermost lines that make up the length are called the doubles sidelines; they are the boundaries for doubles matches. The lines to the inside of the doubles sidelines are the singles sidelines, and are the boundaries in singles play. The area between a doubles sideline and the nearest singles sideline
15470-417: The end of the 13th century". In due course this design spread across royal palaces all over Europe. In June 1316 at Vincennes , Val-de-Marne, and following a particularly exhausting game, Louis drank a large quantity of cooled wine and subsequently died of either pneumonia or pleurisy , although there was also suspicion of poisoning. Because of the contemporary accounts of his death, Louis X
15640-400: The event. Williams finished 2007 as No.7 and the top-ranked American for the first time since 2003. Williams started 2008 by winning the Hopman Cup for the US, with Mardy Fish . At the Australian Open , she lost in the quarterfinals to Janković, her fourth straight loss in the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam singles tournament. In the women's doubles event, she and Venus were defeated in
15810-405: The fifth woman to hold all Grand Slam singles titles simultaneously, a feat which was dubbed the "Serena Slam" by the press. At this tournament, the Williams sisters also won their sixth Grand Slam doubles title as a team. During the spring of 2003, Williams captured the singles titles at the Open Gaz de France and the Sony Ericsson Open . Her streak of 21 wins ended when she lost the final of
15980-489: The final and defeated Justine Henin, who had recently come out of retirement, for her twelfth Grand Slam singles title. In doubles, Williams and her sister successfully defended their title by defeating Cara Black and Liezel Huber in the final. Williams sat out several events with a leg injury, but returned for the Rome Masters , where she was defeated by Janković in the semifinals. At Madrid , she fell to Nadia Petrova in
16150-504: The final of the US Open, which was the first Grand Slam tournament final played by two sisters during the Open Era. At the 2001 season-ending Tour Championships , Williams won the championship by walkover when Davenport withdrew due to injury. Williams finished 2001 at No.6 for the second straight year. Early in 2002, injury saw Williams retire from the semifinal at the Medibank International Sydney and later withdraw from
16320-472: The final) to achieve both a Career Grand Slam and a non-calendar year Grand Slam (known as a "Serena Slam"). The next few years saw her capture two more major singles titles, but suffer from injury and decline in form. Starting in 2007, however, she gradually returned to form despite continued injuries, reclaiming the world No. 1 singles ranking. Beginning with the 2012 Wimbledon Championships , Williams returned to dominance, claiming Olympic gold (completing
16490-466: The final, defeating Jelena Janković , Shahar Pe'er and Nicole Vaidišová along the way. Williams described them as "good players ... who certainly didn't expect an overweight, out-of-shape, has-been champion ... to give them a game." Commentator Tracy Austin said she expected Sharapova to easily defeat Williams in the final. Williams thought the commentary was mean, and used it as motivation to win. She triumphed over Sharapova, losing just three games; it
16660-413: The final, where she defeated No.1-ranked Hingis. Williams became the second African-American woman to win a Grand Slam singles tournament, after Althea Gibson . The Williams sisters also won the doubles event at this tournament, making Serena the fifth woman in the Open Era to win both singles and doubles at the same major event. To complete her 1999 season, Williams won a doubles match against Russia in
16830-409: The final. After the match, Navratilova said Williams was among the top five female tennis players in history. She asserted that being a great player is "not just about how many Slams you win ... it's just your game overall ... she's got all the goods." The Williams sisters lost in the doubles quarterfinals to Elena Vesnina and Zvonareva. In Munich on July 7, Williams stepped on broken glass while in
17000-482: The final. At the Olympics, she won gold by defeating Sharapova in a dominating performance. She and Venus also won a second consecutive Olympic doubles title. In New York, Williams claimed her fourth US Open singles title, which was her 15th career Grand Slam singles title. She ended the season by going undefeated at the WTA Championships and winning the event for the third time. She was named ITF World Champion, and
17170-404: The final. Awaiting her was Muguruza, who had previously handed Williams the worst Grand Slam defeat of her career. Williams bested Muguruza and claimed her sixth Wimbledon singles title and 21st Grand Slam singles title overall. With this triumph, she completed her second "Serena Slam" (winning all four Grand Slams in a row, but not in the same calendar year). The Wimbledon victory made Williams
17340-468: The final. She reached the final of the Western & Southern Open for the first time, but lost to Azarenka. At the US Open , Williams began as top seed and defending champion. She reached the final and defeated Azarenka in three sets, capturing her 17th Grand Slam singles title and pushing her career prize winnings past $ 50 million. At 31, she became the oldest US Open champion in the Open Era. After
17510-421: The final. She then played in Rome, where she won the title a second time. At the French Open, Williams lost only one game whilst defeating Sara Errani in the semifinal. Evert said Williams's play during the match was the finest performance she had ever seen by a female player on clay. Williams bested Sharapova in the final to claim her second French Open title and her 16th Grand Slam title overall. She also became
17680-399: The final. The victory propelled her to No.1, making her the third African American woman to hold the top ranking. The Williams sisters also won the doubles event at the tournament. At the US Open, Williams reached the final where, for the third Grand Slam in a row, she defeated her sister to win the title. Williams won two consecutive singles titles in the fall, defeating Clijsters to win
17850-474: The first time since 2003. At the year-end championships, she defeated Safina and lost to Venus in round-robin matches, but withdrew from a match against Dementieva, citing a stomach muscle injury. She ended 2008 ranked No.2 and with four singles titles, her strongest performance in both respects since 2003. Williams began 2009 at the Medibank International , losing in the semifinals to Dementieva. At
18020-440: The first time. In Tennis: A Cultural History , Heiner Gillmeister reveals that on 8 December 1874, British army officer Walter Clopton Wingfield wrote to Harry Gem, commenting that he (Wingfield) had been experimenting with his version of lawn tennis "for a year and a half". In December 1873, Wingfield designed and patented a game which he called sphairistikè ( Greek : σφαιριστική , meaning "ball-playing"), and which
18190-497: The following guidelines; The rules regarding rackets have changed over time, as material and engineering advances have been made. For example, the maximum length of the frame had been 32 inches (81 cm) until 1997, when it was shortened to 29 inches (74 cm). Many companies manufacture and distribute tennis rackets. Wilson, Head and Babolat are three of the most commonly used brands; however, many more companies exist. The same companies sponsor players to use these rackets in
18360-558: The four Grand Slam tournaments (493,440 in total attendance during the 2024 event); it is often called the "fifth Grand Slam" in reference to this. The Indian Wells Tennis Garden has the second- largest permanent tennis stadium in the world, behind the US Open 's Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York . The Indian Wells Open is the premier tennis tournament in the Western United States and the second largest tennis tournament throughout
18530-529: The four recipient nations to replace the "world championships" with "official championships" was simple in a general sense: each became a major nation of the federation with enhanced voting power, and each now operated a major event. The comprehensive rules promulgated in 1924 by the ILTF have remained largely stable in the ensuing 80 years, the one major change being the addition of the tiebreak system designed by Jimmy Van Alen . That same year, tennis withdrew from
18700-481: The fourth round of the French Open to Vicario, and in the third round of the US Open to Spîrlea. She withdrew from Wimbledon two games into a match after straining a calf muscle. After losing the French Open mixed doubles final to Venus and Justin Gimelstob , Williams won the mixed doubles titles at Wimbledon and the US Open with Max Mirnyi . Williams won her first professional title in non-mixed doubles at
18870-563: The fourth round to Ana Ivanovic. In Dubai , Williams lost her semifinal match to Alizé Cornet in straight sets. Williams then played in the Miami Open, where she won her record seventh title with a straight-sets victory over No.2 Li Na . At the Family Circle Cup , she lost to Jana Čepelová in the second round. She made it to the quarterfinals at the Madrid Open before withdrawing with a thigh injury. In Rome , Williams won her third title of
19040-544: The fourth round. After a month layoff, Williams returned to competition in Miami , losing in the quarterfinals. She then won consecutive titles in Charleston and Madrid , but withdrew from her semifinal match in Rome due to a lower back injury. At the French Open, Williams suffered her first ever loss in the opening round of a Grand Slam. She notched up a 33–1 record for the second half of
19210-572: The fourth woman in the Open Era to win each Grand Slam tournament at least twice. At Wimbledon , she advanced easily to the fourth round before being defeated by eventual finalist Sabine Lisicki . Williams then won the Swedish Open, her first victory at the International level. She was undefeated on clay during the season. Williams won her third Rogers Cup title in Toronto, beating Sorana Cîrstea in
19380-404: The game (tying the set 6–6) a tiebreak is played. A tiebreak, played under a separate set of rules, allows one player to win one more game and thus the set, to give a final set score of 7–6. A tiebreak game can be won by scoring at least seven points and at least two points more than the opponent. In a tiebreak, two players serve by 'ABBA' system which has been proven to be fair. If a tiebreak
19550-411: The game has break point , double break point or triple break point , respectively. If the receiver does, in fact, win their break point, the game is awarded to the receiver, and the receiver is said to have converted their break point. If the receiver fails to win their break point it is called a failure to convert. Winning break points, and thus the game, is also referred to as breaking serve , as
19720-458: The ground at all times, and the adoption of the tiebreak in the 1970s. A recent addition to professional tennis has been the adoption of electronic review technology coupled with a point-challenge system, which allows a player to contest the line call of a point, a system known as Hawk-Eye . Tennis is played by millions of recreational players and is a popular worldwide spectator sport. The four Grand Slam tournaments (also referred to as
19890-565: The hopes that the company name will become better known by the public. There are multiple types of tennis strings, including natural gut and synthetic stings made from materials such as nylon , kevlar , or polyester . The first type of tennis strings available were natural gut strings, introduced by Babolat. They were the only type used until synthetic strings were introduced in the 1950s. Natural gut strings are still used frequently by players such as Roger Federer. They are made from cow intestines, and provide increased power, and are easier on
20060-418: The late Middle Ages . The modern form of tennis originated in Birmingham , England, in the late 19th century as lawn tennis . It had close connections to various field (lawn) games such as croquet and bowls as well as to the older racket sport today called real tennis . The rules of modern tennis have changed little since the 1890s. Two exceptions are that until 1961 the server had to keep one foot on
20230-570: The latter of which she won for a record sixth time. In December, Williams received the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year award for the third time. Only Evert and Babe Didrikson have been chosen more often as Athlete of the Year since the awards were first handed out in 1931. Williams defended her title at the Brisbane International by defeating No.2 Azarenka in the final. At the Australian Open , she fell in
20400-474: The loss at the 2003 Wimbledon Championships , where she defeated Venus in the final. This was Williams's second consecutive Wimbledon title and her sixth Grand Slam singles title overall. Wimbledon was her last tournament of 2003; she pulled out of three events and then underwent surgery on the quadriceps tendon in her knee in early August. She was expected to be in recovery for six to eight weeks. After eight months away from tennis, Williams began her comeback at
20570-534: The lowest-ranked player in the Open Era to defeat two top-10 opponents in one tournament. She ultimately lost in the semifinals to No.5 Lindsay Davenport . Her run in Chicago propelled Williams into the Top 100 for the first time in her career, and she finished 1997 ranked No.99 in the world. At the 1998 Sydney International , Williams defeated No.3 Davenport in the quarterfinals, before losing to Arantxa Sánchez Vicario in
20740-553: The mains (the vertical strings) and the crosses (the horizontal strings). This is most commonly done with two different strings that are made of different materials, but can also be done with two different types of the same string. A notable example of a player using hybrid strings is Roger Federer, using natural gut strings in his mains and polyester strings in his crosses. Tennis balls were originally made of cloth strips stitched together with thread and stuffed with feathers. Modern tennis balls are made of hollow vulcanized rubber with
20910-405: The majors) are especially popular and are considered the highest level of competition for the sport. These tournaments are the Australian Open , played on hardcourts ; the French Open , played on red clay courts ; Wimbledon , played on grass courts ; and the US Open , also played on hardcourts. Additionally, tennis was one of the original Olympic sports , and has been consistently competed in
21080-414: The match, and then declined to offer Asderaki the customary handshake. A writer for ESPN suggested that Williams did not violate the terms of her probation (on which she was placed following her 2009 outburst), since she did not use profanity when addressing the umpire. In the end, Williams was fined $ 2,000, but was not barred from competing. The US Open was Williams's final event of 2011, and she ended
21250-399: The net. A player or team cannot hit the ball twice in a row. The ball must travel over or round the net into the other players' court. A ball that hits the net during a rally is considered a legal return as long as it crosses into the opposite side of the court. The first player or team to fail to make a legal return loses the point. The server then moves to the other side of the service line at
21420-467: The next year. active The Sunshine Double is a feat in tennis achieved when a player wins the titles of the Indian Wells Open and the Miami Open back-to-back. To date, 11 players have achieved this in singles, and 23 in doubles. These players won the Indian Wells Open and the Miami Open in the same year but with different partners. These players won the Indian Wells Open and the Miami Open in
21590-408: The official ITF list of approved tennis balls. Tennis is played on a rectangular, flat surface. The court is 78 feet (23.77 m) long, and 27 feet (8.2 m) wide for singles matches and 36 ft (11 m) for doubles matches. Additional clear space around the court is required in order for players to reach overrun balls. A net is stretched across the full width of the court, parallel with
21760-470: The oldest woman in the Open Era to win a Grand Slam singles title. It also was her eighth consecutive victory in Grand Slam singles finals appearances, breaking Graf's Open Era record of seven and tying Pete Sampras's Open Era record of eight. The week of July 13 marked the first time in WTA history that the No.1 player had more than twice as many points as the No.2. Following her win at Wimbledon, Williams
21930-499: The only women in the Open Era to win Olympic gold in both singles and doubles. Williams also won two major mixed doubles titles, both in 1998. She is the only singles player, male or female, to complete three Career Golden Slams – one in women's singles and two in women's doubles. The ascent of the Williams sisters has been credited with ushering in a new era of power and athleticism on the women's professional tennis tour. Serena holds
22100-488: The player who is in the lead in the game needs only one more point to win the game. The terminology is extended to sets (set point), matches (match point), and even championships (championship point). For example, if the player who is serving has a score of 40–love, the player has a triple game point (triple set point, etc.) as the player has three consecutive chances to win the game. Game points, set points, and match points are not part of official scoring and are not announced by
22270-410: The player's scores equal at 40 apiece, the score is not called out as "40–40", but rather as "deuce". If at least three points have been scored by each side and a player has one more point than his opponent, the score of the game is "advantage" for the player in the lead. During informal games, advantage can also be called "ad in" or "van in" when the serving player is ahead, and "ad out" or "van out" when
22440-457: The players returned, Williams won the match. Williams then lost her quarterfinal match against Henin. At the US Open, Williams lost her third consecutive Grand Slam singles quarterfinal to Henin. Williams reached the final of the Kremlin Cup , but lost to Elena Dementieva . She qualified for the WTA Championships, but retired from her first match with a knee injury and subsequently withdrew from
22610-401: The quarterfinals at least. The Nike situation did not distract Williams, as she lost just three games to Mara Santangelo and defeated Anne Kremer in straight sets. By this point, a blister had developed on her foot and she had contracted a cold. In the third round, Williams found herself two points away from losing to Nadia Petrova , but fought back to win in three sets. She then made it to
22780-477: The quarterfinals in Berlin . Williams withdrew in Rome in the quarterfinals due to a back injury, and lost in the third round of the French Open to Katarina Srebotnik . At Wimbledon , Williams reached the finals for the first time in four years, but lost to Venus in their first Grand Slam final since 2003. Serena and Venus teamed up and won the doubles title, however. Williams played at Stanford , but retired in
22950-422: The quarterfinals. Williams withdrew from her next three scheduled tournaments because of an urgent need for dental surgery. She then won three consecutive singles titles at Bangalore and her fifth Miami title, tying Graf for the most singles titles at this tournament. She claimed victory at the Family Circle Cup , her first clay-court title since 2002. Her 17-match winning streak was ended by Dinara Safina in
23120-449: The receiver has disrupted, or broken the natural advantage of the server. If in the following game the previous server also wins a break point it is referred to as breaking back . Except where tiebreaks apply, at least one break of serve is required to win a set (otherwise a two-game lead would never occur). Another, however informal, tennis format is called Canadian doubles . This involves three players, with one person playing against
23290-414: The receiving player is ahead; alternatively, either player may simply call out "my ad" or "your ad". The score of a tennis game during play is always read with the serving player's score first. In tournament play, the chair umpire calls the point count (e.g., "15–love") after each point. At the end of a game, the chair umpire also announces the winner of the game and the overall score. A set consists of
23460-539: The same event. In May, Williams reached her first clay-court final at the Eurocard German Open , but lost to Justine Henin . Williams won her first clay-court title at the Italian Open , which raised her ranking to a new high of No.3. She then claimed her first French Open title, which elevated her to No.2, second only to Venus. During the summer, Williams won Wimbledon for the first time, defeating Venus in
23630-406: The same year but with different partners. 33°43′26″N 116°18′21″W / 33.72389°N 116.30583°W / 33.72389; -116.30583 Tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles ) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles ). Each player uses a tennis racket strung with a cord to strike
23800-491: The season, winning five titles in the process. She captured her fifth Wimbledon singles title (her 14th Grand Slam victory), and became the first female player to serve 24 aces in a match. She also set a record for the most aces in a tournament by any player—male or female—with a total of 102. Williams and her sister also captured their fifth trophy in Wimbledon doubles. Williams returned to America to successfully defend her Stanford title, overcoming CoCo Vandeweghe in
23970-459: The season. She suffered the worst loss of her Grand Slam career in the second round of the French Open when Garbiñe Muguruza defeated her while losing just four games in two sets. Cornet defeated Williams in the third round of Wimbledon , handing Williams her earliest Wimbledon elimination since 2005. During the doubles event with Venus, Serena hit four consecutive doubles faults. She appeared disoriented and unsteady on her feet, and withdrew from
24140-532: The semifinals to Vera Zvonareva . She also reached the semifinals in Los Angeles, losing to Janković in straight sets. Williams needed a wildcard to enter the US Open , as her No.139 ranking was too low to automatically qualify her to play. By the time the tournament began, however, she had risen to 79th. She lost to top-seeded Mauresmo in the fourth round. Williams finished the year ranked No.95, her lowest year-end ranking since 1997. Williams began 2007 with renewed confidence. She stated her intention to return to
24310-515: The semifinals with a knee injury, which also forced her to withdraw from a tournament in Los Angeles . During the Summer Olympics in Beijing, Williams lost to Dementieva in the singles quarterfinals, but she and Venus won the gold medal in doubles. In early September, Williams captured her third US Open title, which was also her ninth Grand Slam singles title. The victory returned her to No.1 for
24480-411: The semifinals. Williams's first main draw of a Grand Slam tournament was at the Australian Open , where she defeated sixth-seeded Irina Spîrlea in the first round, before losing to Venus in the second round in the sisters' first professional face-off. She reached six other quarterfinals during the year, but lost all of them, including her first match against No.1-ranked Martina Hingis . She lost in
24650-522: The semifinals; however, the pair won the doubles title. Her defense of the US Open title ended when she lost in the quarterfinals to Davenport. Williams and her sister won the gold medal in doubles at the Sydney Olympics that September, and Williams ended the year by winning the Toyota Princess Cup and finishing at No.6. Williams began 2001 by losing to Hingis in the quarterfinals of both
24820-404: The service boxes; depending on a player's position, they have to hit the ball into one of these when serving. A ball is out only if none of it has hit the area inside the lines, or the line, upon its first bounce. All lines are required to be between 1 and 2 inches (25 and 51 mm) in width, with the exception of the baseline which can be up to 4 inches (100 mm) wide, although in practice it
24990-417: The singles court on each side. The modern tennis court owes its design to Major Walter Clopton Wingfield . In 1873, Wingfield patented a court much the same as the current one for his stické tennis (sphairistike). This template was modified in 1875 to the court design that exists today, with markings similar to Wingfield's version, but with the hourglass shape of his court changed to a rectangle. Tennis
25160-468: The start of a new point. A game consists of a sequence of points played with the same player serving. A game is won by the first player to have won at least four points in total and at least two points more than the opponent. The running score of each game is described in a manner peculiar to tennis: scores from zero to three points are described as "love", "15", "30", and "40", respectively. If at least three points have been scored by each player, making
25330-401: The third round, but partnered with Venus to win the doubles title. At the French Open , Williams was bested by Samantha Stosur in the quarterfinals. She and Venus won the doubles event, achieving their fourth consecutive Grand Slam doubles title and improving their doubles ranking to No.1. Williams's next tournament was Wimbledon, where she did not lose a single set, defeating Zvonareva in
25500-471: The top 10 for the first time since 1999. Later that summer, Williams reached her third final of the year at the JPMorgan Chase Open in Los Angeles, where she lost to Lindsay Davenport. Williams was seeded third at the 2004 US Open , where she faced Capriati in the quarterfinals. During the match, umpire Mariana Alves made a call that favored Capriati, but subsequent video review showed that her call
25670-542: The top of the rankings, a goal that was labeled "deluded" by commentator Pat Cash . Williams lost in the quarterfinals of the Hobart International , a warm-up for the Australian Open , where she was unseeded and widely regarded as "out of shape". Shortly before her first match, a representative from Nike told her the company might cancel her sponsorship if she did not perform at her customary level. Williams claimed that Nike's ultimatum meant she would have to reach
25840-474: The tour two months later, she made her Fed Cup debut, defeating Rita Grande to send the United States to the final. She then won her third title at the JPMorgan Chase Open , beating Julie Halard-Decugis in the final. At the US Open , Williams defeated Grand Slam champions Kim Clijsters , Conchita Martínez , Monica Seles, and Lindsay Davenport (the defending champion) in consecutive matches to reach
26010-584: The tournament and was subsequently booed during the awards ceremony. Nine days later, while attending the Ericsson Open , Richard Williams , Serena and Venus's father, stated racial slurs were directed at him while in the stands at Indian Wells. He said that while he and Venus were taking their seats for the final, multiple fans used the racial slur and one spoke of skinning him alive. When asked about her father's allegations, Venus said "I heard what he heard." Indian Wells tournament director Charlie Pasarell said he
26180-443: The tournament. The official cause of withdrawal was "viral illness." Williams rebounded by winning 19 out of her next 20 matches (losing only to Venus in the semifinals of the Rogers Cup ). The streak included titles at the Bank of the West Classic and the Western & Southern Open , and her third consecutive and sixth overall US Open singles title. With this victory, Williams tied Evert for most US Open singles titles won by
26350-529: The world. After the 2013 BNP Paribas Open , the Indian Wells Tennis Garden started an expansion and upgrade of its facilities that includes a new 8,000 seat Stadium 2. The revamping of the tennis center also included a "Pro Purple" interior court color created specifically for the ATP Masters Series and first used at Indian Wells, citing the purple color being 180 degrees and exactly opposite
26520-557: The year at the China Open in September, defeating US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova in the final. Williams's successful season allowed her to qualify for the Tour Championships , held again in Los Angeles. She lost to Sharapova in the final, where she suffered an abdominal injury. Williams finished 2004 ranked No.7, but did not win a Grand Slam singles tournament for the first season since 2001. Following Venus's early exit from
26690-400: The year ranked No.1 for the second time in her career. She played in 16 tournaments in 2009, more than any other year. With $ 6,545,586 in prize-money earnings, she broke the record previously set by Justine Henin for most prize money earned by a female tennis player in one year. In doubles, the Williams sisters finished 2009 at No.2, despite playing only six tournaments together. Williams now had
26860-413: The year ranked No.12, with two titles and a 22–3 record for the season. She only played in six tournaments during the season. Williams started the 2012 season at the Brisbane International . During her match against Bojana Jovanovski , she injured her left ankle, and was forced to withdraw from the tournament. Next she participated in the Australian Open , where she was upset by Ekaterina Makarova in
27030-405: The yellow of the ball. The tournament was founded by former tennis pros Charlie Pasarell and Raymond Moore . It has been known by a number of names, and accepted numerous corporate sponsorships, throughout its existence. The French multinational banking group BNP Paribas has held the naming rights since 2009. Originally the women's tournament was held a week before the men's event. In 1996,
27200-465: Was awarded her seventh ESPY for Best Female Tennis Player . Williams was the defending champion at the Bank of the West Classic , but withdrew from the tournament to recover from an elbow injury. In the semifinals of the Canadian Open , Williams had a 19-match winning streak ended by 18-year-old Belinda Bencic . The next week Williams defended her title at the Western & Southern Open with
27370-469: Was eliminated in the round of 16, which dropped her ranking to No.169. Later in the summer, she won titles in both Stanford and Toronto . Williams played the Western & Southern Open , but withdrew due to injury. She reached the final at the US Open , where she faced Stosur. During the match, Williams became angry with umpire Eve Asderaki . She made gestures and unflattering comments towards her, including calling her "a hater". Williams eventually lost
27540-428: Was forced to withdraw because of a knee injury. When Williams defeated Lisicki in the quarterfinals of the Miami Open , she became the eighth woman in the Open Era to record 700 match wins in her career. This also made her one of only three active players to have won 700 or more matches in singles, the others being Nadal and Roger Federer . Williams went on to win a record eighth title in Miami. As preparation for
27710-405: Was her first tournament title in two years. Williams became the first player since Chris O'Neil to capture the title without being seeded. The victory, which elevated her to No.14, was her third Australian Open title and eighth career Grand Slam singles title. Williams dedicated the achievement to her deceased half-sister Yetunde. Her performance in the final was described in the press as one of
27880-492: Was humiliated by the crowd's reaction, adding, "I was cringing when all that stuff was going on. It was unfair for the crowd to do that." After a phone call from Larry Ellison (the multi-billionaire founder of Oracle , tennis enthusiast and most recent owner of the tournament), Serena Williams returned to Indian Wells in 2015, ending her 14-year boycott of the event. Venus Williams ended her boycott by competing in Indian Wells
28050-503: Was incorrect. Williams argued with Alves over several other calls during the match, which Capriati eventually won. Williams acknowledged that her loss was primarily due to her 57 unforced errors, but she nevertheless felt "cheated" and accused Alves of temporary insanity. The controversy renewed calls for, and was widely given credit for, the adoption of new technology such as the MacCAM and Hawk-Eye systems. Williams won her second title of
28220-866: Was larger than the one normally used in New York. On 21 May 1881, the oldest nationwide tennis organization in the world was formed, the United States National Lawn Tennis Association (now the United States Tennis Association ) in order to standardize the rules and organize competitions. The US National Men's Singles Championship, now the US Open , was first held in 1881 at the Newport Casino , Newport, Rhode Island . The US National Women's Singles Championships were first held in 1887 in Philadelphia . Tennis also became popular in France, where
28390-486: Was soon known simply as "sticky" – for the amusement of guests at a garden party on his friend's estate of Nantclwyd Hall , in Llanelidan , Wales. According to R. D. C. Evans, turfgrass agronomist , "Sports historians all agree that [Wingfield] deserves much of the credit for the development of modern tennis." According to Honor Godfrey, museum curator at Wimbledon, Wingfield "popularized this game enormously. He produced
28560-558: Was their ninth Grand Slam title in doubles. Ahead of the US Open, Williams suffered a third-round defeat in Cincinnati and a semifinal defeat at the Rogers Cup. At the Open, she was given a racket abuse warning after losing the first set of her semifinal match against Clijsters. Later in the match, one of her serves was called a foot fault . Williams yelled profanities at the lineswoman who made
28730-514: Was three years before the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club would hold its first championships at Wimbledon, in 1877. The first Championships culminated in a significant debate on how to standardise the rules. In the United States in 1874, Mary Ewing Outerbridge , a young socialite, returned from Bermuda with a sphairistikè set. She became fascinated by the game of tennis after watching British army officers play. She laid out
28900-500: Was voted WTA Player of the Year for the fourth time. Williams's first tournament of the 2013 season was in Brisbane , where she won the title without dropping a set. At the Australian Open , she was upset in the quarterfinals by fellow American Sloane Stephens . After defeating Petra Kvitová in Doha, Williams returned to No.1 for the sixth time in her career, becoming the oldest woman in
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