Williams, 6-4-7-6.

Tennis has a new queen and she is 17-year-old Serena Williams.

It was pretty exciting. I was thinking, should I scream or should I yell or should I cry or should I...

What should I do?

It was the first appearance in a Grand Slam final for Williams.

In 1999 in New York, Serena Williams won her first major tennis title at the U.S. Open.

Everyone knew she was going to be a star in the sport and a transformational one too,

but few thought she would get this big.

Serena Williams moves a step closer to a record-tying 24th Grand Slingham title and sets another record along the way.

Against a player like her, you have to have your game, you have to not make that many mistakes.

When I'm playing on the floor with her, I think I'm playing the best competitor in the game.

Now, heading into next week's U.S. Open, Serena's going to grace those courts in New York City one last time before she retires from tennis.

She's leaving the sport as not just one of the best female tennis players of all time,

but one of the greatest sports champions of all time, period.

And don't just take my word for it. Take it from other leaders in the sport, like Panthers. but one of the greatest sports champions of all-time period.

And don't just take my word for it.

Take it from other leaders in the sport, like Pam Shriver.

She was able to win majors as a teenager in 1999 at the U.S. Open. Throughout the next, really, two decades after after that is astounding.

It is a brutally tough sport to play physically, mentally, emotionally.

They'll be talking about the career of Serena 100 years from now, 200 years from now.

I'm Gustavariano.

You're listening to the Times, Essential News, from the LA Times.

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