By Richard Pagliaro, Tennis.com
Fourteen-time Grand Slam singles champ Serena Williams has won the U.S. Open "only" three times, but she's always in the title mix and/or making headlines. In advance of another deep run we expect to see in the coming weeks, our top 5 Serena moments at Flushing Meadows:
1. 1999 U.S. Open Final: Serena Williams d. Martina Hingis, 6-3, 7-6 (4)
At the age of 17, the seventh-seeded Serena became the first African-American woman since Althea Gibson in 1958 to capture a major singles championship. Serena showed her fighting spirit, battling back from 3-5 down in the third set to beat Kim Clijsters in the fourth round, before defeating top-ranked Hingis in the final. Serena also partnered with her sister Venus to win the doubles title, becoming the fifth woman in the Open era to sweep singles and doubles titles at the Open.
2. 2002 U.S. Open Final: Serena Williams d. Venus Williams, 6-4, 6-3
The sisters squared off in their third consecutive major final of the season, with Serena prevailing over the two-time defending champion. Serena, who won 32 consecutive sets in Grand Slam competition in 2002, became the first woman to win three straight majors in the same season since Steffi Graf in 1996.
3. 2008 U.S. Open Final: Serena Williams d. Jelena Jankovic, 6-4, 7-5
A revitalized Serena stormed through the 2008 tournament, surrendering just 40 games in seven victories to capture her first U.S. Open title in six years and regain the world No. 1 ranking. Jankovic held four set points in the second set, but Serena played best when it mattered most, winning 10 of the last 16 points to collect her ninth major in a moment she called "magical."
4. 2001 U.S. Open Final: Venus Williams d. Serena Williams, 6-2, 6-4
The sisters staged a historic reunion under the bright lights: The all-Williams final marked the first time sisters met in a Grand Slam final in 117 years. The face-off between '99 champion Serena and defending champion Venus ushered in the era of the evening final; it was the first Grand Slam final contested at night.
5. 2004 U.S. Open Quarterfinal: Jennifer Capriati d. Serena Williams, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4
A duel between American rivals culminated in a controversial conclusion. The match was marred by several incorrect calls, including an egregious overrule by chair umpire Mariana Alves that went against Williams in the decisive set. This match changed the Open forever: The USTA adopted Hawk-Eye line-calling technology in response to the incorrect calls.