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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 28: Serena Williams of the United States is congratulated by Venus Williams of the United States after winning the Women's Singles Final match against on day 13 of the 2017 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 28, 2017 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Serena Williams has won the Australian Open to claim a record 23rd grand slam title. No other person has won more grand slams in the Open era.
She beat her sister Venus 6-4, 6-4. The match was tense, unbearably tense. It was a wide return from Venus that sealed the match for Serena. After that moment, the sisters immediately embraced. They hugged for ten seconds.
No doubt Serena is going down as one of the best athletes in sporting history -- man or woman.
This is the seventh Australian Open win for Serena. It was her sixth grand slam win without dropping a single set.
SHE'S DONE IT! No. 23@serenawilliams is your #AusOpen 2017 women's singles champion. 🏆 pic.twitter.com/LC6fpWi3Ik
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 28, 2017
Affirming themselves the greatest rivals in sporting history, it was the ninth time they had met in a grand slam tournament. Now, the sisters together have won 30 grand slam titles. 30!
Both Serena, 35, and Venus, 36, are world class athletes, achieving amazing feats for tennis and women in sport. This match was a testament to this legacy.
These two...#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/aWPvlCWmSM
— ESPNTennis (@ESPNTennis) January 28, 2017
Serena was a hot favourite, but no one else has ever beaten Serena as many times as Venus. Now, Serena leads 10-5 in grand slam meetings against Venus, with overall head-to-head contests sitting at 17-11.
Their first rival professional match was in 1998 at the Australian Open. Venus beat Serena. Nineteen years later, the little sister has come out on top.
"This is a beautiful thing," Venus Williams said after the match at Rod Laver arena in Melbourne. "That's my little sister guys."
Serena didn't let Venus out-do her in the post match speech, either.
"She is my inspiration, she is the only reason I am standing here today," Serena said. "Every time you won this week I felt like I got a win too."
"I don't like the word comeback, she never left."
AFP/Getty Images
Quinn Rooney via Getty Images
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