The 2013 Serena Williams tennis season officially began on 30 December 2012 with the start of the 2013 WTA Tour. Williams produced the most consistent season of her career, reaching 13 finals and winning 11 titles, the most since Martina Hingis won 12 titles in 1997. She also won her second French Open, her first since 2002, as well as her fifth US Open. Williams dominated the clay court season, winning five titles and all 28 of her matches on the surface to produce her career-best winning streak at 34. She had a winning percentage of 95.1%, the highest since 1990, and became the first women's player to eclipse the US$10 million prize money mark at US$12,385,572. Williams finished the year as the world No. 1 for the third time in her career. For her performance in the 2013 season, she was named ITF World Champion for the fourth time and the second time in a row.
Year in detail
Early hard court season and Australian Open
Brisbane International Williams began her 2013 campaign at the Brisbane International. In her first match, she faced compatriot and second-ranked American Varvara Lepchenko and won in straight sets in 59 minutes. In the second round, she faced Frenchwoman Alizé Cornet and took the match, winning both sets at two in exactly an hour with the help of 6 aces. In the quarterfinals, Williams faced another American in Sloane Stephens and defeated her younger foe, breaking Stephens once in each set, while holding her serve at each time. In the semifinals Williams was bound to face world no. 1 Victoria Azarenka; however, the Belarusian withdrew before the match with a toe injury, giving Williams a free bye into the final. In the final, Williams faced Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova; the match started with holds in the first four games but Williams then took seven games in a row before Pavlyuchenkova took another game. Williams then closed out the match, losing only three games.
Australian Open Williams came into the Australian Open as the heavy favorite to win the title; she was coming in with a 17-match winning streak that stretched from the 2012 US Open and a 21-set winning streak stretching from the third set of the US Open final. In the first round, she faced Edina Gallovits-Hall, where Williams suffered a health scare when she twisted her right ankle in the fifth game of the first set, however it did not hamper her as she won without dropping a game. In the next round she faced Garbiñe Muguruza and suffered another incident, when Williams's hit smacked her mouth with her racket following through on a defensive lob. Williams broke in the first game and also in the seventh game to win the first set; she then cruised through the second set with a bagel. In the third round, against Japanese Ayumi Morita, she served her second 207 km/h serve of the tournament. Williams roared through the first set losing only one game, Morita then took the first three games, Williams then won the last six games to win the match. Williams then faced 14th seed, Russia's Maria Kirilenko. Williams broke in the fourth and eighth games of the match to take the first set; she served 95% of first serve in the set. Williams stormed past the second set with a bagel to advance to the quarterfinals. Williams at one point won 23 straight service points. Williams also made 22 winners with 6 aces to Kirilenko's 7 winners with 1 ace, she also only made 6 unforced errors to Kirilenko's 15 In the quarterfinals she faced compatriot Sloane Stephens; Williams took the first set by breaking in the eighth game. Williams then suffered a back spasm in the middle of the second set, where she led by a break but eventually lost the set 5–7. In the third set, Williams led by a break by the seventh game but eventually lost the next 3 games, losing to Stephens. Both women, made 23 winners; however, Williams made more unforced errors with 48 to Stephens 39. She also ended her 20-match winning streak and her 30 sets won in a row.
Serena Williams also played doubles with sister Venus. In the first three rounds, they faced Camila Giorgi and Stefanie Vögele, Vera Dushevina and Olga Govortsova, and fifth seeds Nadia Petrova and Katarina Srebotnik winning in straight sets in all three victories. In the quarterfinals, they faced top seeds Roberta Vinci and Sara Errani, they took the first set and served for the match at 6–5, until they eventual lost the seconds set in a tie-break. They also had many chances in the third but lost it in the end 5–7.
Qatar Total Open
Williams then played at the Qatar Total Open in Doha for the first time. Williams, being seeded second, received a bye in the first round. In the second round, she faced a lucky loser in Russian Daria Gavrilova. Williams from the fifth game racked in nine straight games, Williams served out the match, she hit 25 winners to Gavrilova's 9, and both hit 14 unforced errors. In the second round she faced the younger Radwańska Urszula, Williams won the first eight games, before being broken by Radwańska. Williams closed it out in the ninth game of the second set. Williams had a 20–15 winner-unforced error to Radwańska's 6–20. In the quarterfinals she faced world no. 8 Petra Kvitová, Kvitová took the first break in the sixth game and took advantage, winning the set, the first set Williams has lost to Kvitová. The second set went Williams' favor as she broke in the eighth game closed it out. In the deciding set Kvitová took a break lead by the fifth game. However Williams came back to win the set 7–5. Williams made 14 aces to Kvitová's 9, both served 8 double faults. Williams made 37 winners to Kvitová's 35, but she also made more unforced errors 31 to 28. This win gave Williams the WTA number 1 ranking, becoming the oldest to hold it. In the semifinals, Williams faced world no. 3 Maria Sharapova. Williams took the first set after breaking in the sixth game. Williams then dominated the second set, breaking the Russian twice to win it. In the final, Williams faced the top seed Victoria Azarenka, Williams went down by a break, but came back, eventually led to a tie-break. Williams had set point on serve at 6–5, but lost the next three points to lose the breaker. Williams then took control of the second set winning it with two breaks. In the third set, Williams started slowly, losing the first three games, and it was enough for Azarenka as they both held serve until the end of the match. This loss was the first to Azarenka since the 2009 Sony Ericsson Open and ended Williams' 9-match winning streak against Azarenka.
Dubai Tennis Championships Williams withdrew 45 minutes before she was due to play Marion Bartoli at the Dubai Tennis Championships with a back injury. This withdrawal will count as a zero-pointer in her allotted year-end rankings.
Sony Open Tennis Playing in her first tournament as the world no. 1 at the Sony Open Tennis as the top seed she received a bye into the second round where she faced Italian Flavia Pennetta. Williams took the first set with a loss of one game; she come back from triple break point down twice and she was 2/10 in break point opportunities. The second set was won by Williams by the same score. Williams then took on Ayumi Morita, Morita took the first 3 games of the match, but Williams pegged back taking the next 7 games, Williams then broke Morita in the sixth game of the second set to take the match. In the fourth round, she faced Slovak Dominika Cibulková, the match started with 2 breaks, Cibulková then took the next seven games from the fourth game, to take a set and break lead. Williams then took the next six games from, in the process winning the second set. Williams then completed her comeback, winning the third by 2. Williams ended with 40–41 winners-unforced errors to her opponents 12–19 ratio. In the quarterfinals, Williams faced Li Na. Williams took the first set breaking Li in the sixth game of the match. In the second set Williams took a break lead but Li took the next five games and had a set point on the Williams serve, Williams saved the set point and took the next four games to force a tie-break, that went to Williams. In the semifinals, she faced fourth seed and defending champion Agnieszka Radwańska. Williams took the first set without dropping a game. In the second set Williams broke Radwańska in the third game to finally take the set and the match. She hit 40 winners and 21 unforced errors to Radwańska's 6 winners and 12 unforced errors. Williams made 12 aces including 5 in the third game of the second set. In the final Williams faced Maria Sharapova. Sharapova got the decisive break in the ninth game and serve the set out. This ended the 13 straight sets Williams had won over Sharapova and the first she had lost in 5 years. In the second set, Williams won the first two games before Sharapova reeled off three straight games herself. Being a break down Williams reeled off 10 straight games to win the match. Williams had a 34–29 winners-to-unforced errors ratio to Sharapova's 14–25. This win gave Williams the most titles at the tournament at six and most wins at the event at 61 and is tied with Agassi in both accolades. This win also meant that Williams has beaten Sharapova 11 straight times.
Clay court season and French Open
Family Circle Cup Williams then played her first clay court tournament at the Family Circle Cup. She entered the event as the defending champion and as the first seed. Williams received a bye to go through the second round, where she faced Camila Giorgi. Williams won the first set with Giorgi breaking and winning serve only once. In the second set, Williams broke in the fifth game and ninth game of the match to advance. Williams made nine aces and no double faults, whereas her opponent made five aces to a dozen double faults. On the following day, she faced compatriot Mallory Burdette, the first set went on serve until Williams broke in the tenth game to take the set. Williams then got broken in the first game, but came back winning six of the last seven games to win. Later in the day Williams played her quarterfinal match, playing two singles match in the same day for the first time in her career. Williams took on Lucie Šafářová in a rematch of last year's final. The match began with two breaks, Šafářová then broke in the fifth game and then consolidated the break. However, Williams came back winning 10 of the last 11 games to go through. In the semifinals Williams faced big sister Venus Williams in their 24 meeting and their first in more than three years, with their last match coming in the 2009 WTA Tour Championships Final. The first set went to Serena, with Serena breaking Venus thrice in the set, with she her herself getting broken once. In the second set, Serena broke Venus' serve in the first and seventh game to advance to the final. The match was the fewest games won by the losing foe with three in all of the 24 meeting between the sisters. In the final, Williams faced Jelena Janković, whom she had led 5–4 in head-to-head. The first set, four games stayed on serve with Williams not dropping a point and Janković being pushed to deuce. However, things turned around as Janković broke Williams in the fifth and ninth game to take the set. The second set saw Williams rallied to take all of the six games to win it with a bagel. The third set went to Williams breaking Janković in the third and seventh game and served out the match in her third match point. Williams was 39–25 winners to unforced errors to Janković 21–23. This is Williams third Family Circle Cup and extends her 15-match winning streak at the event.
Mutua Madrid Open