The 2014 Serena Williams tennis season officially began on 30 December with the start of the 2014 WTA Tour, and follows on from an 18-match winning streak which began at the end of the 2013 Season. Williams finished the year at no. 1, and held the ranking for the entire year, which had not been done since Steffi Graf in 1996. It is also fourth time that Williams ended as the number 1 player in the year. Based on her performance in 2014, she was named 'World Champion' for the fifth time and the third time in a row.
Year in detail
Early hard court season and Australian Open
Brisbane International Williams began her season at the Brisbane International, where she was the defending champion and no. 1 seed. Williams received a bye in the first round. She played her first match of the 2014 season against German Andrea Petkovic. The pair traded breaks in the 3rd and 4th game, Williams broke once again at the ninth game and served the set out. Williams broke in the fifth game of the second set and held the break to serve it out in the tenth game. Williams made 35 winners including 11 aces and 36 unforced errors in the match. In the quarterfinals, Williams faced Dominika Cibulková. In the first set, Williams broke in the eight game and closed it out the following game, Williams won the set without a dropping a point in serve. Williams broke in the ninth game of the second set to win the match. Williams hit 32 winners with 12 aces and 17 unforced errors to her opponent's 7 winners and 11 unforced errors. In the final four, Williams faced Russian Maria Sharapova. The first saw Sharapova breaking once, however, Williams broke the Russian three times including in the eight game to win the set. In the second set, there were six breaks of serve that saw the set go to a tie-break. Williams closed it out with her third match point. Williams only served 44% of her first serves in the match and made 7 double faults to Sharapova's 8. In the final, it was world no. 1 vs no. 2, as Williams took on Victoria Azarenka. In the first set, Williams came on top, needing only a break in the seventh game to close it out with an ace in the tenth game. Williams made 14 winners, 12 unforced errors, 4 aces and no double faults in the set, while Azarenka made 3, 8, 1 and 3 respectively. The second set saw Williams edge out a break early, but Azarenka won four games in a row to get the break advantage. Williams was able to get it back on serve, and broke in the eleventh game and closed out the match. Williams ended with 30 winners and unforced with 11 aces, Azarenka on other hand made 15 winners to 23 unforced errors, and a single ace to 3 double faults.
Australian Open Williams entered the Australian Open as the heavy favorite to win the title and was the number 1 seed. She was coming off a 22 match winning streak that stretches from the 2013 US Open. In the first round she faced wildcard Ashleigh Barty. She broke Barty twice in the first set and served it out in the eighth game. In the second set, Williams broke Barty three times, including in the final game in the seventh game of the second to close it out in just under an hour. Williams didn't drop a point behind her first serve in the entire match and hit 31 winners and 17 unforced errors. In the following round, Williams faced Vesna Dolonc, In the first set, Williams broke twice and served it out in the seventh game. In the second, Williams broke twice again and saved the only break point she faced in the tournament to serve it out in the eight game. Williams hit 24 winners, 10 of which were aces. In the third round, Williams took on Daniela Hantuchová. In the first set, Williams had only one break point and converted, while saving all six break points she faced to win the set in the ninth game. In the second set, Williams broke early, however Hantuchová broke back in the sixth game. Williams then won the last three games to win the match. Williams dispatched another 10 aces in the match. This match meant she has won the most matches in the Australian Open with 61. Williams next opponent was the 14th seed Ana Ivanovic. The first set saw Williams break in the tenth game to take the set. However, in the second set, Ivanovic broke Williams twice including in the ninth game to take the set. In the final set, Ivanovic broke Williams to love in the second game and that was enough to close out the match in the ninth game. The loss to Ivanovic snaps a 25 match winning streak which was her second-longest winning streak of her career. It was also Williams' first loss to Ivanovic, having won their four previous meetings in straight sets and losing no more than four games in each set. It is revealed after the match the Williams had a back injury and almost withdrew prior to her third round match.
Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships Williams then received a wildcard in to the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, which saw her return to the tournament for the first since the 2009 edition of the championships. Williams being the top seed received a bye through the first round. In the second round she faced Ekaterina Makarova. Although the Russian served for the first set, Williams broke back to force a first set tiebreak. After saving two set points and winning the first set, Williams racked off six straight games to win the match and advance. In the quarterfinals she faced long-time rival Jelena Janković. Despite winning comfortably in straight sets, Williams exchanged words with Janković in the final service game of the match over how quickly the Serb was serving. In the final four, Williams faced Alizé Cornet. Williams kept the first set on serve until being broken in the eleventh game. Williams was unable to create a break point and lost the set in the following game. Following an immediate break at the start of the second set, Williams converted her sole break point of the match in the fourth game to level. However it wasn't enough as Cornet broke for a third time at 3–3 with a forehand passing shot winner. The French No. 1 held her nerve and served out the match to love to get her first win over a world No. 1.
Sony Open Tennis
Williams returned to the Sony Open Tennis as defending champion and as the top seed she received a bye through to the second round where she faced Yaroslava Shvedova. She took the first set in a tiebreak after having to break to stay in the set. The second set was won more comfortably. In the third round Williams had to overcome an in-form Caroline Garcia. After taking the opening set Garcia fought back and took the second set by the same score. Williams went up an early break in the final set, which despite being interrupted by rain, proved decisive as the world No. 1 did not face a single break point on her serve. Williams then took on fellow American Coco Vandeweghe in the fourth round. Vandeweghe met William's dominant serve with equally big serves of her own, but Williams stepped up her return game taking four of nine break point opportunities created. This win set up a fifth career meeting with fifth seeded Angelique Kerber in the quarterfinals. Williams took the match comprehensively in straight sets, losing only four games. The semifinals saw a rematch of the previous years final against the fourth seed Maria Sharapova. After falling behind 1–4 in the first set, Williams racked off five straight games to take the first set, finishing the set with 11 winners including 5 aces. Again Williams fell behind an early break at the start of the second set, but the world No. 1 broke back immediately to level. Williams earned the first of two service breaks to take the second set and the match. In the final Williams faced the new world No. 2 Li Na. Much like her semifinal match, Williams had a sluggish start to the opening set, struggling to get her first serve in play. She fell behind to China's No. 1 player, however, Williams regrouped and broke to stay in the first set on her third break opportunity. A quick hold to fifteen followed and Li Na was forced to serve for the set a second time. This time the Chinese player held a set point but Williams saved it with backhand winner down the line. She followed this up by hitting a huge forehand return winner creating another break point to stay in the set, which she eventually took. Williams broke again to come back and take the set. Li Na stopped the loss of six consecutive games by holding serve for 1–1 in the second set. Williams responded by winning the next five games, the match and her seventh Miami title, finishing with 29 winners to 29 unforced errors. This seventh tournament win in Miami put her ahead of Andre Agassi for most Miami titles won by any individual player, male or female.
Clay court season and French Open
Family Circle Cup
Williams began her clay season on the green clay courts of the Family Circle Cup. She entered the tournament as the two-time defending champion and top seed and received a bye past the first round. In the second round she faced world No. 78 Jana Čepelová. She lost the opening five games, losing her serve three times to the young Slovak, but the world No. 1 surged back to win four straight games and trail by a single break. Despite holding a break point on her opponent's serve to level the match, Čepelová served out the set on her third attempt. The two players exchanged breaks early in the second set, but it was ultimately the Slovak who gained the decisive break in the seventh game. Čepelová's win ended William's 28 match winning streak on clay, dating back to her win in the opening round of the 2013 edition of the same tournament.
Mutua Madrid Open
After her first loss on clay since 2012, Williams returned to Mutua Madrid Open in pursuit of her third consecutive title at the tournament. Her campaign got underway against former junior world No.1 Belinda Bencic in the first round. Williams overcame the Swiss qualifier, breaking her serve five times throughout the match, which included a run of 21 consecutive points for the world No. 1. In the second round Williams came up against the world No.1 doubles player Peng Shuai. In their first meeting since 2009, Williams was dominant from the beginning, hitting 28 winners including 11 aces, winning the match in straight sets. In the round of 16, Williams played local player Carla Suárez Navarro, whom in their last meeting failed to win a single game. The Spaniard, however, put up a much more respectable scoreline on her favorite surface, winning five games, including a break of the Williams serves in the opening game of the match. Ultimately, Williams came through the match untroubled with a straight sets victory. Williams was set to face world No.6 Petra Kvitová in the quarterfinals but the world No.1 withdrew before their match, citing a left thigh injury, which she had heavily strapped from the second round onwards.
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