MELBOURNE, Australia — Serena Williams always selects a special outfit to bring to Australia for a victory celebration. Every second year, she gets to wear it.
MELBOURNE, Australia — Serena Williams always selects a special outfit to bring to Australia for a victory celebration. Every second year, she gets to wear it.
Williams’ 6-0, 6-3 rout of Dinara Safina on Saturday earned her a 10th Grand Slam title, a fourth Australian title — coming each odd-numbered year since 2003 — and the No. 1-ranking.
“I actually forgot until the end when I was saying hi to my box. They’re like, ‘Hey, you’re No. 1.’ I was like, ‘Oh, yeah,’” she said.
Not that a number means everything.
“I always believe I’m the best, whether I’m No. 1 or 100,” she said. “Just having that extra bonus is pretty cool.”
Williams set aside a stylish black top to wear for the big occasion this time. In between the match, doping tests and media commitments, she changed into it. “I always bring an outfit for the championships,” she said.
“I always try to think positive, and I think it helps me be able to win.”
Williams was so dominant that Safina, a 22-year-old Russian playing in her second major final, didn’t feel worthy of being on the same court.
“It was first time for me to play not only for the Grand Slam but also for No. 1 spot,” said Safina, the 2008 French Open runner-up. “I never been through this situation, and she was already.
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