Serena Williams was a tough nut to crack on clay, with a 79.3% win record on the surface. The Italian Open was one event on the WTA Tour that Williams was able to dominate in her illustrious career. Lifting the trophy in Rome on 4 occasions, the former World No.1 managed to rack up $1.15 million in prize money.
Serena first made her way to the finals in 2002. The 20-year-old wasn’t the favorite to win, but she capped off her picture-perfect tournament with a 7-6, 6-4 victory against Justine Henin to take home $190,000.
Unfortunately, there was a long wait of 11 years before Williams could find her way into the second finals in Rome. The American legend beat Victoria Azarenka 6-1, 6-3 to win the Italian Open 2013 title.
In 2014, Serena Williams was able to defend her title, defeating Sara Errani 6-3, 6-0 in the final. These two dominant victories allowed Serena to add another $871,369 to her kitty.
Williams made her final trip to the championship match in 2016. On that occasion, she faced compatriot Madison Keys and clinched a straight-sets victory – 7-6, 6-3. She was able to add $489,006 to her career earnings by lifting the WTA Masters 1000 trophy for the fourth time (Figures from Perfect Tennis).
Serena Williams had her fair share of moments at the Italian Open and she could have created history in 2019 alongside sister Venus Williams. Needless to say, it became the talk of the town.
Serena Williams Was to Play Venus Williams on Clay After 17 Years at the Italian Open 2019
Serena Williams’ Italian Open 2019 campaign was a forgettable one. But after her opening-round win against Rebecca Peterson, Serena was scheduled to go up against Venus Williams in the second round. Going to play against her elder sister on the clay court surface for the first time in 17 years, tennis enthusiasts and pundits were excited to witness the two face off against each other.
“That’s crazy,” Serena said, per USA Today. “I vaguely remember that, so I don’t really remember… We play each other a lot. Seems like every tournament nowadays we meet early. It is what it is.”
Unfortunately, Serena withdrew from the tournament due to a knee injury. As for Venus, she went on to lose her third-round clash 2-6, 4-6 against Johanna Konta.
