Serena Williams records that may never be broken: Winning three majors from match point down

Each day until the US Open, we'll highlight one statistic from Serena Williams' unparalleled career that will in all likelihood never be broken.

Serena Williams might be about to say goodbye to professional tennis, but her legacy will last forever. And over the next seven days on TENNIS.com, we’ll be highlighting seven of the GOAT’s most incredible records that may never, ever be broken.

Starting with…

Winning three Grand Slam titles from match point down

Only one woman in the entire Open Era has come back from match point down to win a Grand Slam title more than once, and it’s Serena—and she’s actually done it three times.

The first time came at the 2003 Australian Open, when she fought off two match points down 5-2 in the third set of her semifinal against Kim Clijsters—eventually sneaking out a 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory—before going on to defeat Venus Williams for the title.

Two years later at the 2005 Australian Open, also in the semis, she saved three match points down 5-4 in the third set against Maria Sharapova to prevail, 2-6, 7-5, 8-6—the first of her 19 straight wins over the Russian—then beat Lindsay Davenport in the final.

She then repeated the feat again in 2009, this time at Wimbledon, saving a match point down 5-4 in the third set of her 6-7 (4), 7-5, 8-6 semifinal victory over Elena Dementieva.

After that great escape against Dementieva, Serena ended up beating Venus for the title, and she was then asked to reflect on having been down that match point.

“It makes me feel good, because the match is never over until you shake the opponent’s hand. It’s like you never give up and you always keep fighting,” she said.

“It’s just a good lesson for life. Not even just in sports, but in life as well.”

Serena is one of 12 women who have saved match point en route to winning a Grand Slam title in the Open Era—the other 11 women each achieved the feat one time.

• Martina Navratilova at 1986 US Open (saved 3mp vs Graf in SFs)
• Monica Seles at 1991 Australian Open (saved 1mp vs MJ.Fernandez in SFs)
• Jennifer Capriati at 2002 Australian Open (saved 4mp vs Hingis in F)
• Serena Williams at 2003 Australian Open (saved 2mp vs Clijsters in SFs)
• Anastasia Myskina at 2004 Roland Garros (saved 1mp vs Kuznetsova in 4th Rd)
• Serena Williams at 2005 Australian Open (saved 3mp vs Sharapova in SFs)
• Justine Henin at 2005 Roland Garros (saved 2mp vs Kuznetsova in 4th Rd)
• Venus Williams at 2005 Wimbledon (saved 1mp vs Davenport in F)
• Serena Williams at 2009 Wimbledon (saved 1mp vs Dementieva in SFs)
• Li Na at 2014 Australian Open (saved 1mp vs Safarova in 3rd Rd)
• Angelique Kerber at 2016 Australian Open (saved 1mp vs Doi in 1st Rd)
• Caroline Wozniacki at 2018 Australian Open (saved 2mp vs Fett in 2nd Rd)
• Naomi Osaka at 2021 Australian Open (saved 2mp vs Muguruza in 4th Rd)
• Barbora Krejcikova at 2021 Roland Garros (saved 1mp vs Sakkari in SFs)