Serena Williams (WTA 10) turned 38 on September 26, 2019. According to her colleague Naomi Osaka (WTA 3), the 23-time Grand Slam winner, who suspended due to her pregnancy almost three years ago due to her pregnancy and therefore fell far in the ranking, is far from being an old iron. The reigning Australian Open title holder Osaka also has Williams on the slip for 2020. "It's stupid to write Serena off," Osaka said in an interview with the Sydney Daily Telegraph. "She was the finalist at Wimbledon and the US Open and stayed in the top 10 even though she played the least tournaments. I think people are a little tough on her. She's not one to write off."

Osaka, who once won the 2018 US Open against Williams after a violent referee dispute by the American, also wanted to highlight her colleague's influence on other players in the interview. "I wouldn't have played tennis if it weren't for Serena and her sister Venus, whom I watched with my sister playing tennis in my youth. Serena is definitely someone I look up to," said the 22-year-old Japanese. "There are many excellent players and I think women's tennis is very strong right now."

2019 with three finals

In 2019, the long-standing world number one temporarily fought its way up to eighth. Williams hasn't won a tournament this season. But the right-hander reached both the Wimbledon final, which she lost to Simona Halep, and the US Open final, in which Williams lost to Bianca Andreescu. In addition, the 72-time WTA tournament winner has another final participation in the WTA Premier 5 tournament in Toronto and will finish the year in tenth place.