Serena Williams is in tears after Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska clashed with her at the Australian Open The Ukrainian player was full of praise.
The year was 2019, and Williams was the No. 16 seed. She easily defeated Tatjana Maria and Eugenie Bouchard to earn a spot in the third round of the competition. Here, her opponent was 18-year-old Dayana Yastremska, who had defeated Sam Stosur and then-No. Seed Carla Suarez Navarro.
Serena Williams defeated the Ukrainian player comprehensively 6-2, 6-1 to advance to the fourth round of the Australian Open. Yastremska burst into tears after the game, and the American hugged her at the net and said:
“Don’t cry. You did a great job. Don’t cry.”
The then 37-year-old said in her post-match press conference that Yastremska’s frustration showed she was playing to win, not just to have a good game. Williams called the Ukrainian a great talent and praised her attitude.
“When she walked to the net, I could tell she was frustrated. I kind of liked that. It showed that she wasn’t just out to play a good game, she was out to win. She wanted to win. That really hurt. My heart. I think she’s a great talent. It’s great to see that attitude,” the American said.
Serena Williams then reached the quarter-finals of the 2019 Australian Open but was defeated by Karolina Pliskova.
As for Yastremska, she made history at the 2024 Australian Open, becoming the first qualifier since 1978 to reach the semifinals of the tournament.
Serena Williams wins 92nd singles match at Australian Open
Serena Williams is one of the greatest competitors in Australian Open history with 92 wins in 105 matches. She won the women’s singles title seven times at the event, more than any woman in the Open era. In the history of the Melbourne Major, only Margaret Court has more titles than the American’s 11.
Williams’ first victory in competition came in 2003, when she defeated her sister Venus Williams in the final 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-4 (Venus Williams). Her second title came in 2005, when she defeated Lindsay Davenport in three sets (2-6, 6-3, 6-0).
Serena Williams’ 2007 and 2009 Melbourne Championship victories came via comprehensive wins over Maria Sharapova (6-1, 6-2) and Dinara Safina (6- 0, 6-3) obtained. In 2010, she successfully defended her title by defeating Justine Henin 6-4, 3-6, 6-2.
Five years later, in 2015, the American defeated Maria Sharapova in the final to win her sixth title. Her last match victory at the Australian Open came when she defeated her sister Venus Williams in the title match while pregnant.