It had been long enough since she was on top of the women’s tour. Five years later, here was Serena Williams fitter than ever playing the kind of winning tennis which saw her dominate once. She had lost to older sister Venus in a closely fought two set Wimbledon final 7-5, 6-4. On that day, big sis was better on the bigger points which was why she repeated as champion taking home her fifth Wimbledon crown.

Despite disappointment, the younger sister who had one more major to her resume went back to work heading for Beijing with Venus to take home Olympic gold. Neither had success in singles with Serena losing in the quarterfinals to eventual Russian gold medalist Elena Dementieva and Venus falling during the same round to China’s Li Na. They might not have won in singles but the dynamic sister tandem still teamed up to win gold in Olympic doubles. A tremendous accomplishment doing it for their country which boasts little else in terms of serious tennis contenders who win when it counts.

All year, Serena had taken it more seriously determined to get her ranking back where it belonged feeling she could still be world’s best. The 26 year-old American entered the Australian Open as the seventh seed looking to defend her title but the path proved too difficult losing in straights to Jelena Jankovic 6-3, 6-4 in the quarters. This was nothing new for Williams who never fares well down under in even years with all three of her championships coming in odd years exactly two years apart (2003, 2005, 2007).

The defeat dropped her ranking to 11. Following a month off, a more focused Serena cameback strong winning three straight tournaments including down in Miami where as an eighth seed she beat four seeds along the way including a 6-2, 6-0 trouncing of then No.1 Justine Henin sending her to retirement before outlasting Svetlana Kuznetsova and Jankovic each in three both by 6-3 counts to win near home.

She won again in Charleston beating Maria Sharapova and Vera Zvonareva each in three sets on clay to boost her ranking to No.6. However, she went out in the third round of the French Open to Katarina Srebotnik who she’d beaten six weeks earlier.

After skipping the Wimbledon tuneup, she went through her draw eliminating three seeds without dropping a set until Venus got her in that final. Then one more tournament retiring (knee) in the semis to Aleksandra Wozniak at Stamford before Beijing the next month.

Maybe the time off did her some good cause rather than playing every event traveling back and forth, it gave herself time to recuperate and mentally prepare for the final grand slam of the season. The U.S. Open. She once owned New York winning her very first slam at 17 beating Martina Hingis. Three years later, she took her second Open title winning the final three majors after missing Australia. At the beginning of 2003, she won down under completing what became known as the Serena Slam by winning four straight slams and five of six when she repeated at Wimbledon.

Before 22, she won six majors and seemed on her way to dominating the WTA Tour winning many more. But instead, Serena grew content. Who else was there to beat? She’d proven herself. That along with injuries kept her out of the U.S. Open and Australian. She still reached the 2004 Wimbledon final and was considered the heavy favorite to beat a then 17 year-old Sharapova for No.3 in a row. However, it was the younger Russian who proved hungrier moving Williams from side to side doing to her what she’d done to so many slugging winners from every conceivable angle to win her first grand slam title.

What was a great moment for tennis with the changing of the guard to even more big babe tennis was a crushing blow for the American champion. Amazingly, she won only two majors both in Australia over a four year period spanning the end of 2003 through 2007 where after a third win, the best she could do was the quarters in the final three slams.

The hard truth was that she wasn’t in the kind of shape needed to compete and once again rule the sport. That had always been a harsh criticism coming from tennis analysts like Mary Carillo, Tracy Austin and Mary Joe Fernandez. Had she been more motivated, she could’ve won a lot more.

While that proved to be good for the women’s game allowing talented players such as Henin, Sharapova, Kim Clijsters and even Amelie Mauresmo all to win slams taking turns at No.1, it was disappointing to say the least here in America. Here we had the most talented player who in the right frame of mind can beat anyone. Maybe we should thank older sis for getting her career untracked. Venus went through a drought of her own going nearly four years before finally winning Wimbledon in 2005. Part of that was she couldn’t beat her sister finishing runner-up a few instances.

Soon, the discussion was that she was done and would never add to the four majors she took sweeping Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in 2000-01. Instead, she became the bridesmaid for Serena making us feel sorry for her. But after a miserable 2004 which saw her ranking slip to double digits, Venus continued to struggle bowing out early in both the first two slams headed into that Wimbledon. Her ranking had plummeted to 16 and she entered seeded 14th.

Then came that run which saw her fit and playing her best beating the likes of Daniela Hantuchova, Mary Pierce and even defending champion Sharapova all in straights exacting revenge for Serena. She still had to beat American Lindsay Davenport who’d been playing some of her best tennis losing a classic Australian final to little sis in which she saved championship points before winning in three. This time, it was Venus’ turn to break poor Linday’s heart digging deep by hitting winners on championship points before pulling out an epic 4-6, 7-6 (4), 9-7 to finally get that third Wimbledon. Since then, she’s added a couple of more and consistently gotten her ranking to seven or eight.

Perhaps Serena saw Venus rededicating herself and even getting the better of her during crucial matches and realized she wanted to join the sister slam party again. Besides, she’s always had much pride and hated losing. That was never been an issue. This was about desire to get back and be the best.

That might explain the increased schedule and improved record (43-6). The comeback started when Serena won in Australia after entering unseeded ranked a preposterous 81 due to only playing 16 matches in 2006. So, what did she do? Beat almost exclusively all seeds including Nadia Petrova, Jankovic, Shahar Peer who had her on the ropes, Nicole Vaidisova and then followed it up by whipping Sharapova 1 and 2. As impressive a performance against one of the best players who’d gotten the better of her at Wimbledon.

By the end of 2007, her ranking was up to No.5 where it belonged finishing the year 35-10. Fast forward to present and it comes as little surprise that she’s back on top after impressively rising up in an ultra competitive quarter with Venus fighting off 10 set points including eight in the second set to win 7-6 (6), 7-6 (7). Easily the best women’s match of the season because the quality was very high with each hitting the ball so well pushing the other to come up with great gets and bigger shots. It was Serena’s all out gritty hustle and defense which got her through to which afterward she didn’t even know how she’d won.

This was the kinda hustle we hadn’t seen from her in a few years and what won her so many matches as the best player before. As broadcasters noted, if this were a couple of years prior, some of the extended points she played would’ve left her winded taking the wind out of her sails. But not this time. This new and improved Serena wanted badly to win another slam and be on top once more.

Number nine would come eventually. First, she easily dispatched rising Russian Dinara Safina 6-3, 6-2 to make the final against Jankovic with the No.1 ranking up for grabs. What better way to decide the final slam of the year. With the top spot hanging in the balance.

It didn’t come so easy for Williams as the Serb who was in her first slam final fought hard leading to exciting rallies with each having to invent angles for winners. After she’d won the first set by breaking for 6-4. Serena found herself in a 3-5 hole with a final set looming. Jankovic took the first three points on her serve setting up three set points. But like she’d done many times when she’s truly at her peak, the resilient California native fought each off and eventually held for 4-5 staying in the set.

She later said that when she was down, she really wanted to win then even telling herself two holds and two breaks and the championship’s hers. For some reason, I don’t doubt that for a second.

Jankovic served for it and had one more set point but couldn’t capitalize double faulting it away. The relentless pressure from Serena allowed her to break and get back on serve 5-5. She then held and here was her opponent trying desperately to get into a breaker. She didn’t choke. Instead, Williams just came up with better shots finally reaching a second championship point. During it, the two had another riveting back and forth rally pushing each other to the limit. Then, with ever the slightest opening, Serena ripped a backhand crosscourt out of Jankovic’s reach for the match clinching winner.

She then leaped higher than she ever had screaming at the top of her lungs like a little kid. The joy was all over her face. This was the moment she’d wanted so badly and finally had again.

“I’m so excited, I can’t even describe it,” she later admitted.

“Usually after a Grand Slam, I feel like I still have another match to play, but I don’t really feel that way today. I feel like it’s done, and it’s all over, and I’m so excited. I just ‑‑ I think it showed on the court.”

The hard work had paid off allowing her to become only the sixth woman in the Open Era to win at least nine slams joining an exclusive list which includes Margaret Court, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf and Monica Seles.

“This is cool, because I’m at No.9. I’m knocking at the door of double digits,” Williams noted also making history by becoming No.1 for the first time in five years and one month- the longest such gap between stints by either a male or female. “I have the game to do it. I obviously play well in Australia, and that’s coming up soon, so maybe there. I have to win another French Open and I love Wimbledon. I love winning Grand Slams, so I look forward to it.”

The best aspect for a sport which has seen stars burnout is that it looks like she plans to stick around a while.

“I feel like I’m going to be No. 1 again, win lots of Grand Slams. It doesn’t stop here,” Williams also pointed out. “Like I said before, I feel like I have a new career, like I feel so young, and I feel so energized to play every week and to play every tournament. I feel like there’s just so much that I can do in my career yet, and I’ve never felt like I’ve played my best tennis.”

Far from the case in what was her best year in quite some time.

“I’ve been working so hard all year. Sometimes I wake up at 6am to go and practice and it’s too dark, and I wait until it gets light. No one really, really knows the work an athlete puts in. But it’s all worth it. It’s all paying off. I’d feel like gosh, I’ve been working the hardest, so I should win.”