Donald Trump Congratulates Serena Williams on Her First Title Since Australian Open 2017

Published 01/12/2020, 5:38 PM EST

All the uncertainties of the tennis pundits regarding Serena Williams’ next title were dissolved when she lifted up the Auckland Open title on Sunday. As she was on a title-drought since January 2017 (which included her maternity hiatus), the critics were skeptical about Serena being once again triumphant on WTA Tour. However, with her mighty Wilson wand, she went on to prove those tennis experts wrong.

Felicitations from the US President

The victory in New Zealand earned her a tribute from United States President Donald Trump. “Congratulations to Serena Williams on another big win,” he tweeted. “She is a great player and an even greater person.”

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Congratulations to @serenawilliams on another big win. She is a great player and an even greater person. Our members in Virginia (Tennis) will never forget you! https://t.co/55ZhYVTpUU
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2020

Up next for Serena Williams

Serena’s next big challenge is clinching a Grand Slam title and equalling Margaret Court’s record of 24 majors. Since she beat her elder sister Venus Williams at Australian Open 2017 finals, Serena reached four Grand Slam finals and Rogers Cup 2019 finals.

Those runs have certainly been disappointing for her. Each time she falls short of two sets from securing the 24th major crown. Despite being fully prepared for the final battle, she returned home with an unfulfilled dream. In the Grand Slam finals, Williams is yet to pull off a set as a mother.

World Number nine Serena’s next stop is in Melbourne for Australian Open 2020. The 23-time Grand Slam champion has received the best ever warm-up for the upcoming major. Williams rallying past Jessica Pegula in straight sets has undeniably boosted her morale for the Australian major.

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“It’s pretty satisfying just to get a win in the final,” she stated after her Auckland Open win. “That was really important for me – and I just want to build on it. It’s just a step towards the next goal.”

Caroline Wozniacki Takes Credit For Serena Williams’ Singles Victory in Auckland

Serena’s kind gesture for the bushfire victims

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Right after her first-title victory as a mother, Williams announced her prize money’s donation to the Australian bushfire relief funds. Also, all the dresses worn across her nine matches in Auckland are also put on auction. She mentioned her kind act of offering in her winner’s speech during the trophy presentation.

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Mahalakshmi Murali joined EssentiallySports in 2018 as a tennis author and has gone on to pen more than 1800 engaging articles, probing into various aspects of the sport and its illustrious players. With her expertise on the sport, Mahalakshmi has interviewed stalwarts from the sport such as Serena WIlliams’ coach Patrick Mouratoglou and Kevin Anderson’s physio, Carlos Costa. Equipped with her vast experience and a keen understanding of the sport, Mahalakshmi now co-heads the tennis department.