oldest female grand slam winner Oldest grand slam winners in tennis: How Serena Williams can make history with 2022 US Open title run

Few expected that Serena Williams would keep her streak of undefeated first- and second-round appearances going at the 2022 US Open. However, she has done it and is now set up for a potential title run.

Williams knocked off Danka Kovinic in straight sets to open the tournament before pulling off an enormous upset in Round 2. She beat the No. 2-ranked player in the world, Anett Kontaveit, in three hard-fought sets to keep her chances of winning a record seventh US Open title alive.

Williams’ run could prove to be a historic one. With a another title in New York, she would not only tie Margaret Court for the most grand slam wins ever, but she would also become the oldest player to ever win a major.

And it wouldn’t be particularly close.

Williams already owns the record for the oldest woman to win a slam, but with one, last, magical, swan song run, she could topple the oldest to win a major record; that milestone has stood untouched in tennis lore for 50 years.

But if Williams can break it, it could remain untouched longer than that.

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How old is Serena Williams?

Serena Williams is 40 years old, and is the only 40-year-old playing in the 2022 US Open. More specifically, Williams was 40 years, 11 months and 3 days old at the time of her match of the tournament against Danka Kovinic.

Williams will be 40 years, 11 months and 15 days old on the day that the women’s US Open final is played in 2022. The final will be played on Sept. 10, just 16 days ahead of Williams’ 41st birthday.

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Oldest tennis players to win a grand slam

If Williams can put together a magical run during her swan song event, she will become the oldest grand slam winner in tennis history. And it wouldn’t be particularly close.

Ken Rosewall is currently the oldest grand slam winner in tennis history, and his record has stood for 50 years. The Aussie star won the Australian Open in 1972 when he was 37 years, 1 month and 24 days old.

Williams is actually already the oldest woman to win a grand slam event during the Open Era (since 1968). She achieved that feat in 2017 when she beat her older sister Venus 6-4, 6-4 to win the Australian Open. Had Venus won that final, she would have been the oldest woman to win a grand slam event.

Below is a list of the 10 oldest grand slam winners of the Open Era. Williams stands as the only female among the top 10:

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Serena Williams age: How old tennis legend was during each grand slam win

Williams has won 23 grand slam titles during her storied career. Her first came in 1999 when she was just 17 years, 11 months and 16 days old. Most recently, she won at the 2017 Australian Open at the age of 35.

Below is a full breakdown of her title wins and her age at the time of those victories: