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Serena Williams is in the twilight of her career. By announcing her imminent retirement after the 2022 US Open, the 23-time Major champion sent ripples of emotion across the tennis fraternity.
A winner of 73 singles titles, Williams has had a win rate of nearly 85% in her career. She has won 27 of her singles titles in the United States, making her a dominant force in the States. At the US Open alone, Williams has won six singles titles, two doubles titles and a mixed doubles title.
A winner of 23 WTA 1000 events, Williams has also seen herself on the receiving end on a handful of occasions. Let's take a look at the instances when she lost a set 6-0 in an event played in the United States:
1997 Indian Wells
Serena Williams was still a novice on tour in 1997. It wasn't for two more years before she won her maiden tour-level title. After turning pro in 1995, she made the qualifying draw at Indian Wells in 1997.
In the first round, she faced World No. 87 Alexia Dechaume-Balleret for the first and only time in her career. Balleret defeated Williams 6-4, 6-0 to hand Williams her first bagel set loss in an American tour-level event.
Balleret never won a singles title in her career and was ranked as high as No.46. Williams, on the other hand, would go on to win the Indian Wells title twice in her career.
2007 Miami
Williams entered the 2007 Miami Open on the back of her Australian Open triumph. As the 13th seed, she defeated top seed Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-1 in the fourth round to set up a final clash against second seed Justine Henin.
The Belgian took the opening set 6-0. What looked like a lopsided affair up until 6-0, 5-4 (40-15) in Henin's favor soon took an astounding turn. Williams saved two championship points before winning the match 0-6, 7-5, 6-3 to clinch her fourth Miami title.
Lasting 2 hours and 26 minutes, it was the longest match contested between the two players.
“I just feel like when I get down, a part of me plays better. And I think all champions have that. When I play well, there aren’t many players who can beat me," Williams said after the match.
2018 San Jose
After a runner-up finish at the 2018 Wimbledon Championships, Williams entered the 2018 San Jose championships in her preparations for the US Open. The American was then a three-time former champion in San Jose.
She was the sixth seed in the 2018 edition and drew Johanna Konta in the first round, against whom Williams suffered the worst defeat of her career. Konta won the match 6-1, 6-0 in under an hour.
Williams hit seven double faults and could win only 53% of her first serve points. Konta converted six of the eight break point opportunities she created and went on to win twelve games in a row. The Brit eventually lost in the quarterfinals.
" I know I can play a zillion times better, but I have so many things on my mind, I don't have time to be shocked about a loss that clearly wasn't when I was at my best. I can only try to be there and fight, which is what I was doing out there. I moved a lot better, too, so I'll take the positives where I can," Williams said after the match.
2022 Cincinnati
In what is supposedly her farewell year on tour, Williams entered the 2022 Cincinnati Open with a protected ranking and drew defending US Open champion Emma Raducanu in the opening round.
The tenth seed Brit defeated the two-time Cincinnati champion 6-4, 6-0 in a little over an hour. Williams won only 17% of her points on the second serve and won no more than 10 points on the return.
Raducanu was able to create nine break point opportunities, of which she converted five. This was the fourth and final instance where Williams was handed a bagel set in an American hard court event.
“It feels pretty amazing, to be honest. I can’t believe I just played Serena Williams. I was just really trying to make the most out of every single point out there and give myself the best memories of when I played Serena once," Raducanu said after the match.
Serena Williams will now play at the 2022 US Open before calling time on an illustrious career.
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