"Other planets have more sophisticated things, the least we can have is Hawk-Eye" - When Serena Williams spoke about receiving an apology from US Open

Serena Williams once spoke about receiving an apology from the US Open following her controversial quarterfinal match in 2004, which led to the adoption of Hawk-Eye technology in tennis.

Williams was defeated 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 by Jennifer Capriati that year at the last eight at Flushing Meadows in a contest marked by numerous incorrect line calls against Williams.

At a crucial point, chair umpire Mariana Alves overruled a line judge's accurate call, despite the incident occurring on the far side of the court from where she was positioned.

Years later, Williams disclosed that her controversial clash in the early 2000s led to the implementation of the Hawk-Eye system in tennis, which ultimately made officiating decisions easier and more accurate. The American received an apology from USTA as well.

When Serena Williams won the 2010 Wimbledon Championships by defeating Vera Zvonareva in straight sets in the final, she interestingly found herself playing under Mariana Alves again. When asked by reporters to comment on her 2004 controversy with Alves, the 23-time Grand Slam champion said:

"could that have been 14? That could have been 14 today. Man, yeah. Like, I don't know. I just feel like if it's yours, if it's your point, if it's your goal, it belongs to you. It doesn't belong to the other person."

"Now that it's 2010, about to be 2011, I guess on other planets they have way more sophisticated things, so. The least we can have is Hawk-Eye in sports, so," she added.

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Serena Williams won the US Open six times throughout her career

Serena Williams (M) poses with her last US Open title in 2014

Serena Williams amassed an impressive total of 23 Grand Slam titles throughout her career, securing her place as the second female player and the third player overall with the most Majors.

Williams won her home Slam — the US Open — six times. Her first victory came in 1999, marking her maiden Grand Slam title. She continued her success by winning the tournament in 2002, 2008 and consecutively from 2012 to 2014.

Interestingly, the American's last professional match took place in Flushing Meadows as well, in 2022. She reached the third round, only to be defeated by Australia's Ajla Tomljanovic in three sets.

The former World No. 1 also bagged the Australian Open and Wimbledon seven times each, with her least successful Grand Slam being the French Open, where she lifted the Suzanne-Lenglen Cup only three times.