Wimbledon 2015: How good is Serena Williams?

Serena Williams defeated Maria Sharapova, 6-2, 6-4, in Thursday's ladies semifinals. How does the tennis icon stack up with other all-star players? 

Serena Williams is at it again. After beating Victoria Azarenka to advance to the semifinals, Ms. Williams crushed Maria Sharapova in straight sets, 6-2 in the first and 6-4 in the second, on Thursday afternoon. This was Williams’ 17th consecutive victory over Ms. Sharapova, USA TODAY reported.

The tennis icon looks to win her fourth consecutive Grand Slam – also known by fans as a “Serena Slam.” If Williams wins the Wimbledon finals Saturday, she’ll have secured a second such slam. Her first one was between 2002 and 2003 when she won the French Open, Wimbledon, the US Open, and then went on to take the Australian Open crown in early 2003, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Forbes says Williams is “arguably the most dominant player in the history of…tennis.”  And while no one can argue that her 20 Grand Slam titles ensure her a revered spot in tennis history, Williams is part of a larger legacy.

Roger Federer, a Swiss player currently ranked No. 2 on the men's side, holds the record for most Grand Slam titles won by a male player, with 17 titles and holds the highest number of games won in Grand Slam tournaments at 290.  

Williams and Mr. Federer have often been compared by the media. Bleacher Report said they’re in the “’Grand Slams or bust’ phase” of their careers and other outlets have called them “the tennis twins.” But Williams has three more Grand Slam titles than Federer and is a seeded No. 1 player to his No. 2 status.

Federer is also playing in the 2015 Wimbledon tournament and is set to play Andy Murray, currently ranked No. 3, in the semifinals on Friday.

Pete Sampras, another tennis great, won 14 Grand Slam titles between 1990 and 2002, the most of the Open era until Mr. Federer surpassed him in 2009. The American player was also ranked No. 1 for 286 weeks in a row, second only to Federer again, who broke the record in 2012 as the Telegraph reported.

Petra Kvitova, current ladies No. 2, suffered an unexpected loss in the third round of Wimbledon. Although seeded only one spot below Williams, Ms. Kviotva has over 4,000 fewer points than her, according to the statistics posted online.

Steffi Graf is a German former No. 1 tennis player and Williams' biggest competition, even if she's no longer playing professionally. She won 22 Grand Slam titles in her career (a record for the Open era) and was the last player to win a calendar Grand Slam – The US, Australian, and French Opens, along with Wimbledon in a single calendar year – back in 1988. Williams is just two titles shy of Ms. Graf’s 22 and if she wins the US Open she’ll secure the calendar Grand Slam crown.  

Williams will play Wimbledon rookie Garbiñe Muguruza of Spain, currently ranked at No. 20, in the women’s final Saturday.