Leave it to Serena Williams to have created this lasting impression from the Australian Open singles final: What she achieved in securing her record 23rd Grand Slam title with a tidy 6-4, 6-4 win over sister Venus may not be as significant as what may yet lie in store for women's tennis.
"I really wanted it, really bad. More than you can ever imagine," Serena said of her 23rd Grand Slam singles title during an ESPN television interview.
And now, it seems, the floodgates have opened -- again.
It's happened quite often in the extraordinary career of Serena. Whenever the waters seem to ebb, they flow again.
It's been a strange two years for Serena. In 2015, she closed to within one Grand Slam title of Graf's Open era record. In twin strokes of athletic genius and unfortunate timing, she found herself trying to equal Graf as well as complete the first calendar-year Grand Slam since Graf's in 1988.
Apply enough pressure to anyone, including Serena, and she will buckle.
Last year, she was persistently pressed on the title count. For fans and pundits, 22 was a magic number. For Serena, it was a radioactive isotope. Early in the year, she shut down any conversation in which the number popped up. After she won Wimbledon in July to equal Graf, her number-phobia only got worse. Showing signs of stress in an emotional performance, Serena lost her chance at No. 23 when she was upset in the US Open semifinals by Karolina Pliskova.
Serena admitted with a laugh Saturday in Melbourne that thinking about adding to her Slam total "hasn't worked well for me in the past."
That ebullient confession hinted at the relief Serena must feel. Once again, she arrived in Melbourne insisting that she had nothing to prove and felt no pressure. This time, she actually played like it. And that made all the difference in the world. The takeaway: Serena is emerging from a Herculean, two-year struggle with history -- and all the pressures and demands greatness can bring to bear.
"It's such a great feeling to have 23," Serena said, finally mouthing the number. "I've been chasing it for a really long time. It feels like a really long time. When it got on my radar, I knew I had an opportunity to get there, and I'm here. I'm here."
"Here," and not going anywhere anytime soon it appears. That will come as sobering news for the rest of the WTA contenders, at least when it comes to their Grand Slam hopes. Serena played only eight tournaments in 2016, none after her September loss to Pliskova in New York, and just one tune-up event before the Australian Open, in Brisbane. There she played an error-strewn match and lost in the second round to No. 72 Madison Brengle.
It was an ominous loss. But Serena's march to the title reconfirmed the theory that she doesn't need the same prep work as other players. She can step right in and summon up her A-game.
"I think, more than anything, you have to have the confidence to win these matches," Venus said in her news conference, pondering how Serena might have changed -- or not -- throughout the years. "At the end of the day, whether it's now or then, she has the confidence to do it."
So much for any notion that age, success, celebrity, pressure, riches, love, fatigue or even -- heaven forbid! -- sheer boredom with her own greatness has diminished the abilities of Serena. Or corrupted her desire to build her legacy.
That task now requires a balancing act. Serena, as her social media activities demonstrate, is enjoying life a lot more. She's also recently engaged. She's 35 years old, but apparently healthy again. She's at or very near her absolute peak, as this tournament performance confirmed. That she appears to have absolutely no need to play sub-Slam tournaments to stay sharp poses something of a dilemma.
"I was signed up for Indian Wells," Serena said, somewhat enigmatically. "I was feeling good about my game. I don't want it to stop. I want to keep it going. I haven't thought much about it. We'll see."
Serena makes life frustrating for the WTA and all those tournament promoters hoping to secure her participation. She's created a "Champion's Diet" of eight (or possibly fewer) tournaments a year and demonstrated that she can be formidable without all the additional tuning and seasoning.
It would be one thing if she merely loved the competition and brought her star power to the game periodically as she ages out. It's quite another that she loves to compete. She's clearly the best player in the game and is quite content to keep her participation at a level that most of her peers would consider disadvantageous.
Add all that to Serena's athletic prowess and clear tennis-specific skills, and it's possible that she'll continue to be a force in singles for any number of years. Bear in mind, the other Australian Open women's finalist was even older than Serena -- and also named Williams. The genes rest their case.
It may sound crazy, but with 23 out of the way, Serena's step is bound to be lighter and her arm will swing more freely. It's bound to be exhilarating. She may not have all the time in the world, but she certainly has enough to add significantly to her Grand Slam tally.
"It's never enough," she said.
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