That package of skills, both innate and acquired, has created a genuine champion, and what should be genuinely scary to the opposition is that she can still improve her serve, transition game and volleys by big margins.
Down on the U.S. Open court below, Frances Tiafoe was pleased to see he had a new fan.
Defeat has always been hard to swallow for the fiercely competitive Williams and no doubt the 7-5 6-7 (4) 6-1 loss to the 46th ranked Australian stung her to her core.
The annual tennis tournament, which began on August 29, has had its fair share of history-making moments since it began. Here are 8 of the most spectacular ones