South Florida resident Serena Williams won her first French Open Saturday, defeating Maria Sarapova 6-4. It is her 16th Grand Slam title, putting Williams two wins away from catching up with Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert’s matching 18 Grand Slam titles. While Sarapova put up a good fight, it was the 13th consecutive time Williams beat her since 2004. The win marks a complete comeback for Williams who had a shocking loss at last year’s French open against a player ranked 111th. The win was a moment so full of emotion that Williams found it difficult to talk from the Open’s famous red clay courts. “Today when I won, I was trying to win the French Open — wasn’t trying to get to No. 16. It’s really special.”
In a later interview Williams explained that she’s happy to be in Paris, keeps an apartment there and lives there as much as possible. “I think I am a Parisian,” she says with a smile before praising her opponent in flawless Francais.
