Over the past two years, Serena Williams has played only 15 official tour events, with eight of them coming in 2019.

When you reach two Grand Slam finals and post victories against players like Simona Halep, Naomi Osaka and Elina Svitolina, though, a No. 10 finish in the WTA rankings isn’t outside the realm of possibility.

And to think, if not for a loss or two, she could’ve ended the season even higher in the standings.

Williams started her year off at the Hopman Cup in preparation for the Australian Open, and made a little history while she was there as she faced fellow all-time great Roger Federer on-court for the first time in a mixed doubles match.

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The American’s run of good form carried over to Melbourne, where she upset world No. 1 Halep on her way to the quarterfinals. A semifinal berth was within her reach, but a late-match ankle injury against Karolina Pliskova led to her eventual loss in a contest she was on the verge of winning.

Health woes played a major role in shaping Williams’ 2019 campaign. She was unable to complete her next three tournaments and was then upset in the third round of the French Open by Sofia Kenin. However, she rebounded from that loss to reach the final in her next tournament, Wimbledon.

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Williams’ hopes of winning the title were quickly dashed in the championship match by Halep. The 23-time Grand Slam champion only played one warm-up event before the US Open, in Canada, where she beat Naomi Osaka for the first time in her run to the final. She had to retire from the championship match to Bianca Andreescu due to health woes, but proved she was ready for New York. There, Williams only dropped one set in her first six matches as she advanced to the final for the second consecutive year.

She faced Andreescu again, and this time, the young Canadian was able to complete the upset as she defeated the six-time champion in straight sets. Williams’ results on the year placed her in prime position to qualify for the WTA Finals in China, but she ended up stopping her season after New York.

Recent evidence has shown that Williams is ready to tackle 2020 head-on, but if she doesn’t complete a full season as planned, she’s proven she knows how to make the most of her time on the court.

Follow Van on Twitter: @Van_Sias