Serena Williams is not just the player of the day, week, year, or even decade, she's the player of the century. She has captivated audiences since the 1990s, and the rest, of course, is history.

At 38, Serena is mom to 3-year-old Olympia and is still going deep at the majors. Although she hasn't captured a Grand Slam title since the 2017 Australian Open, she's come awfully close. She's appeared in four major finals over the past three years, and is on the brink of reaching a fifth.

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"I think when you're a mom, you overcome so much just to become that and to be that," Serena told press. "And then I feel like age is really how you feel mentally and how your body is doing and how you physically are able to keep up."

On Wednesday, Serena didn't play her best and struggled to find consistency on her backhand, but dug in to fight past fellow mother Tsevtana Pironkova 4-6, 6-3, 6-2. Since 2011, Serena has reached the semifinals or better at the US Open on nine occasions.

"I just feel like I'm OK," she said of her longmatches. "I'm ready to play three sets every match if I have to. It doesn't matter. A win is a win."

Fast Facts

'95

The year Serena turned pro at the age of 14 years old

20

Her aces hit in Wednesday's US Open quarterfinal

73

Her total WTA titles

Serena now awaits the winner between two-time major champion Victoria Azarenka and Elise Mertens.