Serena Williams once jokingly called herself a Russian while talking about the names of foreign players on the WTA Tour.

It was the 2009 Wimbledon Championships and the American started the tournament with a 6-1, 7-5 win over Neuza Silva.

Williams was asked, at her post-match press conference, about the new foreign names in tennis and how she kept a track of who’s who. She responded by jokingly saying she assumed everyone was from Russia, herself included.

Williams also spoke about the different “-ovas” and said that she didn’t know or recognize anyone.

“I just know the standard. everyone is from Russia. Sometimes I think I’m from Russia, too. I feel like, you know, okay, all these new -ovas. I don’t know anyone. I don’t really recognize anyone. You know, that’s just how it is,” Williams said.

“I think I am [from Russia], and I think my name must Williamsova,” she added.

The ‘-ovas’ competing alongside her at SW19 back then included Svetlana Kuznetsova, Vera Zvonareva, Maria Sharapova and Nadia Petrova.

Serena Williams went on to defeat Jarmila Groth, Roberta Vinci, Daniela Hantuchova, Victoria Azarenka and Elena Dementieva to reach the final. Here, she beat her sister Venus Williams 7-6(3), 6-2 to win her third title at Wimbledon.

Serena Williams was World No. 1 for 319 weeks

Serena Williams attained the World No. 1 ranking, like several all-time tennis greats, and held it for a total of 319 weeks. Only Steffi Graf has been at the top of the WTA rankings for longer than the American.

Williams became the World No. 1 for the very first time in 2002, dethroning her sister Venus Williams. She stayed at the top for 57 weeks before Kim Clijsters replaced her.

Serena Williams did not reach the top of the WTA rankings again before 2008. Her longest stay as World No. 1 was 186 weeks from February 18, 2013 to September 11, 2016, which is a record.

The American had a total of eight spells at the top of the rankings, the last of which lasted three weeks in 2017. She was the year-end World No. 1 in 2002, 2009, 2013, 2014 and 2015. Only Martina Navratilova has had more year-end finishes at the top than Williams.

The American was also the doubles World No. 1 along with her sister Venus for eight weeks, from June 7, 2010 to August 1, 2010. Williams won Grand Slams in both singles and doubles, with a total of 39 Major titles to her name.