Serena Williams has revealed that she feels "honoured" to have secured her 19th Grand Slam title against Maria Sharapova in the Australian Open final.
The world number one's 6-3 7-6(5) triumph secured her sixth crown in Melbourne, as well as surpassing Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert in the all-time major list. After defeating the Russian, the American revealed that she was struggling to take in her achievements during her career.
The 33-year-old said: "Growing up, I wasn't the richest but I had a rich family with spirit and support. Standing here with 19 championships is something that I never thought would happen.
"I started off going onto court with a ball and a racquet and a hope, that's all I had. I hope it's inspiring for people who want to be the best that they can be. You never give up, you never know what can happen and never know who you could inspire.
"I'm so honoured to be here tonight and to hold this trophy, and to do it on one of my favourite stadiums and in front of fans who continually give me support when I come to this tournament."
Williams's victory over Sharapova was her 16th consecutive triumph over the world number two, a run that stretches back to 2004.
Darren Plant
