Serena Williams Comes Out on Top at U.S. Open

All these years later, Serena Williams is back as the U.S. Open champion, and she's back at No. 1, too.

Displaying the talent and tenacity that helped her dominate tennis earlier in the decade, Williams outlasted second-seeded Jelena Jankovic of Serbia 6-4, 7-5 tonight for her third U.S. Open championship and ninth Grand Slam title overall.

It was Williams' first triumph at Flushing Meadows since 2002, and it guaranteed that the American will lead the rankings tomorrow for the first time since August 2003 — the longest gap between stints at No. 1 for a woman.