1997 - At the end of the year, No.304 Williams defeated Mary Pierce and Monica Seles to reach the semifinals in Chicago, becoming the lowest-ranked player in the Open Era to knock off two Top 10 opponents in one tournament.
1998 - Williams made her charge to the top of the game and finished the year in the Top 20 -- the fastest to that milestone in history. She also recorded five wins vs. Top 10 players.
1999 - Williams won her first WTA singles title, defeating Amelie Mauresmo to win the Paris Indoors, then followed up by winning her first WTA 1000 event at Indian Wells, where she defeated Stefanie Graf in the final.
![[3] Coco Gauff d. [7] Zheng Qinwen 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(2), WTA Finals Riyadh F (3:04). Gauff clinched her first WTA Finals title by winning the second-longest final of the year. It was also the longest final at the WTA Finals dating back to 2008.](https://photoresources.wtatennis.com/photo-resources/2024/11/09/4a2a1712-283c-4996-a572-6682f3eeca0c/GettyImages-2183155727.jpg?width=451&height=268)
