Serena Williams’ 2018: 3 major appearances, 2 Grand Slam finals and an infamous controversy

Serena Williams, the 23-time Grand Slam winner returned to the court after a 14-month maternity leave, but at times it appeared like she'd never missed a day.

That was Serena’s return to tennis in a nutshell, but her 2018 season was far more than that.

If Serena looks back on her 2018 season, she just might find it to be the most meaningful as she returned to the court this past March a wife, a mother and an American tennis star.

She donned a Marvel-worthy cat suit at the French Open and reached the final at the Wimbledon, but it was the impact she made off the court and during a final that set her apart.

The former world No1 had already revealed in an interview that she was bedridden for six weeks after the birth of her daughter Alexis Olympia last year following an emergency caesarean section.

“First my C-section wound popped open due to the intense coughing I endured as a result of the embolism. I returned to surgery, where the doctors found a large hematoma, a swelling of clotted blood, in my abdomen. And then I returned to the operating room for a procedure that prevents clots from travelling to my lungs,” Serena had revealed.

Aiming to return to No 1 spot, Williams took to the court at Roland Garros wearing her 'Black Panther' cat suit which she insisted also performed a key health role for a woman who had suffered life-threatening blood clots when giving birth last year.

However, weeks after the tournament ended, French Tennis Federation President Bernard Giudicelli created a uproar saying the cat suit would be banned as “one must respect the game and the place.”

Things turned sour with many supporting the former No 1 while some agreeing for a proper dress code for the professional tournament like French Open.

However, the major controversy that tainted Serena's image during the US Open final against Naomi Osaka in September when chair umpire Carlos Ramos handed Williams a rare coaching penalty in the second set.

Williams was given a game penalty for her outburst, which followed racquet smashing and another code violation as Osaka won 6-2 6-4 in New York. She believed the penalty could be interpreted as her being called a cheater and frustrated with that she raised her voice, "I'd rather lose than cheat."

The crowd largely reacted in defence of Williams but in the days after the match, many people who had once praised her began to question her behaviour.