The 2014 Serena Williams tennis season officially began on 30 December with the start of the 2014 WTA Tour, and follows on from an 18-match winning streak which began at the end of the 2013 Season. Williams finished the year at no. 1, and held the ranking for the entire year, which had not been done since Steffi Graf in 1996. It is also fourth time that Williams ended as the number 1 player in the year. Based on her performance in 2014, she was named 'World Champion' for the fifth time and the third time in a row.