Serena Williams Approaching Greatest of All Time Status After 2014 US Open Title

This isn't the first—or the second, or third—time anyone has mentioned Serena Williams in the same sentence as "best women's player ever," but it's never been more realistic after she lifted her 18th Grand Slam trophy at the 2014 U.S. Open.

Williams was untouchable from the moment that she arrived in Flushing Meadows, winning in straight sets from the first round through her championship drubbing of Caroline Wozniacki. For the third straight time and the sixth ever, she lifted the trophy to a jubilant Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd.

Entering 2014, it just looked like a matter of time until Williams won her 18th Grand Slam to tie her with all-time greats Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert. Having it come in the final Grand Slam of the year might be a surprise for the world No. 1, but that's only a testament to her dominance. 

Sunday's win also means she can tie another one of Evert's records in 2015, per ESPN's Numbers Never Lie:

The significance of Williams' title is two-fold. First and foremost, it was important for the 33-year-old to salvage a forgettable 2014 calendar year by getting back to the peak level that only she can reach.

But looking forward, all it does is re-ignite the conversation of her becoming the best female to play the sport.

Charles Krupa/Associated Press

All-time greats in major sports are defined by winning the big ones, and that's especially true in tennis—where Grand Slams more than outweigh everything else. 

In that regard, Williams is already near the forefront of the conversation. Her 18th title is tied for second in the Open era, four behind Steffi Graf. Margaret Court had 13 of her 24 titles come before the Open era began. 

It's hard to argue that Williams doesn't belong with the likes of Evert after reaching No. 18, but there's still a noticeable distance between her and Graf—who won at least four titles at each of the four Grand Slam events, seven at Wimbledon. 

Don't overlook Graf when analyzing Williams' status, as Randy Walker notes:

Matt Cronin of TennisReporters.net wondered aloud whether Williams has four more titles in her:

Of course, judging by Grand Slam titles alone can leave out some important outliers. The quality of competition is one, with the typical argument being that Williams has dominated this era despite the emergence of many world-class opponents.

Evert and Navratilova shared the spotlight during each of their heydays, while Williams has remained on top of the sport through the rises and falls of Jennifer Capriati, Justine Henin, Maria Sharapova and even sister Venus Williams.

Another variable worth noting is career longevity. While many of the greatest women's players faded over time, Williams is 33 and peaking, as told by New York Daily News' Filip Bondy:

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Of course the next question is, how many more can she get? Steffi Graf is out there with 22 majors, the most in the Open era. Serena will turn 33 later this month, the same age when Navratilova won her last Grand Slam championship, yet Williams appears nowhere near the end. This is not the Derek Jeter Farewell Tour. She isn’t batting .260; more like .380. Serena did not lose a single set here, and dropped no more than three games in any of those sets.

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Williams has a ways to go before seriously threatening Graf's title of "best ever," but if the past few seasons are any indication, she has a serious chance to.

She once looked on pace to shatter any record around her when she won her 13th Grand Slam at the 2010 Wimbledon. More than two years separated her next title, but she has won five of the last 10 Grand Slams.

Williams is only able to beat herself at this point in her career, and there are no signs to show that she's anywhere near slowing down. It might take more than four more Grand Slams to stand alone as the greatest of all time, but don't count against her getting there.