Serena Williams Named Sports Illustrated's 2015 Sportsperson of the Year

Serena Williams' career is filled with so many accomplishments there are hardly any more firsts for her to achieve.

On Monday, that became even more true, as Sports Illustrated honored the tennis superstar with her first Sportsperson of the Year Award:

Williams, 34, turned in perhaps her best all-around season at an age when most tennis players have long since retired. She posted a 53-3 overall record, taking the year's first three major championships before falling short of a Grand Slam at the U.S. Open semifinals.

"I didn't want to necessarily put a fist through a wall—I felt more like, Ah, man, I was so close!" Williams told S.L. Price of Sports Illustrated. "I'll always think about what I could have done better. Could I have come up on the net? Been more consistent? It's not anger. It's analyzing: What can I do next time?"

While elbow and knee injuries ultimately ended her season early, Williams won five tournaments and established herself as the sport's most dominant force. She is the 10th woman overall and first solo female Sportsperson of the Year since Mary Decker in 1983, per Kayla Lombardo of Sports Illustrated.

In Price's piece, however, Williams admitted none of those championships were actually her favorite of the year. Her return to Indian Wells, which she played in after a 14-year boycott, ended up being the top choice.

Long having refused to enter the tournament after incurring alleged racism during a 2001 appearance, Williams said overcoming her fear of a return and having the crowd embrace her made for a special moment.

Williams told Price:

"

Everyone always asked, "What was your greatest moment in tennis?" and I always said it hasn't happened. But I think it has happened now, and that was going back to Indian Wells and playing. It released a lot of feelings that I didn't even know I had. I was really surprised at how emotional I got—and how relieved I felt after everything was said and done.

"

All told, it was a year of huge professional and personal accomplishments for Williams. She remains far and away the face of women's tennis, perhaps the biggest star in all of women's professional sports and the sports world in general.

David Waldstein of the New York Times properly contextualized her career:

She's gone from the brash young upstart to the polarizing superstar to the beloved veteran, with fans all around the world cherishing her every appearance.

What's even better is that she doesn't appear to be slowing down anytime soon.

Follow Tyler Conway (@jtylerconway) on Twitter.