In Comebacks, Serena Williams Showed ‘You Can Never Underestimate Her’

Serena Williams during her comeback win at the 2012 US Open.Credit...Chang W. Lee/The New York TimesDuring the 2012 U.S. Open final, Serena Williams was so close to losing that the idea of a comeback seemed out of the question.

Her opponent, Victoria Azarenka, had gone up 5-3 in the final set, giving her numerous ways to put Williams away.

“I was preparing my runners-up speech,” Williams said.

Instead, she delivered what became a signature comeback of her career, breaking Azarenka’s serve twice and winning the championship without losing another game.

The significance of that victory went beyond the title itself, as it turned around a year in which she had lost in the first round of the French…