Serena Williams was just two matches away from claiming her fourth major title in 2015–a feat so rare it’s only been accomplished six times in tennis history. However, the No. 43-ranked Italian Roberta Vinci bested Williams today 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the semifinals of the U.S. Open, knocking Williams out of her bid for the first Grand Slam since Steffi Graf in 1988.
It’s not as if Williams necessarily needed another feather in her already adorned cap: She holds 21 major titles, is the highest-earning female athlete of all time, and has snagged three Olympic gold medals. But it’s hard not to feel a bit of a sting knowing that we have to wait until next year for Williams to potentially claim another slice of history. In the meantime, we’re choosing to celebrate her career with some of her most dynamic moments on the court: