In Serena Williams' lengthy essay announcing her impending retirement, she addressed the inescapable record - Margaret Court's 24 Grand Slam singles titles.
Williams won her 23rd title at the Australian Open in 2017. In the five years since, the subject of Court's record has followed her everywhere. The American has been asked about it in almost every news conference. Pundits discussing her legacy have dissected the subject at length.
"There are people who say I'm not the GOAT [Greatest of All Time] because I didn't pass Court's record, which she achieved before the 'Open era' that began in 1968,'" Williams wrote.