She is the last player to ever beat Serena and Venus Williams in the same event and still plays today

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During the peak of their powers, it took everything most players had to beat one of Serena or Venus Williams.

However, beating both of them in the same tournament was almost unheard of.

Especially given the level at which they were both operating, with Serena and Venus meeting in the final of nine Grand Slams. The younger of the two won seven of those nine elite-level clashes.

It was a generational rivalry the likes of which will likely never be seen again; however, there were plenty of other top contenders who competed during this era.

Only a select few managed to beat both of the Williams sisters in the same event, most of whom were legends of the sport. Justine Henin, Kim Clijsters and Martina Hingis are just a few who spring to mind.

However, one of the more underappreciated stars to have accomplished this feat was Karolina Pliskova.

Karolina Pliskova: The last player to ever beat the Williams sisters in the same tournament

Heading into the US Open as the 10th seed, there was a weight of expectation on the shoulders of the 33-year-old.

However, few could possibly have predicted the fairytale run she would enjoy.

She began her campaign with three straightforward straight-sets victories, but was then tasked with toppling Venus Williams in the fourth round.

Coming from a set down, Pliskova rallied to knock the first of two Williams sisters out in the same event, beating top seed Serena Williams in straight sets in the semi-final.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion would retire just six years later, and thus the Czech star became the last player to ever beat both of these legendary figures in the same event.

Pliskova was sadly beaten in the final of that US Open by Angelique Kerber.

Why Karolina Pliskova said she was ‘calm’ before semi-final vs Serena Williams

Heading into that semi-final match, Pliskova would have been forgiven for feeling the pressure.

After all, especially with how superbly she had played up until that point, there was genuine hope she could cause an upset to her injury-hit opponent.

However, speaking after the match, she revealed her true feelings of calmness before putting in such a clinical display.

Pliskova claimed: “I was pretty calm today.

“Before the match I felt a little bit like pressure, a bit nervous. But when I stepped on the court I didn’t feel anything. I just, you know, wanted to win, actually. Not just enjoy but to win.”

This backs up Pliskova’s claim that Iga Swiatek was harder to play than Serena, given she finished with a 2-2 head-to-head record against the American.