#2 Naomi Osaka became the first Japanese man or woman to win a Grand Slam tennis tournament. As a girl, Osaka dreamed of playing Serena at the US Open.  What happened during the match and afterwards at the trophy ceremony demonstrate that at times fact can be stranger than fiction.  At age 20, Osaka handled the US Open Final controversy with grace and humbleness after defeating Serena Williams 6-2, 6-4.  Watch the US Open Ceremony here.

#7 Coming back in 2018 after a 14-month maternity leave and playing in three majors and reaching two grand slam finals would be a great year for most professional tennis players, but not for Serena Williams.  What lands Serena in another REAL SPORTS Most Important Moments in Sports review are the controversies that embroiled her year.  The first, the controversy at the French Open over her catsuit, in part for medical reasons, was followed up with a claim by the umpire of coaching from her box at the US Open. It was the later which sent Serena over the edge.  For any competitor who has put everything into their chosen profession, a claim at the core of their values can be enough to set one off.  Watch the post match interview here.

#3 Biggest single payday in professional tennis (men's or women's) — $4 million goes to Serena

REAL SPORTS Most Important Moments in Sports 2014 edition

The 2014 Women’s Tennis Association campaign was especially financially rewarding for Serena Williams as she pocketed $4 million in a single day. Williams earned $3 million plus a $1 million bonus after winning the U.S. Open, because she had won the U.S. Open Series before the start of that major. That is the single biggest payday in the history of professional tennis.

New York, NY - September 7, 2014, Serena Williams returns a shot against Caroline Wozniacki during the women's singles final match at the 2014 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
Photo courtesy WTA. Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images (c) 2014 Getty Images.

Finishing the year ranked No. 1 was not a foregone conclusion given her early exits in the first three majors — viral infections and injuries plagued Williams during the early part of the year. But despite these challenges. 2014 marked the fourth time she has ended the season ranked NO. 1 (2002, 2009 and 2013), and she became the fifth player to hold No. 1 the whole season, joining such vaunted company as Chris Evert (who did it first in 1977), Martina Navratilova. Monica Seles and Steffi Graf.

By winning the US Open Series, including the Bank of the West Classic held at the Taube Family Tennis Stadium
in Stanford California in August 2014, before winning the US Open, Serena earned a $1 million dollar
bonus on top of her $3 million dollar payday.

Photo courtesy WTA. Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images (c) 2014 Getty Images

With the 2014 U.S. Open title, Williams is now tied with Evert and Navratilova with 18 Grand Slam titles; only Graf has more Grand Slam titles (22). No doubt Williams has her eyes set on surpassing that mark.

In her quest to be the all-time best, it's interesting to note that the top 100 currently ranked women's singles tennis players only one, her sister Venus, is older. [RS]

Social Image Credit: DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images