Serena Williams at her best ever with record victory in Melbourne

Australian Open champion Serena Williams believes she is playing the best tennis of her entire career.

Serena Williams will reclaim her place at the top of the world rankings when the list refreshes today. Picture: Scott Barbour/Getty Images

Williams beat her sister Venus 6-4 6-4 on Saturday to claim her seventh Melbourne crown and secure an Open-era record 23rd grand slam title.

It means she moves above Steffi Graf in the all-time list and now stands just one short of Margaret Court’s unmatched 24.

The 35-year-old shows no sign of slowing. She has won ten major titles since turning 30 and has made eight out of the last grand slam ten finals.

Williams believes she is in the form of her life.

“I was thinking yesterday on the practice court, ‘gosh I’m playing better than I have ever before I think’,” Williams said.

“I’m moving better, I’ve always been a fast mover but I stopped moving a bit in the middle of my career because I was like, I don’t have to move so much.

“But I was like, ‘man I’m hitting really well’. It feels good to be playing this well at the moment.”

Williams has struggled at times with the weight of expectation, crumbling at the 2015 US Open when a calendar grand slam was in sight and then stumbling again there in September when on the brink of breaking Graf’s record. But she has appeared far more relaxed in Melbourne.

“I’ve been trying to live it for some time now, this tournament I was able to do it,” said Williams.

“I was okay with not losing but I also knew I didn’t have to win here to make my career. It settled with me this time. I don’t know why I felt like that but I want to know because I want it again.”

Surpassing Graf’s 22 major triumphs adds statistical weight to the now almost indisputable argument that Williams is the greatest female player of all time.

She could surpass Court’s mark at Wimbledon this summer, although 13 of the Australian’s 24 successes came before the Open era, when grand slams were still not fully professional.

Williams will reclaim her place at the top of the world rankings when the list refreshes today.