Serena Williams’s leap of joy after clinching her 18th Grand Slam title,on Sunday. Serena defeated Caroline Wozniacki 6-3, 6-3 in the final, at Flushing Meadows. (AFP)

New York: Serena Williams allowed herself a moment to savour a third straight US Open win on Sunday, but only a moment.

Just three hours after securing her 18th Grand Slam title with a dominating 6-3, 6-3 win over Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki, the world No. 1 soaked up the accolades and applause and then admitted that she was already thinking about number 19 and third spot on the all-time list now held by Helen Wills Moody.

“I am thinking 19,” said Serena, who shares fourth on the list with Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova. “Hasn’t even been three hours and I have already mentioned 19. Oh, gosh, but not 22. I’m taking it one at a time.”

Serena will celebrate her 33rd birthday later this month and clearly has plans to celebrate many more Grand Slam titles as she climbs further-and-further up the rankings.

Moody, at number 19, is the next target but just ahead sits Steffi Graf on 22 and just ahead her is the great Margaret Court who tops the list with 24. Until Sunday it did not look as if Serena would add to her Grand Slam haul this season.

She had added five tournament titles to her collection this season, coming into the US Open with her career total at 62, but at the Grand Slams she had fallen flat, failing to get beyond the last 16 in any of the first three majors.

However, if there was any thought that Serena career was on the decline she erased it with a stunningly ruthless performance, confirming herself as the Queen of Flushing Meadows.

“I just could never have imagined that I would be mentioned with Chris Evert or with Martina Navratilova, because I was just a kid with a dream and a racquet,” offered a humble Serena. “Living in Compton, this never happened before.”

And this was just the beginning, not the end, she said.

“I want to do really well and I love the game,” Serena added. “The reason I play is to sit at the end of the day and hold the trophy or stand and hold the trophy. For me, that’s my joys. I’m just a simple individual who just wants to win titles and wants to play tennis.”

Serena’s rise from the Los Angeles ghetto to top of her sport is a tennis fairytale and despite describing herself as a “simple” woman, those who have faced her on the court understand that she is something quite exceptional.

“I don’t believe that talent can beat everything,” said Wozniacki, who leaned on Serena for support after golfer Rory McIlroy broke off their engagement just before the French Open.

“She works hard every day, just like us, but when she needs to she can pull out that big serve. She has the power.

“She can push us back on the court and take the initiative. She definitely has the experience now, as well...and it makes it even harder to beat her. I think her results and her career says it all: 18 Grand Slam titles. You don’t get that unless you're exceptional in what you do.”

Wozniacki said nerves and a slow start cost her any chance of beating Serena.

“I went out there and I was a little nervous,” Wozniacki said. “I had a game plan in mind, but it was kind of difficult at the start.

“I tried to push her back, but that really didn’t work for me. She really just stepped in and she was playing aggressive. She was playing better than me today.”

Both raised their level in the second set, but Wozniacki said, “it was just a little too late for me.”

“She was very aggressive from the start. So she didn't really let me dictate it the way I wanted to.”

Serena had failed to make it to the quarter-finals of any of the first three Grand Slams of the year but Wozniacki said that may have played in the American’s favour on Sunday.

“I think she wanted to prove to herself and even play better in this one and she ended up winning it,” she said.

“Unfortunately I was the one on the other side of the net today. I would have liked maybe to have more of a chance today, but I didn’t. Hopefully I’ll get another one in Australia.”

Having beaten Maria Sharapova and Sara Errani on her way to her first Grand Slam final since she was runner-up to Kim Clijsters in New York in 2009, Wozniacki went into the final with high hopes.

But after dropping her opening service game she was always playing catch-up. “When she’s on her game there’s not much we can do,” Wozniacki said. “She’s so strong. She has a good serve and she puts pressure on you straightaway.

“When she needs to she can pull out that big serve. She has the power. She can push us back on the court and take the initiative. She knows what she needs to do out there, and it makes it even harder to beat her.”

After a few years in the Grand Slam wilderness, Wozniacki said she was confident that she was back on track. “I have had a great two weeks here and I have played really well this summer,” she said.

“I feel like I'm on the right path. I have been playing really well, so hopefully I can finish off the year strong and have a good start to next year.”

After nearly two decades of amassing records and titles Serena is still driven by the pursuit of excellence and the thrill of victory.

This marks a record 15th straight year Serena has won at least one singles or doubles Grand Slam title and with her win on Sunday she became the second woman in the Open Era to win three consecutive US Open titles.

Although she has considerable accomplishments to reflect on, Serena says it is not something that her and older sister Venus, a double US Open champion, dwell on.

And it is not a conversation they plan on having for some time.

“I think well have those conversations when we retire, and hopefully that will be a long time from now,” said Serena. “Right now we just really want to be in there. We want to win matches. We want to win titles. We want to do really well. We just don’t talk about that right now.

“I want to continue to rise and continue to play really hard and do the best that I can.”