Serena Williams has said that sister Venus Williams has played a leading role in helping her to 23 Grand Slam titles.

On Saturday, Serena broke Steffi Graf's Open-era record with a straight-sets win over the elder sibling at the Australian Open but after her win, Serena praised her sister after her run to the final.

The 35-year-old said: "I really would like to take this moment to congratulate Venus. She's an amazing person. There's no way I would be at 23 without her. There's no way I'd be at one without her. She's my inspiration.

"She's the only reason I'm standing here today. She's the only reason the Williams sisters exist. Thank you for inspiring me. Every time you won this week, I felt like I got a win too.

"She deserves an incredible round of applause, she's made an amazing comeback. I definitely think she'll be standing here next year. I don't like the world comeback - she never left."

Serena will return to the top of the WTA standings on Monday, while Venus will now sit in 11th position.