AP beat writers

Serena Williams aces AP Female Athlete of the Decade honors

Serena Williams dominated the decade, on the court and in conversation. There were, to begin with, the dozen Grand Slam single titles _ no other woman had more than three over the past 10 seasons _ and the 3 1/2 years in a row at No. 1 in the WTA rankings. And then there was the celebrity status that transcended tennis, making everything she did and said newsworthy, whether it was the triumphs and trophies and fashion statements or the disputes with tournament officials, the magazine covers or the Super Bowl ad with a message about women’s power, the birth