WATCH: Serena revisits her most formative matches

Serena Williams was named GQ's Woman of the Year, and, in a feature video, she looked back on some of the biggest matches from early in her career—from playing Monica Seles at age 16 to completing the Serena Slam in 2003.

Williams would win the Seles match—on carpet in Chicago in 1997—in three sets before falling to Lindsay Davenport in the semifinals.

"I always wanted to just play like Monica; she was my favorite player," Serena said. "Growing up, I wanted to be just like her."

That tournament brought her from No. 304 to No. 102 in the world, and Williams credited it for helping her get into the 1998 Australian Open. There, in her first Grand Slam match, she came back from a set down to defeat No. 6 seed Irina Spirlea 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-1.

Less than two years later, at the 1999 US Open, Williams won her first major, by consecutively beating Kim Clijsters, Conchita Martinez, Seles, Davenport and—6-3, 7-6 (4) in the final—world No. 1 Martina Hingis.

Williams also opened up about her 2001 final in Indian Wells, wherein she was viciously booed and chose not to return for 14 years.

Last, in the 2003 Australian Open, she beat her sister Venus 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-4 to win a remarkable four consecutive majors.

Another important experience for Serena in those days was when she and Venus went to fashion school, a memory she recounted to her husband, Alexis Ohanian.

November 16 was Ohanian and Williams' one-year wedding anniversary, which he honored on social media by sharing a picture with a cute caption.

Serena finished the 2018 season ranked inside the Top 20 at No. 16.