By Howard Fendrich
AP Tennis Writer

Serena Williams is a model of serenity at changeovers during her matches: Hands clasped over her lap, eyelids shut. Occasionally, she'll glance at a little piece of paper with notes she's jotted, reminders such as "Look at the ball."

As if she needed the help.

Williams was a model of consistency in 2002, bringing her stunning power and breathtaking athleticism to every match on every surface against every opponent (including, finally, her older sister Venus). She was simply dominant, winning three of the four Grand Slam titles and 56 of 61 matches overall, rising to No. 1 in the WTA Tour rankings in July.

On Friday, Williams was honored as The Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year in a vote that was about as close as many of her matches.

She received 53 first-place votes and 351 points from AP member newspapers and broadcasters across the country. Golfer Annika Sorenstam was next, with 27 first-place votes and 193 points, followed by Olympic champion figure skater Sarah Hughes (12 first-place votes, 158 points).

"My game has matured, and mentally, I've just matured to another level," Williams said. "That is a major factor in it. Some people mature really late."

Right, really late - she turned 21 in September.

One telling set of statistics makes quite clear the transformation Williams underwent in the past year in rededicating herself to her sport. She had a complete turnaround against her predecessors atop the rankings: Jennifer Capriati and Venus Williams. Serena went 0-4 against that pair in 2001 but 9-0 against them in 2002.

"Even when (Venus) didn't play well, she competed well, and that is the single biggest thing Serena has learned to do this year," CBS Sports analyst Mary Carillo said. "Serena's had some rocky matches and hung tough in them. That's a gift that she gave herself just over the last year."

Besides her .918 winning percentage, Williams claimed a tour-best eight titles (in only 13 tournaments played), and took home a record $3.6 million. She was a runner-up twice and never fared worse than the quarterfinals.

For comparison's sake, Sorenstam won 11 of her 23 events on the LPGA Tour, finishing out of the top 10 just three times, and set records for lowest scoring average (68.70) and earnings ($2.8 million). She also won non-tour events in Australia and Sweden this season, bringing her total to 13 wins in 25 tournaments.

Williams went 21-0 on her sport's biggest stages, beating Venus - who was fifth in the AP balloting after finishing second twice in a row - in the finals of the French Open on clay, Wimbledon on grass, and the U.S. Open on hard courts.

She didn't lose a set at the All England Club or Flushing Meadows en route to becoming just the sixth woman to win tennis' final three majors in a year (she dubbed it a "Serena Slam"). It might have been a Grand Slam sweep, but an ankle injury forced her to skip the Australian Open.

Williams had a season-best 21-match overall winning streak.

"Everyone has their year, and this is her year, and next year could be her year, also - I don't know," said Venus, who is 15 months older. "But I'm glad she's done well."

The younger Williams' game features overwhelming power (with serves topping 115 mph, her 53 aces at the U.S. Open were more than twice as many as any other woman) and a disheartening ability to track down opponents' apparent winners and smack them back over the net to a corner. She also keeps getting better at constructing points.

"I'm a perfectionist," Williams said. "I'm pretty much insatiable. I feel there's so many things I can improve on."

There were some trying moments this year: Her parents completed their divorce, and she had to deal with a stalker who followed her around the world and was arrested during Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.

"I'm a strong person," she said. "I try not to let things like that affect me."

Her burgeoning fame landed her new endorsements (including a McDonald's commercial featuring her and Venus) and TV appearances (on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" with Venus, and a role as a kindergarten teacher on "My Wife and Kids").

And then there were her tennis outfits, including a green-and-yellow getup with knee-high socks at the French Open, and a snug black cat suit at the U.S. Open.

"I'm really exciting," Williams said. "I smile a lot, I win a lot, and I'm really sexy."

Others agree. A recent survey of the public relations industry deemed Williams and Tiger Woods the most attractive spokespersons among athletes.