Serena Williams wins 3rd AP Athlete of Year award

Serena Williams returns a shot to Galina Voskoboeva, of Kazakhstan, during the second round of the 2013 U.S. Open tennis tournament, in New York in August.

Serena Williams is The Associated Press’ 2013 Female Athlete of the Year, easily winning a vote by news organizations.

It’s the third AP award for the tennis star, who also won in 2002 and 2009.

Williams went 78-4 in 2013, including a 34-match winning streak and 11 titles. Her French Open and U.S. Open championships raised her Grand Slam total to 17 singles trophies. She was ranked No. 1 from February until the end of the season.

Williams received 55 of 96 votes in the AP results announced today.

Brittney Griner, a two-time AP Player of the Year in college basketball and the No. 1 overall pick in April’s WNBA draft, finished second with 14 votes. Swimmer Missy Franklin was next with 10.