Serena Williams says she has 'already broken the record' for most Grand Slams, deflecting pressure to match Margaret Court's 24

• Serena Williams said she has "already broken the record" for most Grand Slam titles.
• She has the opportunity to tie Margaret Court's 24 titles in next month's US Open.

Serena Williams said she has already "broken the record" for most Grand Slams titles, taking pressure off of her September US Open appearance where she has the opportunity to match Margaret Court's record.

"I've already broken the record," Williams said, speaking to the "Today" show. "So I think it's just someone else's vision and mine is just to ... I never dreamed of having this many Grand Slams or titles. I just thought I would just play tennis and maybe win a Grand Slam or two. So for me, it's all a bonus."

The 40-year-old has won 23 majors over the course of her illustrious career — one fewer than Court's 24 titles. But Williams has earned her championships in the "Open Era" of tennis, the modern form of the sport that is far more organized and competitive than the period in which Court competed.

Williams announced her intention to transition away from tennis earlier this month. While she did not announce that it would be her last appearance on the court, many have speculated that this year's US Open will be Williams' final tournament as a pro.

In a column for Vogue earlier in August, Williams seemingly contradicted her comments from Friday. She wrote that she'd be "lying if I said I didn't want that record," referring to Court's 24 titles.

"There are people who say I'm not the GOAT because I didn't pass Margaret Court's record of 24 grand slam titles, which she achieved before the 'Open Era' that began in 1968," Williams wrote. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't want that record. Obviously I do."

"But day to day, I'm really not thinking about her," she added. "If I'm in a grand slam final, then yes, I am thinking about that record. Maybe I thought about it too much, and that didn't help. The way I see it, I should have had 30-plus grand slams."

Williams begins her pursuit of title 24 Monday in New York City, where she'll face Montenegro's Danka Kovinić in the opening round of the US Open.