Williams then played her first clay court tournament at the Family Circle Cup. She entered the event as the defending champion and as the first seed. Williams received a bye to go through the second round, where she faced Camila Giorgi. Williams won the first set with Giorgi breaking and winning serve only once. In the second set, Williams broke in the fifth game and ninth game of the match to advance. Williams made nine aces and no double faults, whereas her opponent made five aces to a dozen double faults. On the following day, she faced compatriot Mallory Burdette, the first set went on serve until Williams broke in the tenth game to take the set. Williams then got broken in the first game, but came back winning six of the last seven games to win. Later in the day Williams played her quarterfinal match, playing two singles match in the same for the first time in her career. Williams took on Lucie Šafářová in a rematch of last year's final. The match began with two breaks, Šafářová then broke in the fifth game and then consolidated the break. However, Williams came back winning 10 of the last 11 games to go through. In the semifinals Williams faced big sister Venus Williams in their 24 meeting and their first in more than three years, with their last match coming in the 2009 WTA Tour Championships Final. The first set went to Serena, with Serena breaking Venus thrice in the set, with she her herself getting broken once. In the second set, Serena broke Venus' serve in the first and seventh game to advance to the final. The match was the fewest games won by the losing foe with three in the all of the 24 meeting between the sisters. In the final, Williams faced Jelena Janković, whom she had led 5–4 in head-to-head. The first set, four games stayed on serve with Williams not dropping a point and Janković being pushed to deuce. However, things turned around as Janković broke Williams in the fifth and ninth game to take the set. The second set saw Williams rallied to take all of the six games to win it with a bagel. The third set went to Williams breaking Janković in the third and seventh game and served out the match in her third match point. Williams was 39–25 winners to unforced errors to Janković 21–23. This is Williams third Family Circle Cup and extends her 15-match winning streak at the event.