Upon winning the Wimbledon Womens Singles title in 2016, Serena Williams equalled whose record of 22 Grand Slam singles titles?

Introduction / Context:
This question connects lawn tennis history with record breaking achievements. It focuses on Serena Williamss 2016 Wimbledon victory and asks whose record of 22 Grand Slam singles titles she equalled at that time. Remembering such landmark records is an important part of tennis general knowledge.

Given Data / Assumptions:
The stem gives us the following facts.

• The tournament is Wimbledon, in the womens singles category.
• The year is 2016.
• Serena Williams won this title, bringing her Grand Slam singles total to 22.
• We must identify the former player whose record of 22 singles slams she equalled.

Concept / Approach:
Before Serena Williams reached 22, the Open Era record for womens singles Grand Slam titles was held by Steffi Graf with 22 majors. Other great players like Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert also have many titles but fewer singles slams. Martina Hingis and Maria Sharapova have significantly fewer. Therefore, when Serena won her 22nd slam at Wimbledon 2016, she drew level with Steffi Graf.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Serena Williamss 2016 Wimbledon win took her to 22 Grand Slam singles titles. Step 2: Remember that the previous Open Era record holder with 22 singles titles was Steffi Graf. Step 3: Compare that with Martina Navratilova, who has more overall titles but fewer singles slams than Graf. Step 4: Note that Martina Hingis and Maria Sharapova are modern stars but their slam counts are much lower than 22. Step 5: Conclude that the record Serena equalled was Steffi Grafs 22 singles majors.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify by reading any Wimbledon 2016 summary, which clearly mentions that Serena Williams tied Steffi Grafs Open Era record of 22 Grand Slam singles titles. Later, when she won the Australian Open again, she moved ahead with 23. No reputable source credits Navratilova, Hingis or Sharapova with a record of 22 singles slams.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A Martina Navratilova is wrong because she has a huge number of doubles and mixed doubles titles, but not 22 singles majors in the Open Era. Option C Martina Hingis is incorrect because her singles career peak was shorter and she has far fewer singles Grand Slams. Option D Maria Sharapova is wrong because she won five singles slams, nowhere near 22.

Common Pitfalls:
Some candidates see the name Navratilova and recall her dominance in tennis generally and assume she must hold every record. Others simply pick any famous name without thinking about the exact count. To avoid this, build a short list of major Grand Slam records and match them with the correct legends such as Margaret Court, Steffi Graf, Serena Williams, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

Final Answer:
Serena Williams equalled the 22 singles Grand Slam record of Steffi Graf.