AP Female Athlete of the Year goes to Serena Williams

Serena Williams was named the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year for the fourth time.

After nearly winning a calendar-year Grand Slam in 2015, Williams received 50 first-place votes and 352 points from U.S. editors and news directors in results announced Friday.

Finishing a distant second in the voting was U.S. women's soccer player Carli Lloyd with 14 first-place votes and 243 points. UFC star Ronda Rousey was third and Holly Holm, the woman who beat Rousey last month in Australia, followed in fourth.

Rounding out the top five was Connecticut basketball player Breanna Stewart.

Williams nearly became the first female player in more than 25 years to win all four majors in the same year. After winning the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon, Williams fell short with a loss to 43rd-ranked Roberta Vinci of Italy in the semifinals at the U.S. Open in September in one of the biggest upsets in the sport's history.

"I wanted it. But ... winning one (major title) is not easy. And then, (when) you have a 'bounty' on your head, it's even harder," Williams told the AP. "If you know anything about me, I hate to lose. I've always said I hate losing more than I like winning, so that drives me to be the best that I can be."

The top-ranked Williams finished the season with a 53-3 record and five WTA titles. She now has 21 Grand Slam singles titles, third most in history.

Williams, 34, also claimed the AP award in 2002, 2009 and 2013, moving into a tie at four with former tennis player Chris Evert. The leader with six is Babe Didrikson with six (one for track and field in 1932 and five for golf between 1945 and 1954).