(September 27, 2012) -- When Serena Williams returns to the court this fall (see below regarding when that might happen) she'll be set to put the finishing touches on what has been a truly remarkable year at the service line. Thanks to her 102-ace serving performance at Wimbledon, which saw her tie the all-time record for aces in a match with 24, Williams is very close to reaching 500 aces by the end of the season.

How remarkable is that? Well, as far as we can tell, it's never been done before.

According to the WTA, records for aces in a season have only been kept since 2008, so we are working with a relatively small sample size here, but if you think about it, it is unlikely that anybody produced numbers anywhere near to what Williams has done this season in the years prior to 2008.

Here is a look at Williams' totals for the last five years. What is most impressive about Williams as a server is the fact that she has improved the shot over the last five years, going from out of this world to even more out of this world after turning 30.

With Williams averaging 7.8 aces per match in 2012, and scheduled for Beijing next week and the WTA Championships in October, she could end up playing 10 matches. That should be more than enough time to get the fifteen-time Grand Slam champion over the 500-ace mark.

Update: Rumors are swirling the Beijing may be a no-go for Serena, based on this Tweet:

Flu no fun. :(

— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) September 27, 2012