Serena Williams among athletes honoured in USOC monthly awards

Serena Williams pictured following her French Open victory in Paris ©Getty Images

French Open tennis champion Serena Williams, Para-athletics star Roderick Townsend and the national women's water polo team are the United States Olympic Committees (USOC) "Best of June" Award winners.

Williams won her 20th Grand Slam singles title and 67th career Women’s Tennis Association singles title at the French Open, which ended on June 7 in Paris.

After trailing by one set in four of her matches, she showed all of her battling qualities to fight back before beating Czech Republic's Lucie Šafářová in the final.

She also became just the third player in tennis history - male or female - to win 20 Grand Slam singles titles and the first athlete since 2001 to win both the Australian Open and French Open in the same year, with the 33-year-old adding 21st Grand Slam at Wimbledon on Saturday (July 11).

Williams has also won four Olympic gold medals, including the singles at London 2012.

Townsend, meanwhile, cleared a world record 2.07 metres high jump in his US Paralympics Track and Field National Championships debut on June 20 in St Paul, Minnesota.

The Califronian won the men’s T12/42-47 competition, improving the previous T46 world record by two centimetres, and also claiming national titles in the men’s T45-47 100 metres and T42-47 long jump.

He received the best male award, while Williams was named best female.

United States' women's water polo squad are also nominated ©Getty Images — United States' women's water polo squad were voted team of the month for June by the USOC ©Getty Images

The team event, meanwhile, was won by the water polo team after they enjoyed an unbeaten month crowned with victories at both the Kunshan Cup in Kunshan, China, and then the International Swimming Federation World League Super Final in Shanghai.

That marked the team's ninth gold medal in women’s Super Final history - the most by any country - and consolidated their year-long hold at the top of the world rankings.

Sponsored by Dow with additional support by DICK’S Sporting Goods, Kellogg’s, Samsung and USG, each National Governing Body chose one female, one male and one team per discipline, before an internal nominating committee selected five male and female nominees and three team contenders.

This shortlist was then voted upon by governing body representatives and members of the media, along with fan votes submitted online via the Team USA website.