Williams won her first at age 17 in 1999 at the U.S. Open, fighting her way through a draw of her elders to create quite a surprise.
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Garbine Muguruza vowed to learn from her heartbreaking Wimbledon final defeat to Serena Williams and spark a next generation challenge to the veteran American.
Serena Williams (USA) at the trophy presentation after winning her match against Garbiñe Muguruza (ESP) on day 12 of The Championships Wimbledon at the AELTC.
2009 Australian Open: Serena beat Dinara Safina to capture her milestone 10th Grand Slam singles title.
But what she has not yet managed is a Grand Slam: winning the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in the same year.
Muguruza could not sustain the recovery though and a double-fault and a net-cord calmed Williams’ nerves and she converted her second match point when Muguruza hit wide, although silence briefly reigned as both players seemed unsure whether the ball had clipped a line.
Muguruza, born in Venezuela and raised in Barcelona, had insisted facing Serena was a task to be relished rather than feared.
“Sharapova is tall, white and blond, and, because of that, makes more money in endorsements than Serena, who is black, lovely and built like one of those monster trucks that crushes Volkswagens at sports arenas”, Stephen Roderick wrote for Rolling Stone in 2013. But in 2015 she was the last woman standing, and now on the brink of tennis history. “But I am really happy”.
“I just knew I wanted to win Wimbledon this year”.
But the final Saturday at Wimbledon, just like the final weekends in New York, Melbourne and Paris in the last 11 months, belonged to Williams. “This gives me confidence”.
“Man it really is a great feeling”, Williams said.
“I have all four Grand Slam trophies at my home now”. The emotion was too high at the start and at the end.
Last year’s breakthrough at the Hobart global remains Muguruza’s only title success, but the new world No. 9 said her dream Wimbledon run had armed her with newfound belief. Rod Laver is the only man to pull off the Grand Slam, doing in twice, in 1962 and 1969. “The motivation is always the same”, he added.
Williams also becomes the oldest player to win a major at 33 years, 289 days. “The first rounds are really hard because you’re nervous”. Muguruza then started swinging as she had in the early stages of the match when she had broken serve in the opening game and led 3-1.
“She will be a legend in the future, when people look back in 20 years’ time they’ll see her as being one of the legends of the game”, said Lee Allen, 37, a biochemist from Reading, England, who watched the match on the big screen. “So many people are clapping”.
“I just keep reinventing myself in terms of working out, in terms of my game”.
Serving at 5-1 she was broken to love.
“I am having so much fun out on the court”.
When the top seed and world number one resolved her service struggles after moving one set ahead, Muguruza was left with no outlet. She has now won eight major championships in her 30s.
“It’s probably the only thing she hasn’t done yet”, said Patrick Mouratoglou, Williams’ coach.
“I’ve learned a lot”.
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She was the first woman to represent Spain in a final at the All England Club since Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario in 1996.
