(July 11, 2015) Serena Williams made all sorts of history on Saturday in winning her sixth Wimbledon title 6-4, 6-4 over No. 20 Gabine Muguruza. She completed a second “Serena Slam” winning her fourth straight major dating back to the 2014 U.S. Open, won the third leg of the calendar slam and at 21 majors won, she is a major away from tying Steffi Graf at 22 and two behind All-time major winner Margaret Court, and if she wins the U. S Open, she’ll be the first woman to win the Grand Slam since Graf did in in 1988. Williams also held all four majors at once from 2002-2003 – 2002 French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open and the 2003 Australian Open.
The No. 1 player is the oldest woman to win a major at 33-years and 289 days. She’s won eight majors as a “30-something.”
“I can’t believe I’m standing here at another Grand Slam, so it’s really cool,” Williams said on-court after the match. “I’m having so much fun out here. I just never dreamt I would be out here still and let alone winning.”
So what’s the key to winning four majors in a row? Williams was asked about this and said: “I don’t know. I know just last year I was just so down because I lost so early in three of the Grand Slams. By the time New York came around, I was like, I just want to get to the quarterfinal of a Grand Slam. When I won my fourth round match, I was elated. I was like, Yeah, finally.
“I’ve just been super relaxed. I’ve been taking time every match. I didn’t have an easy go this tournament, but I still just take it one match at a time.”
The American started out slowly, broken in her opening service game and falling behind 2-4, before regrouping to win four straight games to close out the set.
Muguruza upset Williams in the second round of last year’s French Open.
Williams raced off to 5-1 lead in the second, broken both times serving for the match at 5-1 and 5-3. Muguruza saved a match point. Williams closed out the win breaking her Spanish opponent at 5-4.
“It was definitely a little pressure toward the end, but I think Garbine just started playing really well and started hitting some great shots so that made it even harder,” Williams said.
The 21-year-old Muguruza was playing in her first major final, the first Spanish woman slam final since 2000.
“I’m very happy and proud to be playing in front of this amazing crowd,” Muguruza said “I love to play on big courts, and a Grand Slam final is just a dream come true for me.
“But I also want to say congratulations to Serena. She’s showing us she’s still World No.1.”
“It’s hard to concentrate on a final because you have Serena in front of you. You’re thinking, She won five times this. You’re like this. Is your first final. You know that you don’t have so many chances to win the match.”
“Garbine played so well,” Williams said. “I didn’t even know it was over – she was fighting so hard at the end. Congratulations, don’t be sad, you’ll be holding this trophy very, very soon, believe me!
“I can’t believe I’m standing here with another Serena Slam. It’s really cool. And the crowd helped me through it – I heard all the ‘I love yous’ and I love you more! It’s such an honor. It feels so good.”
“It is really a great feeling,” Williams said to media. “Just the moment is still setting in a little bit. I’m just really excited about it because I didn’t want to talk about the Serena Slam. I honestly wouldn’t have thought last year after winning the US Open I would win the Serena Slam at all.
“It’s super exciting. I just knew I wanted to win Wimbledon this year. Of all the Grand Slams, it was the one I hadn’t won in a while. It was like, I really want to win Wimbledon. It happened.”
“I’m going to leave here being really motivated,” said the Spanish woman. “I think I’m the most motivated person right now. This gives me a lot of, you know, power to keep practicing and improving, to see what else I can do in my next tournaments.
“I’m playing really good. So keep working and see now the hard court season.”
“I don’t feel disappointment,” Muguruza said of the loss. “But you never know how many chances you’re going to have to play a final in a Grand Slam. But if you have to choose who to win or who to lose, I would choose Serena.”
“I think she’s (Muguruza) such a great player. Like I said, she’s beaten me before. I think she really stepped up to the plate today. She was determined to do well and to win. She came out there to win. She wasn’t out there just to play a final. I think that says a lot about her and her future.
“She never gave up literally ever.”
“I couldn’t stop crying,” Muguruza commenting about her tears during the trophy presentation and the standing ovation given to her by the crowd. “So many people are clapping. I don’t know. I make all these people feel this in a tennis court? I was like, I don’t know. I felt special.”
On winning another “Serena Slam:” “I’ve been trying to win four in a row for 12 years, and it hasn’t happened. I’ve had a couple injuries. You know, it’s been an up‑and‑down process.
“I honestly can’t say that last year or two years ago or even five years ago I would have thought that I would have won four in a row. So just starting this journey, having all four trophies at home, is incredible.”
Williams will head into the U.S. Open to try to become the first woman since 1988 to win the Grand Slam.
“I feel like I’ll be okay,” Williams said. “I feel like if I can do the Serena Slam, I will be okay heading into the Grand Slam. Like I always say, there’s 127 other people that don’t want to see me win. Nothing personal, they just want to win.
“So it’s just, you know, going to go in there. I had a really tough draw. This gives me confidence that if I had this draw, I can do it again. I’ll just do the best I can.
“You know, I really don’t feel like I have anything to lose. I’ve kind of solidified my place at No. 1. My goal is always to end the year at No. 1. I just want to make sure when I play Australia, I don’t have pressure going into that.”