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MELBOURNE, Australia - Serena Williams held off a determined Maria Sharapova to win her sixth Australian Open title and the 19th Grand Slam title of her illustrious career, separating herself from Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova for second-most Grand Slam titles in the Open Era.

Going into the final, Williams was the favorite - not just because she was No.1 and Sharapova was No.2, but because she had won the pair's last 15 meetings, 12 of those coming in straight sets.

Early on in the match that pattern continued, with Williams breaking in the very first game and, after a short rain delay and the roof closing, grabbing a second break for 5-2. Sharapova got one of the breaks back in the next game but Williams broke one last time to take the first set, 6-3.

All of that went out the window in the second set, as the Top 2 players in the world held tightly to all of their service games, with absolutely no breaks of serve - Williams did have her chance to finish the match with Sharapova serving at 4-5, 30-40, the first match point of the night, but the Russian bludgeoned a forehand down the line for a winner and subsequently held that service game.

The tie-break was tight but Williams forged ahead, building a 6-4 lead, and after Sharapova fought off a second match point with another huge forehand down the line, Williams had the match on her racquet, stepping up to the baseline to serve on match point No.3. There was a bit of a hiccup - she fired what looked like a massive ace out wide on the ad side, and she even began celebrating, but the serve was called a let. But she regrouped and fired the exact same ace to finally close it out.

The No.1-seeded Williams had the victory over the No.2-seeded Sharapova, 6-3, 7-6(5).

Williams came into the Australian Open tied with Evert and Navratilova for second-most Grand Slam titles in the Open Era, but she now has the standalone second-most with 19. Steffi Graf has 22.

1. Despite the straight-set score of 6-3, 7-6 (5), Maria Sharapova played one of her best matches against Serena Williams. But there were two problems for the world No. 2. First, Serena Williams played one of her best matches against Maria Sharapova. Second—and this relates to the first problem—Serena snuffed out any momentum Maria generated, every single time.

When Williams took a 5-2, double-break lead in the first-set, a puzzling lull occurred in the very next game. She hit two double faults and was broken at love, giving Sharapova a chance to plant some seeds of doubt in Serena's mind with a hold—even if the world No. 1 went on to serve out the set thereafter. But Serena never let it get to that point. She broke Sharapova immediately, during which she won the best point of the match thus far, a 16-shot rally. It was a terrible game to lose for Sharapova, but all credit must go to her opponent.

There were plenty of other momentum-killing examples in the second set, when the two exchanged hold after hold like a hot potato. In spite of that, Williams never did let Sharapova grab a lead. She twice won service games from 0-30 (at 2-2 and 3-3) by hitting multiple aces, and later on, rallied quickly after both of Sharapova’s courageous championship point saves.

2. Lost in the paeans about Serena’s serve and mental fortitude: She played great defense. In the 16-shot rally I mentioned, Williams fended off aggressive hitting from Sharapova long enough to bring her toward net for a volley she couldn’t handle. And at 3-3 in the second set, a pivotal juncture of this final, it was Serena’s offense that let her down on a deuce point after two admirable defensive stabs.

Two points about this: First, Serena does everything well, not just what she's best known for. During Roger Federer’s prime, I often said that his defense was the most underrated part of his game. It led to so many points he eventually won—often with a flourish of offense that became the memorable takeway. I wouldn’t say Serena plays better defense than Federer, but she moves deceptively well and keeps more points hanging in the balance than you’d think. Don’t forget about her returning abilities, either.

Second, Serena’s defensive stands were a result of some great offense from Sharapova. The 2008 Australian Open champion played the kind of assertive tennis needed to challenge Serena, even if it wasn't enough. But what we did see was eye-catching: She fired forehands when openings presented themselves, guessed on her returns in order to try and take early control of points (to mixed results), and served commendably. Sharapova won 67 percent of her first-serve points, which would be much more notable if Serena didn’t win 84 percent of hers (including 18 aces).

3. On her third championship point—and first on her serve—Serena appeared to hit an ace to claim her sixth Australian Open and 19th Grand Slam singles title. She dropped her racquet in celebration, and began to walk forward. Cheers cascaded from sections of Rod Laver Arena.

“Let, first serve.”

It was called by the machine, and this turn of events would challenge even the great Serena Williams.

So what did she do? She hit another ace on the very next ball.

It was a sequence of physical and mental strength that continues to define Williams, and is the reason that Steffi Graf’s mark of 22 Grand Slam title remains a viable target. After losing before the quarterfinals in the first three majors of 2014, Serena has won the last two. Bucking a trend of thirty-something tennis players, she seems more motivated than ever, and treats every point as if it’s a championship point. Maybe that’s why, when the chair umpire said “Game, set match”, Serena didn’t have a joyous, celebratory moment right after (she also wondered if it was, again, a let). It was just like any other point she played—but at the same time, so much more.

Q. How does it feel?

SERENA WILLIAMS: It feels really good. It feels really good to be sitting here as the champion. I definitely didn't think I would be here in the beginning of the week or the beginning of the two weeks, but it feels pretty excellent.



Q. With how sick you have been this past week, everything you had to go through, is this perhaps one of the toughest wins you've managed to pull off?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, definitely I was not feeling great. Every time I didn't feel great I started to feel better, and then the next day I got worse. There was a lot of ups and downs. So I just thought -- you know, I was somehow still in the tournament and now I somehow have won. So I don't know. It's really exciting.



Q. How tough was the match, especially in the second set?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Oh, the match definitely got tough in the second set. Maria started playing a lot better. She started being a little more aggressive. I think I got a little more passive. Was just trying to get the ball back in play. But I also started serving better in the second set because I knew if I wasn't having my groundstrokes where I wanted them to be, I knew I could serve it out. So, yeah, it definitely got really interesting. I had a lot of moments. I had some easy shots that I missed in the second set on her serve, and then she came up with a big serve when she was down a breakpoint, which was great. But I definitely can look back and say, Oh, I could have done a few things better just for the future.



Q. Have you ever thrown up in the middle of a match before?

SERENA WILLIAMS: No. No, actually, I've never done that before. I guess there's a first time for anything. I think in a way that just helped me -- I felt better after that. My chest was really stuck at that point.



Q. Did you take anything for it?

SERENA WILLIAMS: The doctor gave me a little cough syrup and sent me on my way. It was like a small, small, small amount just to suppress. I was coughing so much. It was just forcing things out of me. So I was just trying to pull myself together.



Q. Do you think you would have needed to take a break if the rain hadn't come anyway?

SERENA WILLIAMS: You know, I don't know. I don't think so. You know, maybe I would have just -- the same thing would have happened but maybe just on the court. Yeah, I don't think so.



Q. What did you make of the whole rain delay? Would you have preferred the roof being closed from the start of the match if there was any chance of rain?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, when we first went out to warm up there was a little rain. So I was like, Is it raining or is it just me? So I told the umpire. She's like, Okay. But then I guess it stopped for a second and everything was fine. Then it started raining again. Whatever the case was, it was okay with me.



Q. After the let at the match point, how confident were you to hit the same spot again?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I wasn't confident at all. I thought after the let, Man, I am not meant to win this tournament. I had a couple of match points. I mean, she played great on those match points. She totally went for broke. I was like, C'mon. First of all, why I hear the let. Then I was like, Okay, do I go T? Do I go wide? What am I going to do? Then I just tossed and served as hard as I could.



Q. Number 19 tonight.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yes.



Q. Steffi Graf has 22. Do those numbers mean anything to you? Do you want to get past 22?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I would love to get to 22. I mean, 19 was very difficult to get to. Took me 33 years to get here, so... I would love to get there. But I have to get to 20 first, and then I have to get to 21. There's so many wonderful young players coming up, so it will be a very big task. My next goal was just to get to 19. That was my goal. So I didn't think it would happen this fast, to be honest, but it feels really good.



Q. Can you describe your actual emotions winning your 19th Grand Slam.

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, it just felt so good. I mean, I've been through so much the past week. I really, really didn't expect to win. I didn't expect to be here this long. I was walking down the hall yesterday and I was thinking, Wow, I'm still in the tournament. It's been a long time since I've been to the final here or the semifinal. It's been a long time coming. I was just really, really elated to have an opportunity to walk out on the final match.



Q. What happened with the hindrance call?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I got too excited and I hit a great serve and Maria hit an even better return. I didn't expect her to get it back. I said, C'mon, a little too soon. I guess there's a rule that you can't do it. So I'm fine with it. I moved on very fast to the next point; just tried to stay as focused as I could.



Q. Has that ever happened to you before?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Do you follow tennis (smiling)?



Q. The fist pump that came after that hindrance point is going viral, the sarcastic, C'mon.

SERENA WILLIAMS: I'm like, C'mon. It just goes to show you I have more fun on the court. I would have never done that three years ago, four years ago. I would have stayed so in the zone, so focused. I'm like, Okay, I'm going to have a little fun with this. I'm really enjoying myself. That's what I want to do. Every match I want to go out and just enjoy myself. Whether I win or lose, I just want to have fun. So I just kind of made a little sarcasm after that. And I didn't want to get another hindrance call, so I was really careful not to do that anymore.



Q. Can you describe the way you feel in these matches inside?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, right now in these matches, sometimes I get a little more nervous. Like in the US Open last year, and this one, I was more nervous than I usually am in the Grand Slam finals. Usually I'm just so on it and I feel like I just have to go for it, I go it. Last two ones I've been a little nervous. I made some odd errors in the tiebreak that I normally wouldn't miss because I got a little tight and I didn't move. You know, I missed some shots. But, yeah, so I think I just have -- I was definitely more calm today than I was in the Open by 100%, but I feel like hopefully that will continue on. If I get to another final of a Grand Slam, that I continue to go on.



Q. Maybe you did the longest winner's speech you have ever done. Any specific reason for that? I was wondering if you prepared the speech before the match?

SERENA WILLIAMS: No, I actually -- a month or two ago I thought if I won the Australian Open, there was so much I wanted to do and wanted to say, because it would be special, it would be 19, it would be something amazing. And I had a lot to say. I wanted to thank people. I wanted to thank the crowd, because this crowd here in Australia is really good to me. Like I say, I don't get that everywhere. I really feel my heart really is here. Also there was other things I wanted to say and motivate people that may not have come from a lot. You can still make it and you can still do it if you just persevere and you believe in yourself. I think that was another good message to get across. Also, like I said, I did an ad for motorneuron disease, MND, and it's so important to raise awareness for that because anyone can get it. It's affecting our friends, people on the tour, people that I personally know. I just wanted to address that as well.



Q. Would you like your glass of champagne?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I'm okay for now.



Q. How soon do your eyes refocus and turn to Paris?

SERENA WILLIAMS: When I think about Paris, I don't think about 20. I just think about winning there. It's the one slam I don't have more than two titles on. I only have two there. Sorry. That and Wimbledon I've been struggling. Yeah, so I think, okay, now that I got this under my belt. I'm a little more comfortable with my ranking now. Now I can really move. Like I did so bad last year at Roland Garros, and Wimbledon as well. So those are the two I really have my eye on, because I would like to do better at those. And I know I can do better. I'm not going into it not as number 20, but I want to win Roland Garros.



Q. Are you going to schedule differently this year to put more focus on the majors?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I definitely am not going to play as much this year, and I'm just going to go for everything when I do play. But I'm not playing as much. Try to be more focused in every tournament I get into.



Q. Will you continue to play with your new sparring partner, Jonathan?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I loved hitting with Jonathan. We had such a wonderful two weeks here. We really enjoyed it. I have to talk to Sasch. He's injured right now. We have to figure out how he's doing. He's more than keen. He texts me every day. He's super keen to come back. I'm loyal to a fault, which is going to be awkward, because I love working with Jonathan. He's so amazing. He's so funny. He's French. He helps me he with my French now. I hate to be in this situation.



Q. You mentioned Patrick on court. How has he helped you?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, he's helped me a great deal. You know, there's some times when a players doesn't believe in themselves. Even me, I feel like, Gosh, I'm not going to be able to beat this person. I'm not going to be able to play well. I don't feel confident in this shot today. I don't feel confident in that. He really stood up this past two weeks, even hitting and doing things that he's never done before, just really encouraging and giving me great strategy on the court before every match, wonderful strategies, what to do, what to expect, as well as how to play a better game, not for today but for tomorrow.

9-krotna mistrzyni wielkoszlemowa Serena Williams zdecydowała się powrócić po 13 latach przerwy do turnieju WTA w Indian Wells, który rozpocznie się 9 marca.
Bojkot kalifornijskiego turnieju przez siostry Williams trwa od 2001 roku. Wówczas Venus Williams wycofała się z meczu półfinałowego przeciwko Serenie na kilka minut przed jego startem, co publiczność uznała za manipulowania wynikami. Dała temu wyraz w trakcie finału, kiedy starszą z sióstr wraz z ich ojcem, Richardem Williamsem wygwizdano gdy pojawili się na trybunach, a przemowa Sereny po meczu została zagłuszona buczeniem. Cała rodzina uznała to za akt rasistowski i od tamtego czasu nie pojawia się w Indian Wells.

W tamtym momencie nie rozumiałam, co się dzieje. Zaczęłam wątpić w siebie, w swoje możliwości. Szybko zniknęła we mnie chęć zwycięstwa - napisała Serena w felietonie dla amerykańskiego magazynu "Time". - To bardzo długo nie dawało spokoju nie tylko mnie, ale całej naszej rodzinie. Szczególnie odczuł to ojciec, który poświęcił całe życie naszym karierom - dodała.
Serena długo zastanawiała się nad powrotem do Indian Wells. W zeszłym roku nawet jej nazwisko pojawiło się na liście zgłoszeń do turnieju, jednak wycofała się przed rozlosowaniem drabinki. - Jestem w takim momencie kariery, w którym nie muszę nikomu niczego udowadniać. Gram dla siebie, czerpię z tego radość. To pozwala mi na powrót do Indian Wells i zrozumienie nowego znaczenia przebaczenia - przyznała liderka rankingu WTA.

Oficjalny powrót 33-letniej Amerykanki zostanie poprzedzony specjalną sesją tenisową ze zwycięzcami aukcji, z której dochód zostanie trafi na konto fundacji walczącej z rasizmem.

Martina Navratilova jest pełna podziwu dla dokonań Sereny Williams w najważniejszych imprezach tenisowych. 18-krotna mistrzyni wielkoszlemowa jest przekonana, że Amerykankę stać na kolejne triumfy.

- Serena jest niesamowita, z pewnością zdobędzie 20. wielkoszlemowe mistrzostwo. Po porażce w I rundzie Rolanda Garrosa 2012 z Virginie Razzano odnalazła właściwy dla siebie rytm i w pełni zaangażowała się w grę - powiedziała Martina Navratilova.

Zwyciężając w Australian Open 2015, Serena Williams sięgnęła po 19. wielkoszlemowe mistrzostwo, dzięki czemu wyprzedziła Navrátilovą i Chris Evert na liście wszech czasów. - Zdała sobie sprawę z tego, że jej czas zbliża się powoli ku końcowi, dlatego podkręciła tempo i ostatnio przegrywa niewiele meczów - dodała była konsultantka Agnieszki Radwańskiej.

Najwięcej zwycięstw w turniejach wielkoszlemowych (24) ma na koncie Margaret Smith Court, ale Navrátilová wierzy, że i ten wynik jest w stanie poprawić młodsza z sióstr Williams. - Nie jest już tak łatwo, gdy ma się ponad 30 lat, ale pokolenie młodych zawodniczek nie jest jeszcze w stanie skutecznie z nią rywalizować, dlatego widzę tutaj dla niej otwartą furtkę. Wszystko będzie zależało od tego, czy Serena zachowa zdrowie i pozostanie odpowiednio umotywowana - zakończyła 18-krotna mistrzyni wielkoszlemowa.

For the fourth time at Roland-Garros 2015 - and the 33rd time in Grand Slam play - Serena Williams came back from a set down to carve out an extraordinary win, proving yet again that you don't get to be a 19-time Grand Slam champion by accident. The No.1 seed reached her 24th Slam final by defeating Timea Bacsinszky 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 in front of a startled Philippe-Chatrier Court crowd and will face the No.13 seed Lucie Safarova in Saturday's final. From a first set in which she appeared to be feeling so spectacularly ill that she almost came to a halt, Williams turned the match around from a break down in the second set to shut out Bacsinszky with ten games on the bounce. It was her tenth successive Slam semi-final victory, and she remains on course to become the first woman to win the US, Australian and French titles successively since Monica Seles 23 years ago.

At the point of victory she bent double over her racket in relief, and seemed barely able to reach the net to shake her opponent's hand. Having slumped in her chair as Bacsinszky left the court both smiling and shedding tears of disappointment, Serena stood up for the post-match on-court interview but had to curtail it when she was overtaken by a coughing fit, having uttered the words: "Je suis malade." ["I am ill."] It was all very dramatic.

On the hottest day of the tournament so far, the initial skirmishes had Bacsinszky - the first Swiss woman in any Slam semi-final since Patty Schnyder in 2004 - toughing out her serve while Serena held with ease. But soon afterwards, it would have taken an observer of astonishingly bad eyesight not to notice the No.1 seed's overt physical discomfort. It became apparent at 3-2, just after Bacsinszky had broken, creating her chance by tempting Williams in with a drop shot only to lob her perfectly, and converting with a backhand crosscourt return of serve. Serena was slumped in her chair at the changeover, draping her pulse points and forehead in ice towels and looking the picture of someone unwell. Those who saw her in practice on Thursday morning had observed her doubled over and coughing. Of these symptoms there was no sign, but she did not look at all happy. Kept on the defensive at 4-5, Williams' expression was actively tearful. Bacsinszky's first set point departed without reward, but Serena had an open court at her disposal to save the second and instead muffed it.

Of course, history has shown that being a set up against Serena scarcely counts as an advantage at all. Today it seemed Williams was making too many errors, and that Bacsinszky was blithely playing her game. At 1-0 Serena wildly misjudged a sprint in from the baseline to meet an overhead and came to a back-pedalling, skidding halt, ultimately losing the point. Her stricken body language was reminiscent of the day last Wimbledon when she and Venus scratched from the doubles due to Serena's virus. At 2-2 in a nine-minute game Bacsinszky needed six separate break points before a Williams mistake let her in. But far from this moment sign-posting a win for the Swiss, it was instead to be the high point of Bacsinszky's afternoon. Levelling thanks to her opponent's errors, Williams lifted the intensity a couple more notches just as Bacsinszky became hesitant. At the business end of the set, three successive Serena backhands tested the Swiss too far, and although Williams needed three set points to close it out, she got the job done.

At the start of the third Bacsinszky netted a truly horrible forehand to allow the early break. The Swiss had two chances to level again next game, but Serena was having none of it. When more errors permitted the double break, it was little wonder that Williams was looking considerably brighter at the changeover. At the death, a Bacsinszky backhand - so often her most effective weapon throughout this tournament - drifted long, and the turnaround was complete.

"I'm not sure how I did it," Williams said on court afterwards. "I just thought I didn't want to lose without a fight."

Bacsinszky's tears as she departed were understandable, and she will bitterly rue coming so near to a Slam final. But just two years after she nearly quit the game entirely for a new career in hotel management, her ranking will leap to No.15 next Monday, her 26th birthday.

As for Serena, it is hard to bet against her winning on Saturday, and breaking the record she already holds as the oldest winner at Roland-Garros in 57 years.

After surviving her toughest ever path to a Grand Slam final - four times in six matches she had to fight back from a set down, even coming within three points of defeat in one of those matches - Serena Williams survived another three-setter against giant-killer Lucie Safarova to win her third Grand Slam title in a row, and the milestone 20th Grand Slam title of her career.

Watch highlights, interviews and more video from Paris right here on wtatennis.com!

Safarova was having the tournament of her life, powering into her first Grand Slam final without even dropping a set, taking out a pair of former champions - Maria Sharapova and Ana Ivanovic - en route.

Meanwhile, Williams was having the fight of her life time and time again en route to the final, having to rally from a set down four times in six matches, her closest call coming in the fourth round as she was three points from losing against inspired WTA Rising Star Sloane Stephens serving at 1-6, 4-5, 0-15.

And she wasn't out of the woods yet. It looked like it was going to be an easier day at the office for a while - after just over an hour on the court Williams found herself up a set and a double break at 6-3, 4-1, even going up 40-15 in that game - double game point for a seemingly unstoppable 6-3, 5-1 lead.

The match turned in a big way from there. Safarova dug out of that double game point and ended up winning five of the next seven games to push the second set to a tie-break, and after she raced through that tie-break, she raced out to an early 2-0 lead in the third set - Williams was in real danger.

But like she's done so many times in her illustrious career there was one last fightback left, and the No.1-seeded Williams won six games in a row to edge the No.13-seeded Safarova, 6-3, 6-7(2), 6-2.

An elated Williams spoke to the Court Philippe Chatrier crowd afterwards - in French.

"It got really complicated today," Williams said. "I was getting a little bit nervous, and Lucie was just playing great. She was a magificent opponent. She was playing very aggressive and she had no fear.

"To win my 20th Grand Slam title here at Roland Garros is very special for me because I haven't always had the most success here. I want to thank all of the fans - it's just a dream that I've won this title."

And when asked to say a few words to her fans at home in English? "Everyone watching back home, thank you for all the support. This is just a dream for me. I love you, I love you, I love you - thank you!"

Williams is the third player in tennis history, male or female, to win 20 majors, after Margaret Court (24) and Steffi Graf (22). She's the first player to win three straight majors since she did it herself during the Serena Slam, when she won four straight between the 2002 French Open and 2003 Australian Open. And she's the first player to win the Australian-French double since 2001 (Jennifer Capriati).

She will also extend her lead atop both the WTA Rankings and Road To Singapore leaderboard after this.

With a third Coupe Suzanne Lenglen in the bag, Serena Williams jetted back across the Atlantic and wound up in Jack Nicklaus’s North Palm Beach back yard.

Naturally.

Continuing her tradition of skipping the grass court lead-up events before Wimbledon, the world No.1 took a week to rest up, shaking that flu, before opting to join sister Venus at the golfing legend’s home in preparation for the year’s third Grand Slam event.

An avid tennis fan, 73-year-old Nicklaus has three grass courts and plays most weekends.

When Williams defeated Caroline Wozniacki for last year’s US Open title, she drew level with the “Golden Bear” on 18 majors.

No golfer has won more.

Nicklaus is one of only five golfers to have won all four of golf’s majors but never achieved the feat in the same calendar year.

Williams now stands to achieve something he never accomplished.


It is the first time in her career she has won the season’s opening two Grand Slam events and arrives at Wimbledon as hot a favourite as in any previous year.

“That's where we've been training. Me and Venus were at Jack Nicklaus's place. He's so nice to let us use his courts. It was fun,” Williams said. “(They’re) very good courts.”

The possiblity of completing her first calendar slam does not seem to weigh too heavily on the five-time champion’s mind.

“Personally, it doesn't make it feel any different, which I think is a good thing ’cause I don't feel any pressure to win all four,” she said. “I've been saying that, but I really don't feel that pressure. Maybe if I would happen to win here, then maybe I might start feeling it after that.

“I think the fact that I lost so early the past couple years definitely makes me motivated. But I think that also gives me a little less pressure because I haven't done well here in the past two years. It makes me feel like, OK, I'll be fine. I have nothing to lose here. I don't have many points to defend here. So it's just like trying to have fun, go through it.”

Williams will close to within one slam of equalling Steffi Graf’s haul of 22 should she reclaim her crown at SW19.

Surely, you would expect each triumph to no longer rouse the same level of elation.

It has been 15 years of winning them, after all.

Not quite, Williams explains.

“You know, two years ago I would say yes, I definitely enjoyed winning them more, like a year and a half ago, two years ago, than I did when I was younger,” she said. “Now I think it's even. When you're young and you first win, it's like, great. You want to go to all these different countries, winning all these Grand Slams, it's an amazing feeling. But now I still feel that way. I feel just as excited, not more excited, but I feel just as excited.”


If she needed any new motivation there is the chance to win on the 40th anniversary of African American trailblazer Arthur Ashe’s triumph.

His is a legacy Williams has often cited, the first and stil the only black man to win a Grand Slam title.

“You know, after 40 years, his legacy still lives on in one of the greatest ways. That was just an amazing match that he played. It was against Connors, I believe,” she said.

“It's been a lot I think for just African Americans not just in tennis, but in all of sports in breaking barriers, Arthur Ashe and everything he did for tennis.

“My only wish is that I met him when I was a little older. Even though I was super young, he was doing a clinic, and I remember being in that clinic and just thinking, wow, I'm hitting with Arthur Ashe. This is so cool. He was so nice.

“He took his time with all the kids that were there. You know, he took a lot of time with me and with Venus. It was a great moment. It's something that one never forgets. It just kind of always lives with you.”

- There was no shortage of drama, especially right at the start and right at the end, but Serena Williams battled past Garbiñe Muguruza in straight sets for her sixth Wimbledon, 21st Grand Slam title and second Serena Slam - her self-stylized name for a Non-Calendar Year Grand Slam.

Playing in the first Grand Slam final of her blossoming career, the No.20-seeded Muguruza came out on fire, breaking in the very first game of the match then holding for 2-0. And she held onto that break for a few more games - she extended that 2-0 lead to 3-1 and even 4-2, just a few games from the set.

But the No.1-seeded Williams came alive from there, winning five games in a row to build a 6-4, 1-0 lead, and then, after Muguruza held to even it up, 1-1, she reeled off four straight games for a 5-1 lead.

It wasn't over at all - Muguruza clawed back, winning the next three games to close the gap to 5-4, but Williams summoned up one last break of serve to clinch the match and the championships, 6-4, 6-4.

The finalists met the BBC's Sue Barker for the traditional on-court interviews after the match.

"I'm very happy and proud to be playing in front of this amazing crowd," Muguruza said of her first Grand Slam final. "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."

"Garbiñe played so well," Williams said. "I didn't even know it was over - she was fighting so hard at the end. Congratultions - 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."

Serena Slam 1 consisted of the 2002 French Open, 2002 Wimbledon, 2002 US Open and 2003 Australian Open, and Serena Slam 2 is the 2014 US Open, 2015 Australian Open, 2015 French Open and 2015 Wimbledon.

Williams' 21 total Grand Slam titles is second-most in the Open Era, after Steffi Graf's 22, and third-most all-time, after Graf's 22 and Margaret Court's 24. She's just the second woman all-time to win four or more Grand Slam titles in a row twice - Graf also accomplished the feat twice in her career.

And at 33 years and 289 days, the World No.1 is also the oldest woman to win a Grand Slam title in the Open Era, beating Martina Navratilova's record of 33 years and 263 days at Wimbledon back in 1990.

Serena Williams pokonała Marię Szarapową i po raz ósmy w karierze awansowała do finału Wimbledonu. O słynny talerz powalczy z Garbine Muguruzą.

W ubiegłym roku na kortach Rolanda Garrosa obecna liderka rankingu poniosła bardzo dotkliwą porażkę z Garbine Muguruzą. Wówczas Amerykanka zdołała ugrać po dwa gemy w każdym secie i już na etapie II rundy pożegnała się z turniejem. 20-krotna triumfatorka imprez wielkoszlemowych przyznała, że to niepowodzenie otworzyło jej oczy.


- Przegrałam z nią w ubiegłym roku, ale ta porażka otworzyła mi oczy - powiedziała Serena Williams. - Czasem niepowodzenia cie złoszczą, a w innym wypadku czegoś cie uczą. Wówczas wyciągnęłam wiele wniosków. Wiedziałam, że jeśli chcę być najlepsza, to muszę poprawić kilka elementów.


- Ona doskonale wie, jak ze mną grać, bo pokonała mnie już wcześniej. Tym razem to będzie inna sytuacja, bo ma szansę zostać mistrzynią Wimbledonu. To z pewnością nie będzie łatwe spotkanie. Muszę wyjść na kort i dać z siebie wszystko. Ważne będzie pozytywne myślenie i utrzymanie koncentracji.

Młodsza z sióstr Williams w swojej karierze osiągnęła już praktycznie wszystko. Jest wielokrotną triumfatorką imprez wielkoszlemowych zarówno w singlu, jak i deblu. Wygrała Puchar Federacji oraz zdobyła złote medale Igrzysk Olimpijskich. Amerykanka przyznała, że nie oczekuje już od siebie kolejnych triumfów, ale chce czerpać radość z tenisa.

- Jestem tutaj. Zdobyłam już tak wiele tytułów wielkoszlemowych i jestem na takim etapie, że nie muszę już więcej wygrywać. Oczywiście będę szczęśliwa, ale tak naprawdę nic już nie potrzebuję. Mogę przegrać ten finał, czy kolejny US Open. Za każdym razem, kiedy wychodzę na kort treningowy lub mecz, staram się czerpać z tego radość. Nie pociąga to za sobą tyle stresu, co kiedyś. Zdobycie 18. tytułu było istną nerwówką. Później zaczęłam się tym wszystkim cieszyć - dodała.