A short while after stepping off the court carrying the Wimbledon trophy for a sixth time in her career, Serena Williams allowed herself to look ahead to New York where she could possibly make history and win a calendar year Grand Slam at the US Open in September.
“Serena writes history every week,” her coach Patrick Mouratoglou says. In a way that is true.
With her 6-4, 6-4 win over Spaniard Garbine Muguruza in the final on Saturday, the 33-year-old Williams became the oldest grand slam champion in the Open Era and completed the ‘Serena Slam’ for a second time in her career, having captured a fourth consecutive major trophy.
The last time a player held all four majors at the same time was Williams between 2002 and 2003.
But winning all four grand slams in the same calendar year is a different kind of history. Only three other women have achieved that in the past and Williams would be the first since 1988 to pull it off, should she win the next major in New York.
Not only would Williams complete the Grand Slam with a win there, she would also equal Steffi Graf’s Open Era record of 22 major titles, which could shut the door on any doubts that the American is the greatest of all-time.
“It took me a little while. I think when I did my interview for BBC after the match, I did the whole presentation, I did the whole walk around the court. I was peaceful, feeling really good. Maybe a little after that I started thinking about New York,” admitted Williams after her victory.
Williams had forbidden anyone from talking to her about the ‘Serena Slam’ heading into the final with Muguruza and her nervy start showed she knew in the back of her mind that she was chasing history.
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In her first six matches at Wimbledon this fortnight, Williams had struck just 13 double faults in total. In an eight-minute opening game against Muguruza alone, she had already hit three to get broken and allow the Spaniard an early lead.
Williams was frustrated with herself, screaming loudly as she struggled to land almost half of her first serves in. Letting out the anger helped as she managed to break back in the eighth game, where she got away with a mis-hit return to draw level at 4-4.
Muguruza hit her first double fault of the match to face a break/set-point in the 10th game and Williams converted with a big cross court forehand winner to take a one-set lead and her fourth consecutive game.
In the second set, Williams raced to a 5-1 lead but that’s when Muguruza decided to go for broke as she rallied back, claiming two service breaks to make it 4-5.
Women’s Grand Slam-a tournament in which everyone competes to reach the finals to get beaten by Serena. What an athlete. Take a bow. #legend
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) July 11, 2015
But then it was the 21-year-old’s turn to get nervy as she double-faulted on her first point in the 10th game. Williams pounced at the chance, going up 0-40 and she wrapped up her second ‘Serena Slam’ on a wild forehand from Muguruza.
“Don’t be sad, you’ll be holding this trophy very, very soon, believe me,” Williams told Muguruza during the trophy ceremony.
The world No 1 heaped praise on her opponent during her press conference too, adding: “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.”
Mouratoglou branded Williams accomplishing the ‘Serena Slam’ an “incredible achievement”, and said nobody in the women’s game has worked out a way to consistently challenge her.
“No one ever found the key, it is hidden really well,” said the French coach. “I don’t think it exists. She can lose but the key to beat her no one ever found it. To beat her maybe once, but it doesn’t happen again so it’s not the real key.”
