That’s how many Grand Slam singles titles Williams owns as of Saturday.
“I thought, ’I hope I got the number right,”’ she said. “You know me: I tend to forget.”
Story continues below ↓advertisement | your ad hereThat’s OK, Serena. The way you’re accumulating championships, it’s tough to keep track.
With a superb serve that had other greats of the game gushing, and plenty of offense and defense to back it up, the No. 1-ranked Williams overwhelmed No. 21 Vera Zvonareva of Russia 6-3, 6-2 in Saturday’s final to win her fourth Wimbledon title and, yes, 13th major tournament overall.
That’s the most among active women and gives Williams sole possession of sixth place on the all-time list, breaking a tie with her former U.S. Fed Cup captain, Billie Jean King. Addressing King, who was in the front row of the Royal Box, Williams said: “Hey, Billie, I got you! This is No. 13 for me now. It’s just amazing to able to be among such great people.”
The American did not drop a set over two dominant weeks at the All England Club.
Take a look at some of the notable Wimbledon women's singles champions.
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Williams improved to 13-3 in major finals; half of the 16 were against her sister. Zvonareva only once before went as far as the semifinals at any Grand Slam tournament and never was past the fourth round at Wimbledon until this year.“I did not show my best today, and it’s a bit disappointing, because it’s the final,” Zvonareva said. “You know, you don’t reach the Wimbledon final every day.”
Well, if you’re a Williams, you do reach one nearly every year. Ten of the past 11 women’s Wimbledon finals included at least one of the sisters; they played each other for the title four times.
This year, though, Venus lost in the quarterfinals, and she already was home in Florida before Saturday. So Serena took center stage, and as she walked through the All England Club carrying the champion’s plate, she spun around and kicked up her heels.
“I was really feeling Frank Sinatra-ish — ’Come Fly With Me,’ ’Fly Me To The Moon,”’ she explained. “Old-style dance — that’s what I felt like at the moment.”
The 28-year-old Williams has been criticized in the past for not paying enough attention to her tennis career, for dabbling in acting and clothes design.
It’s clear, however, that she is as good as it gets right now, and could be for some time.
“That’s always been a goal of hers, I guess, to be the best,” said her mother, Oracene Price. “And to not lose. She hates losing.”
That was never much of a concern Saturday.
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