Serena Wiliams' sixth Wimbledon triumph was her 21st Grand Slam in total
Sits just one behind Steffi Graf's Open era record of 22 singles titles
Martina Navratilova competed in her final Grand Slam final aged 37
But Williams, 33, doesn't see herself playing until that age
Serena Williams became the oldest woman to win a Grand Slam singles title in the Open era, and in scintillating form that suggests no end is in sight for her career. But she then appeared to suggest she won’t play on long enough to break another age-related record.
Williams was 33 years and 289 days old on Saturday when she beat Garbine Muguruza of Spain 6-4, 6-4 to complete the ‘Serena Slam’, win her 21st Slam singles title, and set up the chance to complete a calendar-year Slam at the US Open.
After she had had some time to digest her latest triumph, she was told Martina Navratilova was 37 when she contested her final Slam singles final in 1994, and asked if there was any reason she couldn’t be playing at that age.
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| Williams was celebrating her sixth Wimbledon title and 21st Grand Slam victory overall |
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| Williams was 33 years and 289 days old when she beat Garbine Muguruza to complete the ‘Serena Slam’ |
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| Williams clutches the famous Venus Rosewater Dish after winning a sixth singles title at Wimbledon |
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| Williams poses with losing finalist Garbine Muguruza (right) on Centre Court on Saturday |
‘Oh my gosh!’ she said. ‘I can’t believe that. Wow. I didn’t realise she was 37. That was an incredible run. Who knows? I would like to believe that I wouldn’t still be playing when I’m 37.’
Asked to clarify whether she can see herself still competing in four years’ time, Serena added: ‘I never thought I’d be playing at 33. Never say never. I don’t know what to say to that. Who knows? Physically I feel better than when I was younger. I’m just doing the best I can.’
It is Williams’s longevity and her utter domination of the biggest events that make her a prime candidate to be the greatest of all time. Arguably only Steffi Graf (22 Slam singles) and Navratilova (18 Slam singles titles and 41 in doubles) remain rivals for that honour.
Williams said on Saturday evening that on court she usually has a song playing in her head. ‘If I stop singing it, I usually start losing, then I go back to singing,’ she said. ‘It’s crazy up there,’ she said, indicating her head, and smiling. ‘You don’t want to be up there.’
And her song of choice? She revealed to Sportsmail it’s usually What A Feeling by Irene Cara. ‘Random, right?’ she said.
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| Williams raises both arms in the air after winning Wimbledon to claim a fourth consecutive grand slam |
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| The World No 1 pumps her fist on her way to a another victory in the ladies final at the All England Club |
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| Steffi Graf won her 22nd and final Grand Slam title at the French Open in 1999 |
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| Martina Navratilova waving goodbye to Centre Court after her final Grand Slam final aged 37 in 1994 |
She also theorised why she has been capable of dominating several generations of rivals. ‘I’m like a sponge,’ she said. ‘When I lose I gather up information, I expand and learn so much from every loss . . . I’m the kind of player that when I lose, instead of not learning I learn a lot from it. That’s helped me out.’
Losing is not something that has happened to her in a Slam for more than a year, since crashing out of last year’s Wimbledon in the third round to Alize Cornet.
Williams’s next appointment with history will be Flushing Meadows, and a potential four-Slam year for the first time since Graf in 1988. ‘It would be amazing,’ she said. ‘Even to have this opportunity to go into New York, being an American, with that amazing New York crowd.’
