Serena Williams’ bid for a 24th Grand Slam title was spoiled Saturday by No. 7 seed Simona Halep, who dominated Williams 6-2, 6-2 at Wimbledon.
This is Halep's first Wimbledon championship, with her only other major title coming at the 2018 French Open.
Though Williams has won seven times at the All England Club, this is the second consecutive year she has fallen short in the finals.
“When someone plays lights-out, there’s really not much you can do,” Williams said. “I think my opponent just played unbelievable.”
Williams had previously beaten Halep all three times the two met in Grand Slam matches, but Saturday was a different story. The match was never particularly close, with Halep winning the first four games en route to a surprisingly easy victory in straight sets, holding Williams without a single break point.
Serena Williams and Simona Halep embrace after Saturday's Wimbledon final. (Photo: Laurence Griffiths, Getty Images)
“I think I played my best tennis ever,” Halep said. “I just didn’t think about what is happening and where I am, I just wanted to be aggressive, to play my plan.”
Halep said she tried not to think about facing one of the greatest players in the sport during the match.
"I don’t put pressure on myself," Halep said. "Everything I focused on, it was myself and the fact that I played great in the semifinals and I have the game to play on grass.”
The loss is Williams' worst in her Wimbledon finals career; she had never finished with fewer than five games won. She's also never been defeated in such dominant fashion at any Grand Slam final.
Williams, who was seeded 11th this week, hasn’t won a Grand Slam title since the Australian Open in 2017.
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