Serena Williams Wins Fifth Wimbledon Title, 14th Major

Serena Williams put an exclamation point on her comeback from injury, returning to the winners circle at Wimbledon after defeating World No. 3 Agnieszka Radwanska, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2, to win her 14th career Major title.

Williams dominated the first set, taking it in just 36 minutes. It looked like she would repeat that in the second set, going up 3-1, before Radwanska fought to level the set at 4-4 and forced a third.

But it was all Williams in the final set as she closed out her first Major title since the fateful day in 2010 when several days after winning Wimbledon, she cut her feet on broken glass at a German restaurant, requiring two foot surgeries. After that, she dealt with life-threatening blood clots in her lungs, and health scares that just kept coming.

Williams spoke about her comeback after winning the title.

“There was a moment I just remember I was on the couch and I didn’t leave the whole day, for two days,” Williams said. “I was just over it. I was praying, like I can’t take any more. I’ve endured enough. Let me be able to get through this.”

“I didn’t give up. I was just so tired at that point. I had a tube in my stomach and it was draining constantly. Gosh, I mean, right before that I had the blood clot. I had lung problems. Then I had two foot surgeries. It was a lot. I felt like I didn’t do anything to bring on that. I just felt down, the lowest of lows.”

Williams hit 17 aces, four double-faults, 58 winners, and 36 unforced errors in her win. In contrast, Radwanska hit two aces, five double-faults, 13 winners, and 14 unforced errors. Williams got broken twice in the match, and was able to break Radwanska’s serve five times.

“You know, coming here and winning today is amazing because literally last year I was ranked almost 200. It’s been an unbelievable journey for me,” Williams said.

“She was serving very well today,” Radwanska said. “So many aces and I couldn’t do much about it. I really had my chances, and I took the second set. Then I think she was just too good in important moments in the third set, so it was too hard for me to come back.”

Radwanska will move up one position in the WTA rankings to World No. 2, while Williams will move up two spots to No. 4.