WIMBLEDON, England — For the third time since her return to tennis, Serena Williams was one victory away from equaling Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles.
For the third time, Williams faltered, losing the Wimbledon final Saturday to Simona Halep, 6-2, 6-2.
“She really played out of her mind, so congratulations, Simona,” Williams said in an on-court interview, referring to Halep’s dominance in a match that was over in 56 minutes and in which Halep made only three unforced errors.
Asked if she had ever played a better match, Halep said, “Never.”
It was the 11th Wimbledon final for Williams.