Serena Williams won her first grand slam title, the 1999 US Open, at the age of 17. Yesterday, not quite 16 years on, she has claimed her latest: a nervy, emotional 6-4, 6-4 victory at Wimbledon over Spain’s Garbine Muguruza. Whether the 33-year-old American is the greatest player – male or female – ever to compete in the sport is a continuing debate. But certainly never in the modern era has a player dominated tennis for such a prolonged period.
Before Saturday’s final, Williams said she didn’t “need” to win another title. She has a point: she has now triumphed in 21 grand slams, one shy of Steffi Graf’s record, including six Wimbledons.