After two weeks of battles on the London grass, the Wimbledon ladies final came down to a 20-time major champion against a player who has been projected as a future Grand Slam titlist. But for the sixth time, it was Serena Williams who captured the prize with a 6-4 6-4 victory over Garbine Muguruza.

Any question of nerves by Muguruza was put aside as she quickly broke Williams in the first game of the match. But the American slowly found her rhythm as the set advanced and began to pressure the Spaniard with deep, solid groundstrokes. However, the 21-year-old summoned her big serve to bail out of threats imposed by the American. But eventually Williams’ steadfast attack broke Muguruza, and she evened the set at 4-4. Seizing the momentum, the top seed would consolidate the break and for the first time in the match, nerves appeared in the Spaniard as she served to stay in the set. An untimely double fault followed by a timid point by Muguruza led to a service break by Serena, who took the first set.

In the second set, an even-keeled Williams would continue to pressure the 20th seed and broke through her serve once more to gain an early 3-1 lead. Like so many opponents before, the Spaniard helplessly felt the Williams tide pushing against her.

However, with Serena serving for the championship at 5-1, Muguruza refused to go down without a fight. She would immediately rip through a nervous game by the 33-year-old at love and followed by consolidating the break.

Amazingly, the set would take another turn in a topsy-turvy eighth game. For the second time, the American served for the title, but it was the youngster who would jump to a 0-40 advantage only to find Williams fight back. In the best game of the match, the pair dueled back and forth. But after saving four break points, the world No. 1 finally relented, and in an improbable twist, Muguruza had earned both lost serves back.

However, perhaps with a letdown creeping into her service game, the Spaniard would not win a point as she sought to even the set, and once again it was a triumphant Serena Williams at Wimbledon.

She addressed the crowd afterwards, “I can't believe I'm standing here with another Serena Slam, so it's really cool. You guys really helped me get through it, I heard all the ‘I love you’s.’ Thank you, I love you more,” she said.

Williams had praise for her opponent as well. “Garbine played so well. I didn't even know it was over because she had been playing so well,” she said during the trophy presentation. Then, addressing Muguruza, she continued, “Don't be sad, you'll be holding this trophy very, very soon, believe me.”

The Spaniard gained many fans during the fortnight and the spectators showed their appreciation giving an extended ovation to the teary-eyed but appreciative Muguruza as she held her runner-up trophy. Her result will catapult her into the world top 10.

With the victory, Williams captured her second “Serena Slam”, winning her fourth straight major title dating back to the 2014 U. S. Open. She earned her 21st major championship and will now have an opportunity to accomplish a calendar Grand Slam in New York. A title there would equal the great Steffi Graf with 22 major titles, and ironically it was the German who last completed the calendar Grand Slam in 1988.

Williams will now turn to the American hard courts in preparation for the U. S. Open at the end of the summer at Flushing Meadows as she continues her quest for history.