Serena Williams has appeared in nine Wimbledon finals. This is what happened:
2016
Williams, looking to equal Steffi Graf’s Open era winning record of 22 majors, defended her Wimbledon crown with a 7-5, 6-3 triumph over Angelique Kerber, to draw level with Graf. It was Williams’ seventh singles title at the All England Club.
The final with Kerber was a high-quality duel that lasted 81 minutes and was described by many as one of the best Wimbledon title matches in recent times.
With Jay-Z and Beyonce sitting in her box to witness her milestone triumph, Williams banished the painful memories of defeat in her previous three majors.
“I’ve definitely had some sleepless nights, if I’m honest, with a lot of stuff - coming so close, feeling it, not being able to quite get there. I put a lot of that pressure on myself. I had some really tough losses,” admitted Williams after the match.
2015
Up against first-time Grand Slam finalist Garbiñe Muguruza, Williams was going for the ‘Serena Slam’ – winning four majors in a row but across two different calendar years. The American had a tough path to the final, defeating her sister Venus, Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova en route to the decider against Muguruza.
Williams overcame the Spaniard No.20 seed 6-4, 6-4 in 83 minutes, coming back from 2-4 down in the opening set. Muguruza gave Williams a scare in the second, by rallying from 1-5 down but her fight-back was halted as her opponent clinched a sixth Wimbledon crown.
“Don’t be sad, you’ll be holding this trophy very, very soon, believe me,” Williams told Muguruza after the final. The Spaniard would indeed win the title two years later.
At 33 years and 289 days, Williams surpassed Martina Navratilova as the oldest player to win Wimbledon, and any of the other three Grand Slams, in the Open era. The last time a player had held all four majors at the same time was Williams between 2002 and 2003.
2012
It had been two years since Williams had won a Grand Slam and she was coming off a shocking first round loss at Roland-Garros to Virginie Razzano, which remains the only time the American has been defeated in her opener at a major. The year before, Williams was hospitalised with a pulmonary embolism and was out of the sport for 11 months.
Her Wimbledon final opponent, Agnieszka Radwanska was suffering from a respiratory illness and could barely speak the day before the Championships decider.
Williams led Radwanska by a set and 4-2 – following a short rain delay – but the Pole pegged her back to take the second set and force a third. But Williams was unfazed and wrapped up the victory 6-1, 5-7, 6-2, striking 17 aces along the way to take her tournament total to 102, a record for the women's event.
“This one is super special. It's Wimbledon. I've wanted to win here so bad,” said Williams after capturing her 14th major.
2010
Williams missed a large chunk of the 2010 season with a knee injury but was untouchable against Russia’s Vera Zvonareva in the Wimbledon final. She needed just 67 minutes to defeat the No.21 seed 6-3, 6-2, facing zero break points along the way. It was Williams’ fourth title success at SW19 and it moved her past Billie Jean King to sixth place in the all-time list of Grand Slam women's champions with 13 majors.
“Hey Billie, I got you – that's 13 for me now,” Williams told King, who was watching from the Royal Box.
2009
An all-Williams final for the second straight year at Wimbledon, Serena was looking to avenge her defeat to Venus. In a Championships decider featuring two Americans and taking place on the fourth of July, Serena took out her big sis 7-6(3), 6-2 in a one-hour 27-minute battle to win her third Venus Rosewater Dish and 11th Grand Slam. It was the fourth time their two sisters were facing off in a Wimbledon final and Serena took her record against Venus in those matches to 3-1.
When Serena took the opening set tie-break in the 2009 final, it was the first set Venus had dropped at Wimbledon since the 2007 third round. Venus was looking to become the first woman to win three consecutive titles at Wimbledon since Steffi Graf in the early 1990s but Serena had other ideas, saving the only two break points she faced to beat her sister on her fourth match point.
“She was too good. She had an answer for everything,” said Venus of Serena, who was now on 11 Grand Slam titles. She ousted three top-eight seeds in a row en route. The win for Serena ended her six-year title drought at Wimbledon.
2008
A third Wimbledon final between Venus and Serena Williams, the older sister defended her title with a 7-5, 6-4 success in a near-two-hour duel to make it five Championships.
“She was a little better today. It didn't work out the way I planned,” said Serena. “It's a great celebration for our family, we're really happy. I've been working really hard and I'm so happy at least one of us was able to win.”
2004
It was a match that sparked a rivalry that remains to this day; two-time defending champion Serena was stunned by 17-year-old No.13 seed Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-4 in 73.
"It wasn't my day today but Maria played a really good match and I want to congratulate her on her first Grand Slam," said Williams, who at the time had already picked up six majors.
2003
Fresh from a Roland-Garros semi-final defeat to Justine Henin, Williams avenged that loss to set up a final against sister Venus for a second consecutive year. Venus had sustained an abdominal strain against Kim Clijsters in the semi-finals and played Serena with both her left thigh and stomach strapped.
But that didn’t stop the older sister from racing to a 4-0 lead and she took a one-set advantage over Serena. The younger Williams sibling struck back and completed a 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 triumph, to retain her Wimbledon crown. It was Serena’s fifth Grand Slam title in her last six majors.
2002
Serena came into Wimbledon a two-time major champion after beating Venus to take the Roland-Garros title. Their showdown at the All England Club was their third final of the year.
Serena won 7-6(4), 6-3 to claim her first Wimbledon trophy and replace her sister as the new world No.1.
“At the beginning of the year, I told myself I don't care what else happens this year, I want to win Wimbledon,” confessed Serena after the match. “I really wanted to win the French but that was an extra bonus. I just wanted to win Wimbledon. I wanted to become a member of so much prestige. I wanted to be a part of history.”
