The storyline was assured either way – an ageless Venus Williams winning her first Grand Slam title since 2008 or Garbiñe Muguruza surging to her maiden Wimbledon triumph.
It would be Muguruza, the 23-year-old with a lone French Open title to her name, who took the honours against the 37-year-old seven-time slam champion, the first woman to beat both Williams sisters in Grand Slam finals.
Players current and former, legends of other sporting codes and actors alike took to Twitter to offer their congratulations to both women.
After a high-quality shoot-out in the first set in which Muguruza saved a pair of set points to land the first blow, former Wimbledon champion Boris Becker claimed it: “One of the best first sets I have seen at Wimbledon.”
Victory came fast after a tight opening set and two-time Wimbledon champion Rafael Nadal led the tributes to his countrywoman.
“Congratulations @GarbiMuguruza champion at Wimbledon! Great success for Spanish tennis!” he tweeted.
Muguruza became the second Spanish woman after her coach Conchita Martinez to win the ladies’ singles title. It made Martinez the first woman to win Wimbledon as a player and a coach.
She later tweeted a photo of the pair in an elated embrace off court with the message “Without words”.
Muguruza’s some-time doubles partner, Carla Suarez Navarro, was one of the first to tweet her congratulations. “Muguuuu, Congratulations! For continuing making history,” she tweeted.
Retired Spanish player Anabel Medina Garrigues, now a coach of last month’s French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko, tweeted a wall-size screen shot of Muguruza holding the winner’s trophy from the set of the Movistartenis studio with the message: “You are very large @GarbiMuguruza! Congratulations! You deserved to win Wimbledon!”
Fernando Verdasco tweeted several times throughout the match, first after Muguruza secured the set, then when she was one game from victory before his final tweet: “Wow! Amazing @GarbiMuguruza! Champion of Wimbledon. Congratulations! Enjoy it very much!”
David Ferrer continued the list of Spanish players passing on their congratulations, while South African player Kevin Anderson showed his support for both women: “Great tourney for champ @GarbiMuguruza and finalist @Venusewilliams. You’ll both undoubtedly go down as legends in our sport. Congrats Garbi.”
Retired doubles great Pam Shriver posted: “A Wimbledon championship match turned on a dime, 4-5 15-40!!! @GarbiMuguruza congratulations.” She followed up with a special tribute to Williams: “Over 20 years of admiring @Venuseswilliams, her resiliency, grit, joy of tennis and sportsmanship has been top shelf. #nevergiveup.”
Serena Williams’s coach Patrick Mouratoglou naturally was hoping for another Williams family triumph but was quick to acknowledge the efforts of both: “I am sad for Venus but she is back at a great level which is fantastic to see. Congrats to Garbiñe who played a great match and deserves.”
Tennis writers had plenty to say in the wash-up of the result. Hannah Wilks tweeted: “The exceptional grace that Venus Williams can muster at her most disappointed & heartbroken is something that goes beyond sport, for me”.
Fellow tennis scribe Christopher Clarey added: “Extraordinary performance by Garbiñe Muguruza to win Wimbledon 7-5, 6-0 over Venus Williams. Tears of joy. Groundstrokes of thunder.”
US sports reporter Matt Dowell, of Wach Fox, tweeted: “Let it be known: Venus Williams is an [sic] timeless champion. 37 years old with an autoimmune disease & still making Grand Slam finals.”
US winter Olympic great Lindsey Vonn had hoped her countrywoman was going to land an eighth slam. “Awe man, I’m bummed for @Venuseswilliams,” she tweeted. “Keep going girl, you have more in you still!”
Spanish acting legend Antonio Banderas tweeted a photograph of himself with Muguruza at Wimbledon, with the words: “What a great feat! Congratulations champion!”
Spanish NBA star Willy Hernangomez also chimed in: “Congratulations GarbiMuguruza! Incredible! Champion! #MyGame.”
There was support from Spain’s football stars with Real Madrid’s Marcos Llorente tweeting, “Huge GarbiMuguruza! Wimbledon Champion!” and Iker Casillas, of club Porto, tweeting a photo of his countrywoman with the words: “Champion congratulations!! Very large!”
Actress Caitriona Balfe, star of Outlander, tweeted: “Class act @Venuseswilliams and congratulations @GarbiMuguruza. What a match.”
Comedian Roy Wood Junior tweeted: “When they retire and finally decide to tell their story, that Venus/Serena ‘30 for 30’ is gonna be a classic.”