Before the Wimbledon final against Angelique Kerber, Serena Williams was asked by a reporter about being considered “one of the greatest female athletes of all time.”
Her reply? “I prefer the words ‘one of the greatest athletes of all time’.”
And a day later, she put on a near-flawless display at the center court of Wimbledon to win her record-equalling 22nd Grand Slam title. You’d have be insane to not agree with her claim. She is, truly, one of the greatest athletes we have seen in our time.
Shrugging off the weight of history on her shoulders, Serena defeated German fourth seed Kerber 7-5, 6-3 to secure a seventh Wimbledon title and the long-awaited share of Graf’s landmark.
The true mark of a stupendous performance was the fact that her opponent in the final could not have played any better. Kerber was at absolute best for the best part of the 80-odd minutes the match lasted. As she conceded after the match, there was nothing Kerber could have done to stop Serena in that form.
The reaction to her win was one of near-universal acclaim. Not often would you find the Twitterverse to be in agreement.
Here is how tennis players, present and former, reacted, starting with the proud runner-up on the night, Angelique Kerber:
And the legend Steffi Graf herself!
The fans, of course, were delighted, starting with Ellen Degeneres who was at the stands cheering her:
Undoubtedly, the greatest of our time and perhaps, of all time!
With AFP inputs