"People are really going to be fighting to beat me now" - When Serena Williams commented on maiden Wimbledon title after beating Venus Williams
Serena Williams won her first Wimbledon singles title in 2002 by beating her sister Venus Williams in the final.
Serena, who was only 20 at the time, entered the tournament after winning the French Open. Seeded second, she did not drop a single set, beating her elder sister 7-6(4), 6-3 in the title clash. This was Serena's third Grand Slam singles title.
In her post-match press conference, Serena Williams said that she could not be satisfied and relaxed after her Wimbledon triumph as players would be fighting to beat her from then on.
"I can't become satisfied because, you know, if I get satisfied, I'll be like, "Oh, I've won Wimbledon, I've won the US Open. Now can I relax." But now people are really going to be fighting to beat me now. So in the beginning of the year, I said, 'You know, I don't care what happens this year, I want to win Wimbledon. And it was an extra bonus for me to win the French," Williams said.
Serena Williams added that she really wanted to win Wimbledon because of the prestige and history attached to the grasscourt Major.
"Sure, I really wanted to win the French. I mean, I just couldn't even believe I won. But I just wanted Wimbledon. I wanted to become a member of so much prestige, so much history. I want to be a part of history," she added.
2002 went on to become one of the best years of Serena Williams' career as she went on to win every single Grand Slam apart from the Australian Open. The American won 56 out of 61 matches that season, with eight tournament wins to her name.
Serena Williams has won 98 out of 112 singles matches at Wimbledon
Serena Williams has an incredible singles record at Wimbledon, winning 98 out of 112 matches, with seven titles to her name. Only Helen Wills Moody (eight) and Martina Navratilova (nine) have more titles than her.
Serena's last tournament win at the grasscourt Major came in 2016 by beating Angelique Kerber in the final. She also finished runner-up four times - in 2004, 2008, 2018, and 2019.
The American won six Wimbledon women's doubles titles as well, with her sister Venus Williams being her partner on each occasion. She also won the mixed doubles tournament at the grasscourt Major in 1998 while partnering Belarus' Max Mirnyi.
Serena Williams' last appearance at Wimbledon came in 2022 and she suffered an opening-round exit at the hands of Harmony Tan.