Serena Williams wins Wimbledon, her third major title in 2015

Nick McCarvel | Special for USA TODAY Sports

WIMBLEDON, England – Twelve years after doing it the first time around, Serena Williams has made history again by winning four consecutive Grand Slam titles – better known as the "Serena Slam."

It's another mark in the history books for the player who many already consider the greatest woman to have ever played the game.

Williams, 33, overcame a staid opponent in Garbiñe Muguruza, a 21-year-old from Spain, Saturday in the Wimbledon women's final, winning 6-4, 6-4.

It's a remarkable feat for Williams, the world No. 1, marking her 21st Grand Slam title and sixth at Wimbledon. She sits just one major trophy behind Steffi Graf's Open era record of 22.

Williams, winner at the U.S. Open last year, now holds all four Grand Slam titles to her name, having emerged victorious at the Australian and French Opens to start 2015.

"The moment is still setting in a little bit," Williams said. "I'm just really excited about it because I didn't want to talk about the Serena Slam. I honestly wouldn't have thought last year after winning the U.S. Open I would win the Serena Slam at all."

In September at the U.S. Open she'll seek to become the first tennis player – male or female – to win all four majors in one year since Graf did so, back in 1988.



"The Serena Slam… stands out to me the most," Williams said. "I mean, I've been trying to win four in a row for 12 years, and it hasn't happened. You know, it's been an up and down process. I honestly can't say that last year or two years ago or even five years ago I would have thought that I would have won four in a row. So just starting this journey, having all four trophies at home, is incredible."

Williams also becomes the oldest player to win a major at 33 years, 289 days. She breaks Martina Navratilova's record of 33 years, 263 days, set at this very tournament in 1990.

Muguruza had beaten Williams before, at the French Open in 2014 in the second round, a match the Spaniard won 6-2, 6-2, the most lop-sided Grand Slam defeat of Serena's career.

"I can't talk," an emotional Muguruza said on court after her loss Saturday. "I'm very proud the way that I was able to play in front of you. In Spain we don't have that much grass, but I'm going to change things now. I love to play in big courts… a Grand Slam final for me is a dream come true. Serena is still showing us that she's world No. 1."

Later Muguruza, who will jump to world No. 7 in Monday's rankings, added, "I don't feel disappointment. But you never know how many chances you're going to have to play a final in a Grand Slam. If you have to choose who to win or lose (against), I would choose Serena."

It was not an easy ask for Williams on what was a bright blue day on Centre Court. Muguruza, who had won just one match at Wimbledon before this year, came out firing as Williams, in her 25th major final, served three double faults in the first game.

Muguruza matched Williams power-for-power and went up a surprising 3-1, Williams blasting a forehand long and looking at her strings with befuddlement.

But Williams would hold at 2-4 down, letting out a first big "Come on!" of the match and delivering a service winner. In the next game she drew even with Muguruza, who has just one WTA title to her name, the Spaniard missing a forehand over the baseline after a powerful exchange.

PHOTOS: Williams wins Wimbledon

Williams would break in the fourth game of the second set, as well, opening up a 3-1 lead and then dashing to 5-1, at one point winning 11 consecutive points. But the moment caught up to her, Williams unable to serve out the match and then losing the next game as the crowd got behind the Spaniard as she charged back.

As the drama built, Williams would fall behind love-40 when she served for the title a second time before she broke out her vintage serve, cracking two aces and earning a championship point. But the two would play some of the finest points of the tournament in moments that grew increasingly intense, Muguruza hitting a forehand winner to draw to deuce, then earning a break point two points later, scrambling about the court. She'd break on a backhand winner, bringing the second set to 4-5 on her serve.

The comeback would not be completed, however, Muguruza hitting a double fault, then two points later a backhand long. On her second championship point, Williams would take it, a Muguruza forehand flying wide.

Williams bounced about the court after the score was announced, then the two embraced at the net. Muguruza wiped away tears at her chair, the No. 20 seed playing in just her third career final.

"I mean, I couldn't stop crying," Muguruza told reporters of her trophy-ceremony moment. "So many people are clapping. I make all these people feel this on a tennis court? I was like, I don't know, 'I felt special.'"

It has been a Wimbledon full of challenges for Williams, who captured her 68th career title. In the third round she was two points from defeat against British No. 1 Heather Watson before coming through 7-5 in the third set. In the fourth round she beat sister Venus, their first meeting at Wimbledon in six years. Then came victories over Victoria Azarenka (after being down by a set) and Maria Sharapova (pure dominance).

Williams was well aware of the history she was playing for throughout this fortnight, halfway through the tournament asking members of the media to no longer inquire about her chase of the Serena Slam or calendar Grand Slam.

"I'm fed up" of talking about it, she reasoned.

Her achievement is that much more impressive: Williams has now won eight of 13 majors since linking up with French coach Patrick Mouratoglou following her 2012 defeat in the first round of the French Open. It was her first Wimbledon championship since that year, as well.

Williams doesn't appear to be slowing down, however. She has lost just one match in the 2015 season and has said she will definitely play through the Rio Olympics next summer, if not longer. A host of challengers – including Muguruza, Azarenka, Sharapova, Petra Kvitova, Simona Halep and more – haven't been able to close the gap on Williams consistent, never-wilting power.

Williams has been accompanied by the rapper Drake for much of her run to the title here, while Vogue editor Anna Wintour sat in Williams' player box on Saturday, as well.

But what has been in fashion for Williams this tournament and throughout her career has been her power brand of tennis. Can she win the calendar Grand Slam in 2015? She's three-fourths of the way there at this point.

And, as Serena has proven with the past – and today – on the tennis court, anything is possible.

Watch the grass at Wimbledon turn to dirt over 11 days Time lapse shows how Wimbledon's grass turned to dirt over the course of the tournament.



