WIMBLEDON, England — It has been 16 months since Serena Williams embarked on her comeback after giving birth, and 10 months since she ignited a firestorm over race and women’s rights after a heated dispute with an umpire while losing in the final of the United States Open.

At 37 now, Williams has confronted age and injury and questions over her place in today’s game as a crowd of young players has risen and threatened to take the sport by storm. All this must have been uncomfortable for Williams, even though, with 23 Grand Slam singles trophies, her legacy is secure and her stature as a global celebrity and a cultural force is unquestioned.

These past two Wimbledon weeks showed that above all she is still quite capable of playing spectacular tennis. But so far, she has not been capable of pushing past the finish line that will bring her another major title.

Williams’s loss to Simona Halep in the Wimbledon final on Saturday was a stunner. Halep, 27, the seventh seed, played flawlessly. She returned her opponent's powerful serve with remarkable consistency and often drew errors by chasing Williams, the clear crowd favorite, from corner to corner. The final score was 6-2, 6-2. It took 56 minutes. Halep made three unforced errors.