World no 7 Simona Halep crushed seven-time champion Serena Williams in straight sets to win her maiden Wimbledon title in London on Saturday, 13 July.
The 27-year-old Romanian took just 56 minutes to upset the 37-year-old Williams 6-2, 6-2, thus winning her second Grand Slam title after the French Open victory in 2018.
And while Halep impressed with her performance in the final, making a mere three unforced errors as opposed to Serena’s 26, it was her post-match victory speech that also won hearts.
When asked if she had played a better match than that final, in the on-court interview immediately after she won, Halep said, “Never. It was the best match, and Serena always inspires us, so thank you for that. I have worked a lot for this moment. It’s an honour to play in front of the royal box. Thank you. I have no words to explain, but I feel great”.
Asked if she was nervous coming into the game against Williams, Halep said:
“Well, I had nerves. My stomach was not very well before coming out here for the match. But there was no time for emotions. I just came on court and gave my best.”
And how does it feel to be holding that famous trophy?
“Unbelievable. And it’s something very special. I will never forget this day because it was my mum’s dream. When I was about 10 or 12, she said that if I want to do something in tennis, I have to play the final of the Wimbledon,” she said.
Coming into the championship, Halep revealed a certain motivation she had to win lift the prestigious trophy.
“At the start of the tournament, I told the people in the locker room that if I win this tournament, it would be amazing because I would get a membership for life. So, here I am. It was one of my motivations before the tournament, so now I’m happy.”
Halep also thanked her family. Well, because they’ve supported her ‘since she was born’.
“To my parents to my family, thank you very much for the support. Without you, I couldn’t have been here. Because, they’ve supported me since I was born. Thank you for that,” said Simona.
Halep also gushed when thanking the royals for coming out. And that was before she was told that as the new champion, she'd get to meet them after.
"That's amazing. I didn't know that," said the Romanian, who clinched her first Wimbledon title. "It's even more special now."
‘Best Speech Ever’
Twitterati praised Halep’s comments after the big win. Here’s what they said.
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