Tennis star Simona Halep beat Serena Williams on Saturday, becoming the first Romanian ever to win Wimbledon in singles. The final score was 6-2/6-2, though no fan could deny that it was a fierce competition.
Halep dropped to her knees upon her victory, which came in the 56th minute of the match, according CBS News. Williams’ final forehand shot ran straight into the net, giving the win to Halep, the world’s number 7 player.
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The crowd cheered for Halep, including royal family members like Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton, who were in attendance. Around the world there was an uproar of shock, heartbreak and celebration as Williams conceded defeat.
Serena Williams: “She literally played out of her mind.”
She really did! Simona Halep – 2019 #Wimbledon Champion and All England Club member for life 🙌🏻🇷🇴
— Andrea Puente (@AndiPuente) July 13, 2019
“Brilliant! Always like someone different to win. Makes the sport more interesting!” one person tweeted about the match.
“What a dominating performance,” marveled another.
Many of Williams’ adoring fans took the loss in stride, warning Halep and any other would-be challengers that their favorite tennis star would be back with a vengeance in the next big tournament.
“[Halep] played a PERFECT game… it’s her legs!” one person wrote. “But look out at the US Open… Serena will be on your tail.”
“Regardless of this match it is a fact that Serena Williams is the [greatest of all time] and a legend,” added another. “She has won 4 gold medals, 39 major titles, and a whopping 23 Grand Slam singles titles. Haters need to take a seat.”
Meanwhile, some of Halep’s fans were put off to see the coverage focusing so much on Williams. Halep’s victory was incredible and historic in its own right, and she was far from an underdog, as they were quick to point out.
“Ummmm Halep actually ranked higher, but… whatever,” one person wrote.
Williams herself took the loss as gracefully as could be expected, running across the court to hug Halep as soon as the match was done. The two wore matching grins as they waved to the crowd, and Williams praised Halep as she spoke to reporters afterwards.
“She literally played out of her mind,” she said. “Congratulations, Simona!”
Halep won the French Open last year and played with technical precision in this tournament. In the final, she had only three unforced errors, while Williams had 24.
Williams was vying for her 24th Grand Slam singles title, which would have matched the previous record. Williams lost the Wimbledon final last year to Angelique Kerber, and then lost the U.S. Open to Naomi Osaka. This year, her hopes are still high.
