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Angelique Kerber defeated Serena Williams in straight sets for her third Grand Slam title.
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Serena Williams failed to equal Margaret Court's record of 24 Grand Slam titles with her loss to Angelique Kerber at Wimbledon. (Photo: Susan Mullane, US TODAY'S HUI Sports)

WIMBLEDON, England – If asked to describe how Serena Williams has evolved since the beginning of her gigantic teenage career in 1998, it would be correct to say that it has become realistic. 19659009] The 36-year-old athlete, now wife and mother, usually has the best at almost every turn that she has taken in the game. There are 23 Grand Slam titles, a little less than current record holder Margaret Court, to prove it.

On Saturday, the opportunity to match the record of 24 ran back and the Wimbledon Trophy went to Germany with Angelique Kerber. He was very demanding in winning a 6-3, 6-3 win over Williams in just 65 minutes

Williams would be emotional on the court, suffocating while talking to the crowd: "It was really incredible tournament for I was really happy to go that far.It's obviously disappointing, but I can not be disappointed because there is so much to hope for. "For all moms there, I was playing for you today, and I tried it. "

Surely, deep down in Williams, there is little tolerance for losing. That said, she also knew that she came to Wimbledon with only three tournaments behind her including a fourth-round exit due to injury. being a 10-month-old mother of Alexis Olympia, and having survived dangerous post-natal blood clots

To find out more: Djokovic defeats Nadal in a five-set thriller for the Wimbledon final

So even though this champion mentality could not abandon her completely and pushed her through six rounds here, there was an understanding in the end that a Grand Slam champion twice as Kerber was still too fat. 19659010] Instead of boasting of defeat, she considers it as positive

"I think these two weeks have really shown me that I can compete," Williams said. the long run in a Grand Slam. I can, you know, go out and be a contender to win the Grand Slam. "

" It was a great opportunity for me, "she added." I did not know a few months ago where I was, where I would be, how would I do it, how would I I would be able to come back. It was so long to see the light at the end of the road, so to speak.

So, if we can believe Williams, she is impatient because the future, and not the past, is where the possibilities exist. A 24th Grand Slam title is no longer in play here, but it could be on hold as soon as the US Open opens in September.

"I feel like I have a way to go," she said. "It's literally just the beginning, literally just the beginning."

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"I just have to do the things I want to work for the future, the things I want to do, try and execute that. .. I just felt like I had "I made a giant step at Wimbledon."

intoxicating as being back on the court and playing at a fairly high level High to make a grand slam final, she now knows that there is more important in life than hitting a yellow ball with a tennis racket.

"My priority is my baby, you know," Williams said. "Just being with her, doing things with her, spending time with her – totally my priority."

And as she left Wimbledon for another year, taking away the finalists award instead of a trophy of the eighth Wimbledon winner, she did so by sending a message to the other mothers of the world.

"Well, I would just like to say to all the moms, like, I had such a long fight to come back and it was really hard," she said. "Honestly, I have the impression that if I can do it, they can do it. I'm just that person, this ship that says, "You can be what you want to be." If you want to go back to work, and to me, after becoming a mom, I have the impression that there is no pressure to do that because having a child is a full time job.

"But for those who want to go back, you can do it, you can really do it."

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