Simona Halep torpedoed Serena Williams's latest bid to capture a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam, as the Romanian stormed to victory in a 56-minute Wimbledon final.
Simona Halep said she had "never played better" after defeating Serena Williams 6-2, 6-2 to capture her second major after triumphing at Roland Garros in 2018.
"My mom said when I was 10 that if I want to do something in tennis I have to play in the final at Wimbledon," said Halep.
"I had lots of nerves, my stomach wasn't very well. I have never played a better match.
"I said at the start of the tournament that one of my motivations was to win and become a lifetime member of the club."
Defeat for 37-year-old Williams, a seven-time Wimbledon champion, meant her attempt to equal Margaret Court's all-time record for major wins was put back on ice until at least the US Open.
Williams bluntly admitted she had not been at the races against a superior opponent.
"She played out of her mind. I was like a deer in the headlights," she said.
The last of William's 23 Grand Slam victories came at the 2017 Australian Open.
(with wires)
