LONDON — Turn back the calendar more than a year to June 28, 2014, when Serena Williams lost to Alize Cornet in the third round at Wimbledon.
It was Williams’ earliest exit from the All England Club in nearly a decade. It also marked the fourth time in five Grand Slam tournaments she was defeated before the quarterfinals.
Now examine what Cornet, who was seeded 25th and only once previously had been as far as the fourth round at a major, said afterward: “It might be a bit premature to talk about her decline, but when she plays someone who finds the right tactics, she looks a bit lost on the court. In my opinion, there are more and more players understanding how to play her.”
Oh, really? Where are they hiding? Since that day, Williams has not lost a Grand Slam match, winning 27 in a row heading into Saturday’s final against 21-year-old Garbine Muguruza of Spain. It will be the No. 1-seeded Williams’ 25th career Grand Slam title match — she is 20-4 in the others — and the 20th-seeded Muguruza’s first.
At the Grand Slam tournament that immediately preceded Wimbledon in 2014, the French Open, Williams lost even sooner, 6-2, 6-2 in the second round, her most lopsided defeat in 318 career matches at majors. The opponent that day just so happened to be Muguruza, a big hitter who talks about the importance of putting on a “poker face” during matches.
“It was an eye-opening loss for me,” Williams said. “Some losses you’re angry about, and some losses you learn from. That loss, I think I learned the most from in a long time.“