Just 10 months removed from a difficult childbirth that was followed by grave medical complications, Williams had said at the outset of Wimbledon that her return to competition was about far more than adding to her 23 Grand Slam titles. She sought, in a larger sense, to speak to all women about what is possible.
And she spoke to them during the on-court trophy presentation. “To all the moms out there, I was playing for you today,” Williams said, her voice breaking. “And I tried. Angelique played really well.”