SERENA Williams has been upset by Angelique Kerber at Wimbledon, losing her first Grand Slam final since returning to tennis after the birth of her daughter.
Seven-time champion Williams had been hoping for a fairy-tale return to Wimbledon since giving birth to her first child Alexis Olympia Ohanian last September.
But she struggled and eventually lost to Kerber, a 30-year-old from Germany, 6-3, 6-3.
After the match, Williams said: “For all the mums out there, I was playing for you today, I tried.
“Angelique played out of her mind.
“She’s an incredible person and a really good friend so I’m really happy for her.”
Williams, 36, was playing in only her fourth tournament since the birth of her daughter, which had brought near-fatal complications and a six-day stay in hospital.
“It’s obviously disappointing but I can’t be disappointed,” Williams said.
“I have so much to look forward to. I’m literally just getting started so I’ll look forward to it.”
Sky Sports presenter Jacquie Beltrao said that, despite having come a long way to be fit for the tournament, Saturday’s final had been “a match too far for Serena.”
However, although she had seemed “a little rusty”, she had sent a message to future opponents.
Beltrao said: “(It was) a massive message for everybody else – ‘I’m back, I mean business, I want 24 Grand Slam titles and I’m not going to stop until I get them’. It wasn’t going to happen today but I think it might happen soon.” – Sky Sports
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