Serena Williams was handed her third major final defeat in 12 months after Simona Halep beat her to win her first Wimbledon title.
She also made history by becoming the first Romanian to win the Grand Slam with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Williams.
Williams’s loss on Saturday meant her wait for a record-equaling 24th Grand Slam singles title goes on as an inspired Halep took full advantage of an error-strewn display by the seven-time champion.
The Romanian won 6-2, 6-2 in front of an incredulous Centre Court, running after everything the American threw at her.
“It was my best match,” the 27-year-old said after her second Grand Slam title following her 2018 French Open success.
For 37-year-old Williams, it was a third major final defeat in 12 months.
“It was a little bit of a deer in headlights for me. Whenever a player plays like that, you just have to take your hat off.”
Halep had said beforehand that she had no pressure on her, and that is exactly how she played.
From the outset, she looked relaxed and confident, attacking the Williams serve and keeping the rallies long and deep to force the American into errors.
While Williams closed her eyes at changeovers to try to regroup, Halep kept her eyes on the prize and kept her cool to take the victory on her second match point, when the American sent a forehand into the net.
Halep’s level never dropped in an almost perfect display in which she made just three unforced errors to Williams’ 26.
“I knew that I had to be aggressive, be 100% for every ball, and that I didn’t have to let her come back into the match because she’s so powerful and so strong,” Halep said. “She knows how to manage every moment. So I knew that I had to stay there, which I did pretty well today.”