(AURN News) — On this day 25 years ago, Venus Williams won her second consecutive Wimbledon women’s singles championship, defeating Belgium’s Justine Henin 6-1, 3-6, 6-0 on Centre Court.
After dominating the opening set and dropping the second, Williams responded with a commanding performance in the decisive third set to successfully defend her Wimbledon crown.
The victory made Williams the first woman to win back-to-back Wimbledon singles championships since Steffi Graf accomplished the feat in 1995 and 1996. It also further cemented Williams’ place among the sport’s greatest champions.
One year earlier, Williams became the first Black woman to win Wimbledon since Althea Gibson captured consecutive titles in 1957 and 1958, ending a 42-year drought.
The 2001 victory marked Williams’ third Grand Slam singles title, following her Wimbledon and U.S. Open championships in 2000. She would successfully defend her U.S. Open title later that year and go on to win five Wimbledon singles championships during her Hall of Fame career.
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