Serena Williams: Olympic Gold Proves Wimbledon Victory Wasn't a Fluke

One major win in three years screams, 'fluke.'

Two in a row, though? Yeah, the old Serena Williams is definitely back.

Williams destroyed Maria Sharapova 6-0, 6-1 in the gold-medal match of the 2012 London Summer Olympics women’s singles tournament. Kelly Whiteside of the USA Today reported that the champ was asked how her gold stands next to the 14 Grand Slam events that she’s won. Williams said:

"

It compares right up there. I always wanted to win a gold medal (in singles) secretly and I've always said it doesn't matter because I already have a gold medal (in doubles) and I really believe that but deep, deep, deep down I wanted it in singles as well. It's such an amazing feeling. I got it. I can't compare. I have it, I have them all so it's great feeling.

"

Williams' return to glory has been amazing.

Just a few months ago, it looked like she was washed up. Williams entered the 2012 French Open as a heavy favorite, 2-1 odds to win according to The Spread, but she was upset in the first round.

At 30 years old and having not won a grand slam event since 2010, skeptics of Williams’ ability to bounce back were talking retirement. But she wouldn’t hear it.

Williams strung together a magic run at Wimbledon to end her drought. Again, though, it was just one major win. It would take more than a single hot streak to silence her critics.

And she pulled off just that on Saturday. That gold medal solidifies her status as the best women’s tennis player in the world—no matter what the WTA rankings say.

Williams didn’t get lucky and dodge the sport’s household names to cruise to her pair of London victories. She made Sharapova, the No. 3 ranked player in the world, look like she didn’t deserve to be on the same court. In the French Open, she defeated Agnieszka Radwańska, the No. 2 player in the world.

If you aren’t a fan of Williams, you better get used to her—again—because, even though she's nearing 31 years old, she isn’t going anywhere.

David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.

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