WIMBLEDON, England — Serena Williams had just blown Maria Sharapova off Center Court 6-0, 6-1 on a blustery Saturday to win her first Olympic singles gold medal, and was singing the "Star Spangled Banner" on the medal podium when a gust of wind blew the American flag off its display rod. It went fluttering down, landing near the Royal Box, as the audience gasped.
"It was probably flying to come hug me because the flag was so happy," Williams joked. "It was fluttering toward me, trying to wrap its fabric around me."
Williams was giddy immediately after the match, jumping up and down and dancing while older sister, Venus, took photos from the stands with her cell phone. A short while later, the 14-time Grand Slam champion talked a mile a minute and never stopped smiling as she met with reporters and tried to explain what the medal meant to her.
Bottom line: Williams' resume is finally complete. She can now boast the Golden Slam — all four Grand Slam titles and an Olympic gold.
"It's a big moment," Williams said. "This compares right up there. I've always wanted to win a gold medal, secretly. I always said it doesn't matter because I already have a gold medal, and I really felt that, but deep, deep, deep, deep down, I wanted it in singles, as well. And I got it! It's an amazing feeling. I have them all now!"
And she didn't just win it, she dominated start to finish in the most lopsided final in Olympic history.
Williams needed just 1 hour, 3 minutes to put away the Russian.