Who did Serena Williams beat to win Olympic singles gold at London 2012?
Answer
Maria Sharapova
Serena Williams beat Maria Sharapova to win Olympic singles gold at London 2012.
The final was played on 4 August 2012 at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, the Wimbledon venue. Williams dominated from the opening point, winning 6–0, 6–1 in just 63 minutes and losing only one game in the entire match.
The victory completed Williams’s career Golden Slam in singles: the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, US Open and Olympic singles gold. Steffi Graf had previously achieved the feat, winning all five in 1988. Williams also became the first tennis player, male or female, to complete career Golden Slams in both singles and doubles.
A common mix-up is with the bronze-medal match, in which Victoria Azarenka defeated Maria Kirilenko. Sharapova won silver, while Williams’s sister Venus helped her claim the doubles gold later in the same Games.