"It's just too exciting to compute right now," Williams said.
"It's really amazing for me to even have an
opportunity to be compared to a player as great as Althea Gibson. One of her best friends told me she wanted to see another African American win a slam before her time is up. I'm so excited I had a chance
to accomplish that while she's still alive."
It was equally meaningful to Williams that her victory came in Arthur Ashe Stadium, named after the 1968 U.S. Open champion and the last black
American to win a major Wimbledon in 1975.
Moments after the match, Williams received a congratulatory phone call from President Clinton and daughter Chelsea from New Zealand.
"I thought for sure my day couldn't get any better," Williams said. "The next thing they told me is the president of the United States wanted to talk. I was, like, wow."
Williams' victory guaranteed that two Americans would carry away the U.S. Open singles trophies, since Andre Agassi and Todd Martin met for the men's title Sunday.
Venus Williams had her shots at Hingis, but lost to her at 17 in the 1997 U.S. Open final and in an exhausting semifinal that left her quivering with cramps Friday.
"Venus was so bummed," Serena said. "She felt so bad because her legs had totally given out. She was really down, and that encouraged me to be even tougher out there."
Serena, who moves up in the rankings from No. 6 to No. 4, proved too much for Hingis to handle in the critical moments that made the difference in a brilliant match filled with feverish
baseline rallies, speedy forays to the net and an array of lobs and drop shots.
In winning her first major title and a $750,000 check, Williams showed the kind of athleticism,
court sense and resilience under pressure that could make her a champion for years to come.
She needed every bit of those qualities when the 18-year-old Hingis, winner of five Grand
Slam titles, fought back from two match points down at 5-3 on her serve in the second set to push it into a tiebreaker.
Williams weakened a little, made too many errors, but she didn't relent.
Aided by huge serves she finished with eight aces that pushed her tournament total to 62, 40 more than anyone else Williams kept Hingis on the defensive throughout the tiebreaker.
"Those serves were, like, smacking," Hingis said.
Hingis, perhaps worn down by Venus in the semis, looked weary.
"Usually I react much quicker, but today it was like slow motion," Hingis said.
Williams had a chance to close out the match with two serves. On the first, she barely missed an ace, but in the ensuing rally she skimmed the net with an approach shot, forcing Hingis to
try a defensive backhand lob that drifted long.
Williams finally put the match away on her next serve when Hingis hit another backhand long.
When she saw the last shot float out, Williams cried, "Oh my God," and her knees buckled as she covered her face with her hands.
Her eyes popped wide when she was told later that she had made 57 unforced errors 33 more than Hingis.
"Wow! Imagine if I stop make those errors," she said. "That's, like, inconceivable."
Williams had won three other Grand Slam trophies, two in mixed doubles and one in doubles, but the big one she held this time meant much, much more.
"There's my name right there, Serena Williams," she said giddily as she carried the trophy in her victory lap around the court.
A few minutes later, she tried her best to compose herself to talk about the moment.
"I didn't know what to do laugh or cry or just scream so I think I did it all," she said.
In capturing the title, Williams beat three of the top four women in the world Hingis, defending champion Lindsay Davenport, and two-time champion Monica Seles.
Williams and Hingis, who had engaged in a war of words during the tournament, shook hands and hugged after the match.
"It's great that she was my opponent today, not anyone that was bitter," Williams said.
Hingis had one thought on her mind, though.
"I'm definitely looking for revenge next year," Hingis said.
Venus Williams watched the whole scene from the courtside player's guest box with her
parents, and when she saw her younger sister take the prize she looked on with a sullen, envious expression, upset that she couldn't be out there.
"I've never seen her that down before," Serena said.
Surely, Venus will have her chances in the future, and is likely to meet her sister for other Grand Slam titles, as their father predicted they would this time.
Whatever was going through their minds, they had to put those thoughts aside for the moment shortly after the match. Williams and Williams had to go out on the court again this time as
partners in the doubles semifinals against Mary Pierce and Barbara Schett.
In winning that match, 7-6 (7-2), 6-3 to advance to the final Sunday against Chanda Rubin
and Sandrine Testud, the Williams sisters showed not a trace of trouble between them on the court. And they insisted there wouldn't be any off the court.
"I don't see where it would cause a problem at all," Serena said. "We really believe in family. I just don't see where it can affect her. Tennis is a game, it's not your life. She has many, many,
many opportunities, and so do I. We both will be fighting for the next slam."
