"I just have to figure out a way to win a final," Williams said.

The 37-year-old American hasn't won a tournament since the 2017 Australian Open, when she set the professional-era record of 23 Grand Slam championships (Court won 13 of her titles against amateur competition).

Williams was pregnant when she won in Australia and then took more than a year off the tour; her daughter, Olympia, was born in September 2017.

Since returning to tennis, Williams has dealt with injuries but still managed to remain among the game's elite. In part because of a bad left knee, she only had played 12 matches all season until Wimbledon.

"Just got to keep fighting," Williams said, "and just keep trying."

Didn't take long on Saturday for the 27-year-old Halep to demonstrate this was not going to be easy for Williams.