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“I don’t want anyone to talk about my nerves any more,” she beamed at BBC tennis anchor Sue Barker after the match. “It’s a great moment for me, this trophy is so special in the world of tennis. I am so proud and I will be back next year. It feels great. I had a great two weeks. I definitely wanted this win today.” It was clear for all on Centre Court to see.

If relief was the first thing that came to Mauresmo’s mind upon winning match point, claiming this title will surely do wonders for her confidence in future finals. Indeed, as the current holder of two of the four Grand Slam crowns, as well as last year’s season-ending WTA championships, Mauresmo has underscored her world No.1 status, not just in terms of computer ranking points, but in the minds of tennis watchers.

Winning rank-and-file Tour events has never been a problem for the Frenchwoman; winning Grand Slams has. But now, having already enjoyed considerable success on hardcourts, her prospects at the upcoming US Open are surely looking good. And, hopefully, her new outlook will translate to the French Open in Paris, where she has so far failed to advance beyond the quarter-finals.

Naturally on such an occasion as a Wimbledon final, the newly crowned champion admitted to intermittent nerves during the match. The difference was that on this occasion, the anxieties did not ruin her game, Mauresmo said. “I was a little bit nervous on the match point, I would say, which is probably understandable. But then, you know, I was really focusing on the game, on what I had to do, on my serve, on my volley, if I was serving and volleying. That was about it.”

Of course, Mauresmo is not the only athlete ever accused of choking at crunch moments. But she is certainly one of the most talked about. Since reaching her first Grand Slam final seven years ago at the tender age of 19, Mauresmo has failed to live up to expectations, not for lack of ability or talent, but because, try as she might, the Frenchwoman simply could not control her nerves.

That changed on Saturday. A new Mauresmo emerged, one who could realistically return to SW19 and triumph again in years to come. The gap of seven years between her first Grand Slam final appearance and her first Grand Slam final win against Henin-Hardenne at the Australian Open in January also surely makes her current success sweeter. The Frenchwoman agrees.

“It is very sweet, I think,” she said. “Well, yeah, maybe if it came the first time I was in a Grand Slam final seven years ago, maybe it would have not had the same taste. Things come when they have to come. Well, since a few months now, it seems to be working pretty well for me. It seems that I finally found how maybe to handle the nerves a bit better, how my game is. I really know much more now how to play tennis than a few years ago. I think everything is really coming together.”