WIMBLEDON, England — The youngest of five girls, American Serena Williams has long reveled in playing the role of spoiled baby sister.

But after winning her fifth Wimbledon singles championship Saturday to snap a two-year drought of major titles, Williams clambered up the Centre Court stands to her guest box to share the triumph with the loved ones she said had made it possible.

Williams' voice quivered with emotion as she thanked her parents, sisters, trainer and hitting partner once again during the on-court interview after her 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 victory over Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland.

Having missed nearly a year of competition after a series of setbacks that included two foot surgeries and a pulmonary embolism, Williams proved in winning her 14th Grand Slam tournament title that she remains the most formidable player in women's tennis.

What is different after her return to action is Williams' appreciation for this Wimbledon title and understanding she could not have done it alone.

"Those people that were in that box were all with me when I went through everything I went through, and I just felt like I don't say 'thank you' enough," Williams told a small group of reporters afterward. "I didn't think I would play tennis again at one point.

"I just wanted to make it out of the hospital. Making it out of that moment, that's when you realize you have perspective about life and your career."

With Saturday's victory, Williams equaled her sister Venus' five Wimbledon championships. All told, the sisters from Compton, Calif., coached by their parents outside the traditional structure of junior tennis, have won 10 of the last 13 Wimbledon titles.

"Growing up, I copied Venus — everything she did," Williams said of her 32-year-old sister and doubles partner, who has cheered her since childhood. "So when she started winning, I wanted it so bad. When she became number one, I had to be number one. I had to work harder; I had to do everything in my power to get there."

Later Saturday, Serena and Venus combined to win their fifth Wimbledon doubles title, defeating Czechs Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka 7-5, 6-4.

At 30, Serena Williams was the oldest player to win Wimbledon since 1990, when Martina Navratilova claimed her ninth singles title at age 33.

Saturday's championship was marked by dramatic swings of momentum.

Radwanska, 23, wasn't remotely up to the challenge in the early going, overwhelmed by Williams' power and big-match experience.

The 2005 Wimbledon girls champion, Radwanska has climbed to No. 3 in the world by minimizing errors and compensating for any lack of power with speed and craftiness. But she doesn't have a single shot superior to those in Williams' arsenal.

So it was imperative she start strong, disrupt Williams' rhythm and hope her opponent's run of brilliant serving came to an end.

None of that happened in the opening set, in which Williams easily handled Radwanska's thinly veiled drop shots and never faced a break point.

With Radwanska looking listless, three-time Wimbledon champion John McEnroe, commentating for the BBC, called out on her behalf, "Espresso to Centre Court!"

After a 23-minute rain delay, the potential rout turned into compelling theater.

"I was a little bit nervous in the beginning," said Radwanska, who had never advanced beyond the quarterfinals of a major. "When I was going on the court the second time, I just felt like a normal match."

Radwanska won the second set.

"Maybe I wanted it so bad that I got tight," Williams said. "I started making errors. I was negative."

But as she had all tournament, Williams put her faith in her serve. She blasted four successive aces to win the fourth game. Then she pulled off a masterful drop shot to break Radwanska again.

With 17 aces, Williams brought her tournament total to 102 — a Wimbledon record for women.

Asked what more she could want, Williams enumerated.

"The U.S. Open, the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon 2013," she replied.

Note

• Jonathan Marray of England and Frederik Nielsen of Denmark beat Robert Lindstedt of Sweden and Horia Tecau of Romania 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5), 6-7 (5-7), 6-3 in the men's doubles final.

Marray is the first British man to win a men's doubles title at Wimbledon in 76 years.