By Piers Newbery
BBC Sport at Wimbledon
Venus Williams said she never doubted herself after ending a four-year Grand Slam drought at Wimbledon.
"I always felt like a champion in my heart because I always gave 100%," said the American. "But I feel great and like I want to do this a lot more.
"I didn't feel I was able to play my best and get the form I was in in the quarters and semi-finals.
"I just had to work with what I had today. I spent so much time behind, I think I was only in front when I won."
Williams was seeded 14th after slipping down the rankings in recent years but insisted she had always expected to get back to winning ways.
"I knew my destiny was to be in the winner's circle," said Williams.
"There were some times on the way I didn't make it, but I felt my destiny was to win big titles."
And Williams admitted that she was slightly fortunate to save a match point in the third set with a winning backhand.
"I don't even know what happened on that match point," she said. "It was a tough moment for both of us.
"I was trying to stay in there and do the right thing. I kind of hit it all wrong but maybe the effort kept it in."
The champion revealed that she had received a text message from her sister Serena and said she had been an inspiration behind the win.
"I was always trying to fight like Serena," she said. "I always wanted to be like her."
And Williams is looking forward to teaming up with Davenport when the USA face Russia in the Fed Cup next week.
"We'll play together next week and I'm sure we'll be a good team," she said.
"If I wasn't out there, and Serena wasn''t, I definitely would have rooted for Lindsay."