The tennis world was shocked by Novak Djokovic’s surprise decision to compete at SW19. The seven-time Wimbledon Champion had just undergone surgery less than a month prior. Armed with a medical sleeve on his knee and a determination to equal Roger Federer’s record of eight titles, Djokovic reached the final. The fans were treated to a rematch of the previous year’s final. Carlos Alcaraz dominated the match from the start, ending Djokovic’s hope of becoming the most decorated tennis player. He defeated him in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2, 7-6(5). Djokovic gave Alcaraz his flowers following the defeat, “I really think he just was better than me in every aspect of the game: in movement, in the way, he was just striking the ball beautifully, serving great, everything.” Murray’s Emotional Farewell at Centre Court This year’s Championships also marked the final appearance of Andy Murray, two-time winner and former World No. 1. While he withdrew from singles due to a back injury, he played a doubles match alongside his brother Jamie before receiving a send-off on Centre Court. The 2013 and 2016 Wimbledon Winner, moved by the heartwarming farewell, said, "It feels like a good ending to me. Whether I deserve it or not, I don't know. But they did a really, really good job," The 54th edition of the WTA Finals took place between Barbora Krejcikiova and Jasmine Paolini. Paolini reached the French Open final just a month ago, thus becoming the first woman since Serena Williams in 2016 to reach the finals of both Roland Garros and Wimbledon in the same year. Most experts predicted Krejcikiova would win because of her mastery at the surface, and she triumphed over hot favourite Elana Rybakina in the semifinals. Krejcikova started strong, defeating Paolini 6-2 in a dominant fashion. Paolini bravely fought back to win the set 2-6, leaving Krejcikova stunned. However, Krejcikova showcased her former slam-winner experience, winning the close match 6-4. After the game, Krejcikova said: "I don't have any words right now. It's unreal what happened—the best day of my tennis career and life. The WTA was marred with drama, whether it be the early withdrawal of World No. 3 Aryna Sabalenka or Defending Champion Marketa Vondrousova's surprise defeat to 83rd-ranked Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the first round. Qualifier Lulu Sun from New Zealand, ranked outside the top 100, made a shock run to the quarterfinals, defeating Australian Open finalist Zheng Qinwen and 2021 US Open winner Emma Raducanu before Donna Vekic ended her Cinderella run. The unpredictability of women’s tennis comes at the hands of the vast talent pool. India’s Rohan Bopanna ranked second in doubles with his trusted partner Matthew Ebden but could not advance further after losing to Constantin Frantzen and Henrik Jebens in the second round. Bopanna’s supposed partner at the Olympics, Sriram Balaji, lost in the first round. In the end, the Gentlemen’s doubles tournament was won by Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten, both winning their first slams. Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend won the Women's doubles, marking Siniakova’s second consecutive slam win after winning the French Open the previous month. Hsieh Su-Wei and Jan Zielinski claimed the Mixed Doubles crown, the pair’s second slam after winning the Australian Open Mixed Doubles earlier this year. Carlos Alcaraz: Rise of a Legend
Krejcikova Becomes The Seventh Successive First-Time Winner
Doubles: Surprise Winners Emerge
19 Jul 2024
Dev Vadchhedia
