By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Sunday July 14, 2019
Another Wimbledon is in the books. So what does it all mean? Here’s 20 takeaways from the fortnight that was at SW19.
1. Nole Rising
Novak Djokovic claims the Wimbledon title with an epic work of mental toughness. The Serb didn't have his best game over the course of the four hour and 57-minute epic, but he had the best of the play when he needed it. Djokovic won three tiebreakers and saved two championship points to earn a 7-6(5) 1-6 7-6(4) 4-6 13-12(3) victory over Roger Federer for his 5th Wimbledon and 16th major title.
The Serb becomes the first player to win a Wimbledon final from match points down since 1948 and the first player in Open Era history to win the title while saving match points
The title is a testament to Djokovic's fortitude. How many times has the great Serb been pushed to the brink in matches of massive implications, and how many has he come through? Federer threw everything he had at Djokovic, and nearly pulled the victory off. But in the end it was Djokovic--not Federer--who hoisted the Challenge Cup on Wimbledon's final Sunday. He's a deserving victor for the fourth time in six years at the All England Club, and has to be considered one of the greatest grass-court players of all-time.
2. Halep’s Piece de Resistance
Simona Halep didn’t just win Wimbledon. She snatched that title with both hands, playing a superb final and absolutely demolishing the great Serena Williams in a 56-minute final that saw her commit just three unforced errors.
Asked by a reporter at what point in her career winning Wimbledon became a possibility for her she replied, simply, “Today.”
Halep’s unlocked achievement on Wimbledon’s lawns may have come as a surprise to even herself, but Halep’s level of tennis made her the obvious champion. It wasn’t just the knockdown of Williams in the final; it was also the second-round triumph over Mihaela Buzarnescu, her only three-setter of the fortnight, as well as her victories over Victoria Azarenka and Coco Gauff. In the quarters Halep rallied from 4-1 and break points down against Zhang Shuai and dropped just three more games. In the semis she smoked Elina Svitolina, a player that was also—like Halep—coming into her own on the surface.
But the match that will forever be etched upon the collective memory of tennis fans was the final that saw Halep play flawlessly against a woman that had defeated her six straight times and nine out of ten.
Now a two-time major champion and still just 27, the future does indeed look bright for Halep. Olympic Gold? Career Slam? Anything seems possible right now for Romania’s first Wimbledon singles champion.
3. Strycova the Unsung Hero
She couldn't get it done in the singles but Barbora Strycova came away with the doubles title for her first major title. The 33-year-old was definitely one of the unsung all-stars of Wimbledon, playing a dazzling serve-and-volley style and riding it to a breakthrough maiden semi-final in singles. Though stopped there by Serena Williams she emerged alongside Hsieh Su-Wei to claim the doubles title and a victory for crafty, nuanced and improvisational tennis.
"There is no word to describe the feeling," Strycova said after the final. "It's literally like 10 minutes right after. It's kind of like unreal. But in the same time it's amazing."
4. Kid Coco Comes of Age
It was the story of week one. It was brilliant in every way. When was the last time tennis has seen a kid this young be THAT GOOD? Coco Gauff lived up to the hype and backed up her thrilling qualifying run and first-round win over Venus Williams by knocking off former semi-finalist Magdalena Rybarikova before saving two match points against Polona Hercog in her Centre Court debut.
In addition to becoming a worldwide sensation, Gauff became the youngest player to make the second week at Wimbledon since 1991.
She did it with passion, youthful exuberance and poise beyond her years. We can’t wait to see what she does next.
5. Calling Generation Next?
The Big 3 is dominating men’s tennis and that’s all well and good. But it would be nice if Generation Next could have at least made a ripple of noise at this year’s Wimbledon. Stefanos Tsitsipas, who made the second week last year, was out in the first round. Alexander Zverev—did he even play (he did, and did not win a match)? Felix Auger-Aliassime was a bright spot by winning his first two matches at the Grand Slam level but he flopped in his third-round tilt against Ugo Humbert? Denis Shapovalov, once heralded as a future Slam winner? He’s in a deep funk and also left SW19 without a single victory.
One word describes the performance of Generation Next at Wimbledon (well, all of those not named Hubert Hurkacz): ouch.
6. Mixed in the Mix
Thanks to Andy Murray and Serena Willams entering the mixed doubles draw, the event got a much-needed boost. There’s so much to like about mixed, and seeing men and woman battling for Grand Slam glory and prize money on the same court at the same time. We shouldn’t need something like #SerAndy / #MurEna to get us jacked about mixed.
Note to the people: It’s always amazing. Just look at Sunday’s final, which features 2017 Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko and all-star doubles player Latisha Chan, as well as Robert Lindstedt and Ivan Dodig—two incredibly talented doubles players.
And oh by the way, Serena and Andy got whooped in third-round action by Bruno Soares and Nicole Melichar. Nevertheless is was great to see them ignite the imagination of fans and media alike with their surprise appearance at Wimbledon.
7. Century Man
Roger Federer is Father Timeless and he’s—remarkably—playing perhaps as good as he ever as at the age of 37. He won his 100th Wimbledon match in the quarter-finals against Kei Nishikori and didn’t skip a beat in his next match when he outgunned Rafael Nadal in a four-set reprise of their epic 2008 Wimbledon final.
It was a big match for Federer because it pretty much ensures that he will take a positive head-to-head against Nadal on grass to his grave. If he didn’t have that it would be hard to make the argument that he was a better player than Nadal, don’t you think?
Of course things went the way of heartbreak in the final when Federer failed to cash in on either of his two Championship points and fell to Novak Djokovic in a fifth-set breaker. That's a bitter pill to swallow for sure, but it shouldn't fog the brilliance of Federer's performance this year at SW19.
8. The Slow Wimbledon
The say the courts were slower at this year’s Wimbledon, and many liked to use the longest recorded rally in Wimbledon history—Djokovic and Bautista Agut played a 45-stroke rally in their semi-final on Thursday—as proof that the grass is playing more like clay in 2019.
It most certainly is not.
Just ask Dominic Thiem, who fell to Sam Querrey in a first-round upset. And how do we explain that Roger Federer was able to defeat Rafael Nadal in four sets (serving-and-volleying 13 times and hitting 33 percent unreturnable serves) in Friday’s semis? It’s grass, even if it is a bit slower. It looks a lot slower when you watch Djokovic and Bautista Agut then when you watch Federer and Nadal is all we’re saying.
9. 12-12 Breaker? How do we Like it?
The era of the 12-12 tiebreaker at Wimbledon has come and gone and nobody really noticed it. Not a single singles match went that far--until the final. How strange is it that a U.S. Open final has never been to a final-set tiebreaker after all these years (with a breaker installed at 6-6) and here we are, on the first year that Wimbledon has changed its rule, watching an epic final end in a fifth-set breaker.
So now that it has happened, how do we feel?
Maybe it’s a good rule. Maybe it isn’t. Maybe it doesn’t matter as much as we make it out to...
10. Dichotomy of WTA and ATP
The ATP is in a bull market for the BIG 3, and that is great for tennis when the last weekend of a Slam rolls around. But what about the first ten days of Wimbledon when pretty much all the outcomes were predictable? The gap between the top players and the rest of the pack is a yawning chasm that only seems to widen.
Meanwhile the WTA is rife with mystery, and the vacuum of power that Serena Williams’ un-dominance has created has initiated tremors of chaos and ushered in a new phase of women’s tennis where anything is possible. Those who crave dominance are disappointed, but those who wish for entertaining storylines, new faces, compelling week one matchups and big drama are better for this new version of the WTA.
And at Wimbledon, we not only had all of the aforementioned plusses, we also were handed the irresistible storylines of Serena’s quest for a 24th major and Halep’s push to legendary status.
If you take stock of the full fortnight with an eye on entertainment value, the WTA has once against trumped the ATP.
10B: Wimbledon's First Openly Gay Couple Competes
Kudos to Alison Van Uytvanck and Greet Minnen, who became the first gay couple to compete at Wimbledon. Let's hope it leads to bigger and better things, both for women's and men's tennis.
11. The New Roof is a Big Plus
The new roof over No.1 Court is a gem. At first I was wondering if it wouldn’t make the court feel too much like Centre Court, but I was pleasantly surprised to see and feel that the court still has all the charm of the Old No.1 Court, with a new, gorgeous structure ready to be deployed if darkness or rain intervenes.
Aesthetics aside, two roofs makes the tournament less stressful in so many ways. The weather was perfect at Wimbledon this year, but in the future it will be a Godsend to have this roof in action.
12. Konta vs. Reporter
One of my favorite press room moments of the tournament was watching Jo Konta rip into a surly reporter who had taken the liberty to be overly critical of the British No.1’s performance after her quarter-final loss to Barbora Strycova. Said reporter, seemingly unimpressed that Konta had trounced Sloane Stephens and Petra Kvitova in back-to-back matches to get to the last eight, said the following: “Towards the end of the third set you had a double-fault, then missed a drive volley. Do you not have to look at yourself a little bit about how you cope with these big points? It's all very well saying it's a lot to do with your opponent, but there were key points when you perhaps could have done better.”
Really? So a woman who is by far the best women’s tennis player your nation has seen in three and a half decades needs to “look at herself?”
Konta stuffed it back in his face and told him not to patronize her, which was beautiful.
There’s been a lot of debate about this press conference, and whether or not the reporter had a right to ask Konta the tough questions. Sure, he’s entitled, but does he have a right to assume that Konta wouldn’t be looking in the mirror at herself after a tough loss? And if you were there, like I was, you’d recognize instantly that he wouldn’t dare use that disparaging tone with a top male player.
That a male reporter can think it’s okay to lay into a female player when he would likely not have the stones to do the same to a top male brings to light the subtle, oft-ignored fact that women get treated poorly in so many ways by men who rarely if ever have the wherewithal to recognize the wrongs they repeatedly do.
Good for Jo for ripping this guy. I’ve always respected Konta a lot and I do even more now because she’s not about to take shite from some blowhard reporter.
13. The Boys and Girls
Your Girls Singles champion is Ukrainian Daria Snigur. She defeated Alexa Noel in the final. Your Boys Singles champion is Shintaro Mochizuki of Japan, who became the first ever Boys Singles Wimbledon champion from that nation. The 16-year-old plays a delightful variety of spins, angles and drop shots and has a wonderful backhand--he's one to watch.
14. Future Stars?
Coco Gauff wasn’t the only young star making waves at Wimbledon. Italy’s Matteo Berrettini proved that he could be a future force on the grass by making the second week—look out for this guy on fast surfaces in the future. Karolina Muchova looks like she’s the next in line when it comes to great grass players from the Czech Republic, and she made a strong statement in defeating Karolina Pliskova in the round of 16. France’s Ugo Humbert really looks suited for the grass and his third-round win over Felix Auger-Aliassime was spectactular—he’ll also benefit from the experience of facing Novak Djokovic in the round of 16.
Finally, Dayana Yastremska was the other WTA teenager to reach the second week and the powerful, athletic 19-year-old shone in a second-round win over American Sonia Kenin. Yastremska only played four rounds but her 25 winners are still eight more than any other WTA singles player at Wimbledon.
15. Disappointments
There were quite a few disappointmants at Wimbledon this year. Marin Cilic, we thought, might be ready to find his form again after slipping in the second round last year—he lost to Joao Sousa in straight sets. Karolina Pliskova once again came into a Slam riding a title run but couldn’t make a deep run. Angelique Kerber’s title defense fell flat in the second round where the German blew a set lead at a Slam against a player outside of the Top 50 for the first time in 57 matches. Garbiñe Muguruza was thumped by Beatriz Haddad Maia in the first-round and parted ways with her coach in the loss’ aftermath. Stefanos Tsitsipas fell to Thomas Fabbiano, the Italian that he defeated to reach the second week here at Wimbledon last year.
16. Ivo the Elder
Ivo Karlovic, at 40, became the oldest player to win a round at Wimbledon since 1975. What does that say about you that you can still play so well at this age? He was asked. “That I’m old,” he replied.
16B. Thank You Marcos Baghdatis
Marcos Baghdatis said goodbye to tennis on his terms at Wimbledon. He won a first-round match over Brayden Schnur and finally fell to Matteo Berrettini in the second round--his final professional match. Afterwards, in true Baghdatis hear-and-soul fashion, the lovable Cypriot empted his tennis bag, giving fans racquets, towels and even the shoes off his feet.
A few hours later we were in Interview Room Two when Baghdatis broke down in tears as he reflected how his career had come full circle. He revealed that the pivotal sporting moment that was the greatest inspiration for him--Greece's Euro Championship in 2004--had happened on the same day that his career was now ending--July 4. He was in tears and so were we, as he reflected on his career and how it had all come full circle.
17. Most Symbolic Match and Moving Moment: Venus v Coco
As far as perfect circles go, Coco Gauff’s victory over Venus Williams was one of the most poetic tennis moments that we’ve seen in recent memory. Who better for the 15-year-old rising star to make her showstopping Slam debut against than the five-time Wimbledon champion that, along with her kid sister Serena, paved the way for her over the last 20 years?
Gauff may be young, but she displayed a lot of maturity both on court and off at Wimbledon. And one particular instance stood out for us more than any other. Gauff made sure that she held on to Williams’ hand as they met at the net after her stunning victory over the 39-year-old, and she told her just how much Venus has meant to her as an inspirational figure.
“I was just telling her thank you for everything she's done for the sport. She's been an inspiration for many people,” Gauff told a large roomful of reporters later that night. “I was just really telling her thank you. I met her before, but I didn't really have the guts to say anything. I mean, now or never.”
To me, this was the best moment of Wimbledon, seeing Gauff shake Williams’ hand and hearing her explain here reasoning afterwards.
18. Legacy Builder: Federer v Nadal, Episode 40
How massive was Roger Federer’s win over Rafael Nadal? It kept Nadal from having a shot to move within one major title of him and it also enabled him to avenge that heartbreaking defeat to the Spaniard in the 2008 final. If Nadal took a chunk of Federer’s grass-court empire on that fateful day in 2008, Federer finally took it back eleven years later, and he’ll likely never give it back now.
19. Will Serve-and-Volley ever return?
One hot topic that was discussed quite a bit during Wimbledon was the dearth of serve-and-volley that we now see at Wimbledon. In 2002, serve-and-volley was employed on 33 percent of the service points played in the men’s singles draw. In 2019, only five percent of the points were serve-and-volley points. The women used serve-and-volley five percent of the time in 2002—this year they played the tactic on one percent of the points.
It truly is a dying art, and it makes no sense, because there is no better way to keep a returner off balance and to let him or her know that blocked or chipped returns won’t cut it. Let’s hope that the trend reverses at some point.
20. Kyrgios: Good for the Game but Not as Good as he Should Be
Just a comment on Nick Kyrgios, who singlehandedly made the first week very exciting on the men’s side by creating a whole lot of hype leading into his second-round match with Rafael Nadal. His pre-match comments and his night spent at the Dog and Fox on the eve of the match were great entertainment, got people talking and made everybody really jacked up to watch and see what would happen with Nadal and Kyrgios.
The match, like the lead-up, did not disappoint. Which leads me to make the following statement regarding Kyrgios: He’s a great entertainer but he’s not a great tennis player. Imagine if he could ever be both?