10 takeaways from 2026 Wimbledon

               (Jannik Sinner & Linda Noskova with their championship trophies. Credit: Wimbledon.com) 

Alrighty, I'm long overdue to get my 10 takeaways from Wimbledon in, but here we go! 

#1. Jannik Sinner is figuring out the grass: Jannik Sinner defeated Alexander Zverev in the gentlemen's final 6-7, 7-6, 6-3, 6-4. Sinner has now won Wimbledon back-to-back times, showing that he has command of the grass. The clay of the French Open continues to be a work in progress for him, but he's at least showing he has what it takes to win on the grass. Even without Carlos Alcaraz, this was still an impressive run for Sinner.  It'll be fun to see how many more Wimbledon titles he racks up as his career goes on. 

#2. Linda Noskova is a grand slam champion: Linda Noskova defeated Karolina Muchova in the ladies' singles final 6-2, 5-7, 6-3. Noskova really came out of left field in this one as the furthest she'd gone at a grand slam going into Wimbledon was the quarterfinals at the 2024 Australian Open. A big thing to look for is whether or not Noskova is a one-hit wonder or if she has more grand slam titles in her future. At just 21 years of age, I lean towards her winning more before her career ends. She's got plenty of tennis in front of her. 

#3. Alexander Zverev has a career best at Wimbledon: While he came up short in the final, it was still the best Wimbledon performance of Alexander Zverev's career. He's had a great season, winning the French Open to win his first career grand slam. With the way he's trending, perhaps a Wimbledon title is also in Zverev's future. 

#4. Karolina Muchova has a career best at Wimbledon: While she came up short in the final, Karolina Muchova can hold her head high knowing she had the best run of her Wimbledon career. And it was the best run of her Wimbledon career by far. She reached the quarterfinals in 2019 and 2021 before having four straight first round exits. She really took her game up a notch on the grass this year. Whether or not this year was an aberration or a sign that she's figured things out on the grass, next year will tell us a lot. 

#5. Arthur Fery had a run for the ages: Arthur Fery had a run for the ages, reaching the semifinals before losing to Alexander Zverev 6-7, 2-6, 4-6. Fery also played for Stanford and on CardinalSportsReport.com, I wrote more about his run. Click here to check that out. It really was an amazing run for him. He came in as a wild card and now doesn't have to worry about qualifying for grand slams for a full calendar year. It'll be interesting to see how he does in his next four grand slam appearances, which includes, Wimbledon 2027. 

#6. Coco Gauff has her best Wimbledon performance: Coco Gauff reached the semifinals, losing to Karolina Muchova 6-2, 1-6, 7-6. Gauff had been to the 4th round three times at Wimbledon (2019, 2021, & 2024), but that was as far as she could go. This year, she made tremendous progress, getting to the semifinals. What is interesting is 2019 was her first ever Wimbledon. The fact that it's taken her so long to get past the 4th round is super interesting. But regardless, she should be feeling good about how this year went as she eyes an eventual Wimbledon title in the future. 

#7. Novak Djokovic still has juice: Novak Djokovic fell to Jannik Sinner in the semifinals 4-6, 4-6, 4-6. While he's no longer the grand slam contender he once was, reaching the semifinals is nothing to sneeze at. As I've written earlier, Djokovic can still play at a high level. The only question is how long does he want to play at a level where he hangs around but comes up a bit short. Only he can answer that question.

#8. Naomi Osaka had a bounce back tournament: Naomi Osaka reached the quarterfinals, losing to Karolina Muchova 6-7, 4-6, putting up a good fight in that match. It was the best performance she's ever had at Wimbledon. It was fun to see her back in the mix at a grand slam. Especially on a surface that hasn't been her strong suit. She seems to be finding a good balance between being a mom and still playing at a high level, which is exciting for the tennis world. 

#9. Jan-Lennard Struff has break through tournament: Jan-Lennard Struff reached the first quarterfinal of his grand slam career, losing to Jannik Sinner 5-7, 6-7, 3-6. At 36 years of age, it's super impressive that Struff had this run to the quarterfinals. He's been to the 4th round at the US Open and French Open before, but at Wimbledon he had never gotten past the 3rd round. On top of reaching the quarterfinals, he also battled Sinner tough in the loss. Struff should be very pleased with how his Wimbledon went. 

#10. Marta Kostyuk is finding her groove: Marta Kostyuk reached the semifinals of Wimbledon right after reaching the semifinals of the French Open. That's back-to-back grand slam semifinal runs. That has to give her a real boost of confidence. It was Linda Noskova, the eventual champion, that defeated her 6-4, 6-4. Kostyuk finds herself just outside the top 10, ranked No. 11 in the world. At just 24 years of age, she's really stepping into her own and finding her groove, which is great to see. 

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Thoughts from Week 1 at 2026 Wimbledon

                                  (Naomi Osaka is into the 4th round. Credit: Brian Inganga/AP Photo) 

This past week was a busy and eventful one at Wimbledon with lots going on across the gentlemen’s and ladies’ singles evens. Below are some thoughts I have about some of the action that has transpired. Over at CardinalSportsReport.com, where I cover Stanford for On3 Rivals, I did a piece on Stanford alum Arthur Fery, who is the last Brit standing. Click here to check that out. Ok, let’s dive in! 

The first thing that has popped out at me is No. 14 Naomi Osaka knocking off No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-2, 7-6 in the 4^th round to reach the quarterfinals. Osaka reached a career-best 4^th round at the French Open earlier this year and now her run to the quarterfinals at Wimbledon is a career-best for her as well. It’s taken Osaka a bit of time to get back to form, but she’s finally getting back to the level of tennis we all know she can play at. It’s been pretty exciting to watch.  

Secondly, No. 1 Jannik Sinner is finding his groove after a 1^st round scare against Miomir Kecmanovic in which he narrowly won 4-6, 6-3, 6-7, 6-2, 6-3. Since that match, Sinner hasn’t dropped a set as he now marches into the quarterfinals. That can happen sometimes at Wimbledon. Those early matches can be tricky due to the new grass and all. Now that the grass is wearing down and he’s finding his footing (both literally and figuratively), Sinner is going to be really tough to stop this coming week.  

Third, No. 7 Coco Gauff reaching the quarterfinals at Wimbledon for the first time of her career is a big deal. She has reached the 4^th round at Wimbledon three times before in 2019, 2021, and 2024. She has historically hit a wall in the 4^th round, but this year she broke through by defeating No. 11 Belinda Bencic, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. It’s all uncharted territory at this point for Gauff. I get the sense she’s one who the crowd would love to see go the distance. That support should certainly help her. 

Finally, the quarterfinal match between No. 3 Felix Auger-Aliassime and No. 7 Novak Djokovic should be interesting. Auger-Aliassime didn’t drop a set in his first three matches before getting taken to a 5^th set against No. 2 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the 4^th round, winning 6-7, 7-6, 6-3, 6-7, 6-1. As for Djokovic, he hasn’t been taken to a 5^th set in this tournament, but in three of his four match wins, he dropped a set. The only straight set victory he’s had is his 2^nd round 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 win over Stefanos Tsitsipas. Auger-Aliassime I think has the slight edge here, but he’s never gotten past the quarterfinals at Wimbledon before while Djokovic is a seven time Wimbledon champion. I’m very curious to see how this one goes. 

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10 things to take away from 2025 Wimbledon

 

                        (Jannik Sinner and Iga Świątek with their trophies. Credit: Getty Images) 

With 2025 Wimbledon now officially behind us, it is time for me to write my 10 things to take away from the two weeks that were on the grass. Let's dive in! 

#1. Iga Swiatek can get it done on the grass: By winning Wimbledon, world No. 3 Iga Swiatek has now won a grand slam on every surface and only needs to win the Australian Open to complete the career grand slam.  She absolutely smoked Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 in the final as Anisimova was nowhere near the level she was playing at going in. Some of that of course a credit to Swiatek. While she is still most dangerous on the clay with her four French Open titles, it's huge for Swiatek to show she can win grand slams on all surfaces. It makes her a much more dangerous opponent going forward. 

#2. Jannik Sinner proved he can go the distance on the grass: Just like Iga Swiatek, world No. 1 Jannik Sinner won his first Wimbledon title, showing that he can go all the way on the grass. Now he just needs a French Open title to complete the career slam, so unlike Swiatek, he is yet to win a grand slam title on all three surfaces of clay, hard court, and grass. For Sinner, what made this title extra special was he got revenge against world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz by beating him in the final 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 after narrowly losing to him in the French Open final. Given how close he came at the French Open, one has to think his time is coming on the clay. But regardless, winning Wimbledon is a big deal for Sinner. Hopefully the first of many for him. 

#3. Coco Gauff needs to figure out the grass: Coco Gauff had a 1st round exit at Wimbledon this year and has never gotten past the 4th round. While she is off to a great start to her career with her 2023 US Open title and 2025 French Open title earlier this year, it's clear that she has work to do on the grass. The odd thing is she reached the 4th round at Wimbledon back in 2019 in her first Wimbledon and first grand slam main draw. You would think she would have at least reached a Wimbledon quarterfinals by now, but she clearly has more work to do in order to make a deep run on the grass. 

#4. Carlos Alcaraz met his match against Jannik Sinner: Carlos Alcaraz came into Wimbledon having won back-to-back titles, gunning for a third straight title on the grass. He met his match against Jannik Sinner, going down in four sets. What's clear is that these two guys are forming a fantastic rivalry on the court and there really isn't a third guy who is consistently giving them a run for their money. It would be fun if a third guy could do that (hopefully Alexander Zverev), but if we have to live with watching more Sinner/Alcaraz battles for the next few years, I think that's okay. They really are a treat to watch. 

#5. Amanda Anisimova had a breakthrough tournament: Even though getting double bageled in the final against Iga Swiatek isn't what she wanted to have happen, Amanda Anisimova still can hold her head high knowing she reached her first grand slam final and at Wimbledon no less. She had a great tournament and at just 23 years of age, she has plenty of years ahead. It'll be fun to see how the rest of the season goes for her. 

#6. The end is nearing for Novak Djokovic: Novak Djokovic reached the semifinals, losing to Jannik Sinner in straight sets 3-6, 4-6, 4-6. The fact that a run to the semifinals is considered "running out of gas" so to speak just goes to show how freaking talented and amazing Djokovic is. That notwithstanding, it's fair to wonder if he'll ever win another grand slam and how much longer he wants to play if he knows he no longer can compete at the absolute highest level. 

#7. Aryna Sabalenka still in search of first non-hardcourt slam: World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka came up short, losing in the semifinals to Amanda Anisimova 4-6, 6-4, 4-6. She has won the Australian Open two times and the US Open once, but she is still in search of her first non-hardcourt grand slam. The semifinals is the furthest she's gone at Wimbledon and the final (2025) is the furthest she's gone at the French Open. I have no doubt that Sabalenka will get there and win a grand slam on either grass or clay, but for now, it remains a goal for her to shoot for. 

#8. Taylor Fritz needs to find that next gear:  World No. 4 Taylor Fritz lost in the semifinals to Carlos Alcaraz 4-6, 7-5, 3-6, 6-7. Fritz has reached the quarterfinals at the Australian Open, the 4th round at the French Open, the semifinals at Wimbledon, and the final at the US Open. He appears to be knocking on the door, but with Alcaraz and Sinner in front of him, he needs to figure out how to find that next gear. Can he do it? That's the question. 

#9. Emma Raducanu needs to get more out of her home court advantage: Despite being the darling of British women's tennis, Emma Raducanu is still yet to make a serious challenge at Wimbledon. She won the US Open back in 2021, making people think a Wimbledon title could be in her future. As of now, the furthest she's gone at Wimbledon is the 4th round and this year she exited in the 3rd round. Given she's a Brit, she has a great opportunity to get the home crowd behind her at Wimbledon, but she's gotta do her part to make some noise and give them something to cheer about. 

#10. Jack Draper needs to back up his ranking at grand slams: Ranked No. 5 in the world, Jack Draper has only one grand slam semifinal under his belt at the 2024 US Open. Matter of fact, it's the only grand slam semifinal he's reached in his career. This year, he reached the 4th round at the Australian Open and the French Open before losing in the 2nd round at Wimbledon despite being British. He's going to have lot of points to defend at the US Open and unless he can make another deep run in New York, he very well may see his ranking drop come September. 

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Jannik Sinner is now a Wimbledon champion

 

                                             (Credit: Corinne Dubreuil/ATPTour.com) 

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner has won his first Wimbledon title and the first Wimbledon title for Italy, defeating No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in the gentlemen's final. Alcaraz came in as the two-time defending champion while also having defeated Sinner in an epic five set thriller to win the French Open just a few weeks earlier. Sinner could have let that French Open result get in his head, but instead he went to work and got some revenge. Sinner now has won four grand slam titles and only needs to win the French Open to complete the career slam. Given how close he came at the French Open this year, one has to think he'll soon complete the career slam. 

Looking back on his run to the title, Sinner played great throughout the entire tournament. He did however catch a lucky break in the 4th round in which he won 3-6, 5-7, 2-2, ret. against Grigor Dimitrov. Dimitrov had to retire from the match due to a pectoral muscle injury. Had he not gone down with that injury, one can't help but wonder if the outcome of the entire tournament would have been different. Coming down from 0-2 would have been tough for Sinner and even if he had pulled it out, he would have been more worn down coming into the final. 

That said, all you can do is control what you can control and take advantage of any breaks that you do get. Sinner got a major break against Dimitrov, but he took full advantage by going all the way. He deserves a lot of credit for regrouping after that match and finding it in him to come out on top in the end. 

At just 23 years of age, Sinner has rapidly ascended to the top spot in the world and is playing like a guy who isn't going anywhere anytime soon. In truth, the only guy who really seems to challenge him for the number one spot is Alcaraz. The two of them are forming quite the rivalry and are gaining separation from the rest of the ATP Tour. It'll be interesting to see if anyone else can emerge to challenge them. World No.3 Alexander Zverev is yet to win a grand slam and he's few years older than both guys. 

Looking ahead to the US Open, Sinner will look to defend his title there. He'll be coming in with a lot of momentum and confidence. Provided he has a good lead up to the US Open on the hardcourt, I see no reason to pick against him. Even with Alcaraz the favorite to be facing him in the final. 

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Iga Swiatek is now a Wimbledon champion

 

                                             (Credit: Kirsty Wigglesworth/The Associated Press) 

In the ladies' singles final, (8) Iga Swiatek defeated (13) Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 to win her first Wimbledon title. Swiatek dominated from start to finish and Anisimova was never able to get into any sort of groove. Swiatek had a dominating semifinal victory as well, cruising past Belinda Bencic 6-2, 6-0. As a matter of fact, Swiatek only dropped one set at Wimbledon in her 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 victory over Caty McNally in the second round. Aside from that match, it was smooth sailing for her the entire way. 

What makes this title so impressive for Swiatek is the fact that she had never gone past the quarterfinals before at Wimbledon. She really has really become known for being a dominant clay court player. For her to win at Wimbledon shows that she is more versatile than people have given her credit for. She now has won a grand slam on all the surfaces and just needs to find a way to win the Australian Open to complete the career slam. 

Speaking of the clay, Swiatek fell short in the French Open just a few weeks ago, losing in the semifinals. Bouncing back by winning Wimbledon shows a lot of fortitude and resolve on her part. Of course, one can't help but wonder if falling short at the French Open helped her win Wimbledon. She got a little more time to rest and also didn't have the pressure of coming in as the reigning French Open champion. Coco Gauff, who won the French Open, lost in the first round at Wimbledon. That further proves how tough it is to perform well at both tournaments back-to-back. 

Looking ahead to the rest of the season, it'll be fun to see how Swiatek performs in the upcoming hardcourt swing that culminates with the US Open in New York. Swiatek won the US Open back in 2022, so she knows she can win that event. Winning Wimbledon should certainly help her enter the US Open with more confidence. If she's able to go the distance in New York, she'll be well on her way to reclaiming the number one ranking in the world. 

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Who is more likely to win their first Wimbledon: Jannik Sinner or Aryna Sabalenka?

 

                                              (Credit: Getty Images) 

With the quarterfinals at Wimbledon set to begin, the top seeds in both the gentlemen's and ladies' singles still remain: Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka. Neither player has won a grand slam away from the hard courts and yet they both have an opportunity to change that as they seek their first title on the grass courts of Wimbledon. Which one is more likely to go the distance? Below are my thoughts. 

Starting with Sinner, he defeated Luca Nardi in the first round, Aleksandar Vukic in the second round, Pedro Martinez in the third round, and (19) Grigor Dimitrov in the fourth round. He got a bit lucky with the Dimitrov match as he dropped the first two sets 3-6, 5-7. It was tied 2-2 in the third set before Dimitrov had to retire from the match due to an injured right pectoral muscle. Sinner is dealing with an elbow injury, so it's not like he's at full strength entering the quarterfinals. 

As for Sabalenka, she is yet to drop a set with wins over Carson Branstine in the first round, Marie Bouzkova in the second round, Emma Raducanu in the third round, and (24) Elise Mertens in the fourth round. She is currently dominating the competition and is playing with a lot of confidence as she enters the quarterfinals. 

Just looking at how the first four rounds have gone for both players, I would say Sabalenka seems more poised to win Wimbledon this year than Sinner. She hasn't dropped a set and at least so far hasn't shown any signs of slowing down. Sinner in contrast was lucky to get past Dimitrov as he was actually trailing in the match and on top of that, he is dealing with an elbow injury. 

In addition to playing better so far, Sabalenka also has a more favorable draw in front of her. The highest remaining seed for Sabalenka to face is (7) Mirra Andreeva, who is still in search of her first grand slam title and is in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon for the first time of her career. The player who on paper would be the biggest threat is five-time grand slam champion (8) Iga Swiatek. Swiatek however has never gone beyond the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, so it's hard to see her winning it all. On top of that, Andreeva and Swiatek are on the opposite side of the draw from Sabalenka, meaning that at most, Sabalenka has to only beat one of them and it would be in the final. No guarantee they get that far. 

Regarding Sinner's draw, (2) Carlos Alcaraz is still alive and he's the two-time defending champion. That alone makes this a tougher draw for Sinner. Not to mention the fact that seven-time Wimbledon champion (6) Novak Djokovic is the projected semifinal match for Sinner if he can get past (10) Ben Shelton. 

One other thing I should quickly note is in my Wimbledon preview, I actually picked Sabalenka to win it all on the ladies' side whereas I picked Alcaraz to win on the gentlemen's side. I see no reason to make a change to either of those predictions at this time. Alcaraz had a first round scare, getting pushed to a fifth set by Fabio Fognini, but since then he's been pretty dominant in his other three matches. 

When adding it all up, while both Sinner and Sabalenka are ranked number one in the world and are the top seeds in their respective draws, it's clear that Sabalenka has a much clearer path to winning her first Wimbledon title. The field is much more favorable for her (number two seed Coco Gauff losing in the first round helped a ton) and she's simply playing better tennis at the moment. It'll be fun to see how the final three rounds go! 

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10 things to look for at 2025 Wimbledon

 

                       

Wimbledon starts this week, which means it is time for me to write my 10 things to look for. Click here to check out the draws. Ok, let's get after it! 

#1. Can Aryna Sabalenka get it done on grass? Aryna Sabalenka comes in as the number one ranked player in the world on the ladies' side, but she is yet to win a grand slam away from hard court. She came close at the French Open, losing in the final to Coco Gauff, but no cigar. She has reached the semifinals at Wimbledon twice in 2021 and 2023. Will this be the year she finally wins away from the hard court? That's the question. 

#2. Can Jannik Sinner get it done on the grass? Just like Sabalenka, Jannik Sinner is ranked number one in the world without having a grand slam title away from hard court under his belt. Also like Sabalenka, Sinner came up short in the final at the French Open, though his loss was more heartbreaking given he was up 2-0 on Carlos Alcaraz. The parallels between Sinner and Sabalenka continue as the furthest Sinner has gone at Wimbledon is the semifinals in 2023. It'll be interesting to see if Sinner will have any better luck than Sabalenka or maybe both will break through on the grass. 

#3. Will Emma Raducanu make some noise in front of the home crowd? Ranked No. 38 in the world, it feels like a while ago since Emma Raducanu won the US Open in 2021. Given she is a British citizen, she should have the London crowd behind her. The furthest she's gone at Wimbledon is 4th round in 2021 and 2024. Perhaps this is the year she'll make a push to at least the quarterfinals. 

#4. How will Jack Draper do behind the home crowd? Jack Draper comes in as the No. 4 seed in the tournament with the weight of Great Britain behind him, hailing from London. Fortunately for him, he doesn't have the ghost of Fred Perry to worry about as Andy Murray put that demon to bed when he won Wimbledon in 2013 and 2016. Still, the Brits love to see their own do well at The All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club. Draper hasn't done well at Wimbledon, having not gotten past the second round. Hopefully for him, he'll fare much better this year. 

#5. Will Coco Gauff threaten? Despite all the success she has had, most recently winning the French Open, Coco Gauff remains stuck at Wimbledon, reaching the 4th round three times in her career but never beyond that. On paper, given she is the No. 2 seed, you'd think she'd be a heavy favorite. History suggests otherwise. Perhaps this will be the year she'll buck that trend for the better. 

#6. Will Carlos Alcaraz complete the three-peat? Carlos Alcaraz comes in as the number two ranked player in the world, yet he is the two-time defending champion at Wimbledon. Odds are on him to go the distance, but it's never easy to repeat, let alone three-peat at Wimbledon. If he's able to do that, he'll continue to put himself in rarified air. 

#7. Can Mirra Andreeva continue her momentum from Roland Garros? Mirra Andreeva is coming off a strong performance at Roland Garros, reaching the quarterfinals. She reached the semifinals at Roland Garros in 2024, so perhaps she's just far ahead on the clay. Still, at 18 years of age and ranked No. 7 in the world, there is a lot of interest in how she'll perform. 

#8. Can Alexander Zverev shake his Wimbledon struggles? Given he is ranked No. 3 in the world, never having gotten past the 4th round at Wimbledon I think is a failure for Alexander Zverev. There's no reason to think this year will be any different, but hope springs eternal, I suppose. 

#9. Can Naomi Osaka find her groove again? Ranked No. 56 in the world, it's been a while since Naomi Osaka has been relevant at a grand slam. She also has never won a grand slam away from the hard court, making it a long put for her to win Wimbledon. If she could reach the 4th round and build some momentum for the US Open, I think she'd take it. 

#10. How will Novak Djokovic perform? Novak Djokovic comes in as the No. 6 player in the world, having reached the semifinals at both grand slams this year. Djokovic loves Wimbledon, having won it seven times. This might be his best opportunity to win a slam this year. Especially since Sinner and Alcaraz both emptied the tank in the French Open final. 

Prediction: On the gentlemen's side, I have to roll with Carlos Alcaraz. It's his tournament to lose. As for the ladies' side, I'm going to say Aryna Sabalenka breaks through to win her first Wimbledon title. 

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10 things to take away from 2024 Wimbledon

 

                                             (Credit: AELTC/Thomas Lovelock) 

2024 Wimbledon is over as Carlos Alcaraz and Barbora Krejcikova won the gentlemen's and ladies' singles titles respectively. Below are my ten things to take away from the two weeks that were in London. Enjoy!

Note: On CardinalSportsReport.com, I wrote about incoming Stanford freshman Alexander Razeghi winning the junior boys doubles title at Wimbledon. Read that here. 

#1. Carlos Alcaraz is going to win many grand slams: Carlos Alcaraz defeated Novak Djokovic 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 to win the gentlemen's singles title. It was the fourth grand slam title of Alcaraz's career and his second Wimbledon. He won the French Open earlier in the year, completing the "English Channel Double." That's really impressive. 

What makes it all the more impressive for Alcaraz isn't just the fact that he won it all, but it's the way he won it. From start to finish, he was the top player in the tournament and when going up against Novak Djokovic, who is widely considered to be the greatest tennis player of all-time, Alcaraz took him out in straight sets. Granted, Djokovic wasn't at full strength, but the fact that he was able to reach the final indicates he was still playing good tennis to get there. Given he's just 21 years old, Alcaraz has the potential to win a ton of grand slams and put himself into the conversation for greatest of all-time. 

#2. Barbora Krejcikova is now a two-time grand slam champion: Barbora Krejcikova defeated Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 to win the ladies' singles title. Krejcikova is now ranked #10 in the world and now has two grand slam titles under her belt, having won the French Open back in 2021. Winning two grand slam titles is a lot more than winning one. Once you have multiple grand slam titles under your belt, that puts you in a whole new tier of greatness and Krejcikova has done just that. At 28 years of age, Krejcikova still has time to add to her collection. It'll be interesting to see if she is able to win any more grand slams and if she does, whether she'll have to wait as long as she did to win her third as it took her to win her second. 

#3. Novak Djokovic is still a threat: While he wasn't able to win it all this year, just by reaching the final after having a knee operation following the French Open, Novak Djokovic showed that he is still a contender at grand slams. I don't know how many more he'll win, but I would be very surprised if he doesn't end up winning at least a couple more grand slams before it's all said and done. He's towards the end of his career, but he still has some gas left in the tank, I think. 

#4. Jasmine Paolini's time is coming: After reaching the final of the French Open, Jasmine Paolini was able to reach the final at Wimbledon, coming up just short against Barbora Krejcikova. Paolini is now ranked #5 in the world and will enter the US Open with a lot of momentum. It'll be interesting to see how the rest of the summer and season goes for Paolini. It feels like it's only a matter of time before she finally breaks through and wins her first grand slam. 

#5. Daniil Medvedev is still knocking on the door: Daniil Medvedev reached the semifinals of Wimbledon for the second straight season, falling to Carlos Alcaraz 7-6, 3-6, 4-6, 4-6. Ranked #5 in the world, Medvedev continues to show that he is a threat at grand slams. He's reached the final of the Australian Open three times and then of course has the 2021 US Open singles title as well. I don't think he's done winning grand slams, but with Carlos Alcaraz now coming up in full force, he has his work cut out for him. 

#6. Elena Rybakina falls a bit short of second Wimbledon title: Elena Rybakina fell to Barbora Krejcikova in the semifinals 6-3, 3-6, 4-6. Rybakina came in seeded 4th and is currently ranked #4 in the world. Rybakina was gunning for her second Wimbledon title and second grand slam title as she won Wimbledon in 2022. She's only 25 years of age, so she still has plenty of time to add more to her total. She just wasn't quite able to do it this time around. 

#7. Jannik Sinner had a disappointing tournament: For most players, reaching the quarterfinals would be considered a solid tournament. But when you come in ranked #1 in the world as Jannik Sinner did, anything short of winning it all is a disappointment. Sinner fell to Medvedev in the quarterfinals 7-6, 4-6, 6-7, 6-2, 3-6. Sinner reached the semifinals in 2023, so he's capable of going deeper. It'll be interesting to see if he is able to finish the season strong after getting off to a great start with that Australian Open title. 

#8. Coco Gauff had a really disappointing tournament: If you read my preview, you would know that I picked Coco Gauff to win it all on the women's side. She didn't even come close as she went down in the 4th round in straight sets to 19th seed Emma Navarro 4-6, 3-6. Gauff came in seeded 2nd in the tournament and all eyes were on her to make a deep run and possibly win her first Wimbledon. It obviously wasn't meant to be. The 4th round is the furthest she's gone on the grass, so clearly she does need to figure some things out. 

#9. Ben Shelton had a solid tournament: One of the things I was looking for going into Wimbledon was how the young American Ben Shelton would do. He ended up having his best Wimbledon ever as he reached the 4th round before falling to the top seed Jannik Sinner 2-6, 4-6, 6-7. At just 21 years of age, Shelton has a very bright future. He should feel good about how this Wimbledon went provided he's able to build on it and improve. 

#10. Iga Świątek needs to figure out the grass: Iga Świątek came in ranked #1 in the world and has won five grand slam titles, four of which are at the French Open. Of all the grand slams, Wimbledon is the one she has the most trouble at and this year was no exception as she went down in the 3rd round to Yulia Putintseva 6-3, 1-6, 2-6.  Świątek is well on her way to being an all-time great, but right now she's more of an all-time great on the clay. The other surfaces, especially grass, she still needs to figure out. 

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10 things to look for at 2024 Wimbledon

 

On Monday, July 1st, Wimbledon will begin. That means it is time for me to write my 10 things to look for at The All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club. Shout out to Croquet! If you have not yet checked out the draws, click here. 

#1. Can Iga Świątek make a run on the grass? Iga Świątek is the top player in the world on the ladies' side, most recently winning the French Open just a couple weeks back. Four of her five grand slam titles have come at the French Open with the US Open in 2022 being the other grand slam she has won. The furthest she's gone at Wimbledon is the quarterfinals last year. She's established herself as a dominant force on clay, but she now needs to start winning on other surfaces. It would be for her to win Wimbledon this year and show she can go the distance on grass. If she does that, that's really gonna stoke a lot of fear into the rest of the WTA. 

#2. Can Jannik Sinner go the distance? Jannik Sinner is ranked #1 in the world on the gentlemen's side, winning the Australian Open this year. He's coming off a run to the semifinals at the French Open and reached the semifinals of Wimbledon last year. If he wants to solidify himself as the top player in the world for this year, he needs to win a second grand slam. Wimbledon would be a great place for him to pick up that second grand slam title of the season and of his career. 

#3. Can Coco Gauff threaten to win it all? Coco Gauff comes in as the number two ranked player in the world. She won the US Open last year and has become a legitimate star of the sport. Funny enough, she first made headlines with her performance at Wimbledon when she was 14 years old, reaching the 4th round. Since then, she has not been able to go any further on the grass. At some point, you have to think she'll reach the quarterfinals and beyond at Wimbledon, but so far she hasn't done it. It'll be interesting to see if this is the year she finally does so. 

#4. How will Novak Djokovic's knee hold up? Novak Djokovic comes in as the number two ranked player in the world, but he also comes in having had surgery on his right knee after the French Open to address a medial meniscus tear. Djokovic says the knee is feeling fine, but will it still feel that way after a few matches in? That's the question. 

#5. How far will Jasmine Paolini go? Jasmine Paolini comes in ranked #7 in the world after reaching the 4th round of the Australian Open and final at the French Open earlier this season. She clearly appears to have figured something out with her game and will look to build on her success at Wimbledon. It's hard to figure out how she'll do at Wimbledon since she's never gone past the 1st round in her career. I suspect she'll go further than that this year, but 1st round upsets do happen. I'll be very interested to see how these two weeks go for her on the grass. 

#6. Can Carlos Alcaraz defend his title? Carlos Alcaraz comes in as the #3 ranked player in the world on the men's side and the defending Wimbledon champion. He won the French Open a couple weeks back and now will look to complete the feat of winning the French Open and Wimbledon back-to-back. Given how close the two grand slams are to each other and the differing surfaces, doing so is no easy task. If Alcaraz can defend his title, regardless of what the rankings say, he'll be sending a firm message that he is the top player in world. 

#7. Can Marketa Vondrousova defend her title? Marketa Vondrousova comes in ranked #6 in the world, having won the ladies' Wimbledon singles title last year. After a disappointing 1st round exit at the Australian Open this year, she had a solid performance at Roland Garros by reaching the quarterfinals. She came out of nowhere to win Wimbledon last year and she had previously never gone further than the 2nd round. It's tough to figure how she'll perform, but on paper she's certainly a threat. 

#8. Can Casper Ruud make some noise? Casper Ruud comes in ranked #8 in the world having reached three grand slam finals in his career (2022 French Open, 2022 US Open, & 2023 French Open). That said, he's really struggled on the grass, never getting past the 2nd round of Wimbledon in his career. It would be huge for him to be able to have a bit of a breakthrough at Wimbledon and at least reach the quarterfinals. The 25 year old Norwegian is at a point of his career where such a breakthrough needs to happen soon. 

#9. Can Ons Jabeur win her first grand slam? Ons Jabeur comes in ranked #10 in the world, having reached back-to-back Wimbledon finals in 2022 and 2023. She also reached the US Open final in 2022. She's come close to winning a grand slam, but so far no cigar. At 29 years of age, she still has some time but one has to wonder whether or not she's got what it takes to go the distance at a grand slam or if she's maxed out with these trips to the final. If she were to win Wimbledon, she would put those questions to rest. 

#10. Can Ben Shelton prove himself at Wimbledon? Coming in ranked #14 in the world, Ben Shelton is a rising star in the game at just 21 years of age. However, he's never gone further than the 2nd round at Wimbledon. His top grand slam performance overall is the semifinals at the US Open last year. He's got the pieces to be a consistent grand slam threat. He just needs to prove it. It would be cool if he made some noise in London this year. 

Prediction: On the gentlemen's side, I have to roll with Carlos Alcaraz. I think he's the best player in the world regardless of what the rankings say and he proved me right in Paris when I picked him to win the French Open this year. On the ladies' side, it's much tougher to make a prediction, but I'll pick Coco Gauff to win it all. I do think she'll find a way to take it up a notch on the grass this year and win her first Wimbledon crown. She's one who will have a lot of support from the crowd, too. 

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10 things to take away from 2023 Wimbledon

                                             (Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports) 

2023 Wimbledon has come and gone, which means it is time for me to write my 10 things to take away from the two weeks that were at the All England Lawn Tennis Club. Let's dive in! 

#1. Carlos Alcaraz established himself as #1 in the world: Everyone thought Novak Djokovic would cruise to an 8th Wimbledon title and a 24th grand slam title, but Carlos Alcaraz had other plans, defeating Djokovic 1-6, 7-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 in the gentlemen's singles final. I would say after the way he outplayed Djokovic and beat him in a 5th set, Alcaraz solidified himself as the top player in the world. It should also be noted that Alcaraz came in at #1 while Djokovic came in at #2, so in hindsight we should have respected Alcaraz' ranking a bit more going in. 

#2. Marketa Vondrousova is a grand slam champion: Marketa Vondrousova defeated (6) Ons Jabeur 6-4, 6-4 in the ladies' singles final. It's Vondrousova's first grand slam title though it wasn't her first trip to a grand slam final. Back in 2019, she reached the final at Roland Garros, losing to Ashleigh Barty 1-6, 3-6. What makes Vondrousova's title particularly amazing is that she became the third unseeded player to ever win a Wimbledon title and the first on the women's side. She's now ranked #10 in the world as a result of her title and will enter the US Open with more pressure. It'll be interesting to see how that goes for her and then just long-term, whether or not she'll be able to win more slams. She's only 24 years old, so she's still got many years in front of her. 

#3. Novak Djokovic is human: Part of this is the simple fact that he's now 36 years old, but just in general, Djokovic showed himself to be human. He got out-played by a guy who simply played better than he did. As Djokovic said, he's won some matches that he probably shouldn't have won, so now it's even-Steven. Still, while he wasn't able to win it this year, Djokovic is still a major contender at slams. He'll get #24 soon and likely walk out with even more before it's all said and done. 

#4. Ons Jabeur needs to do some soul searching: Ons Jabeur came into the ladies' final as the heavy favorite. Everyone expected her to defeat Vondrousova. Jabeur was playing in her third grand slam final after reaching the Wimbledon and US Open finals in 2022. Instead of coming through and winning her first slam, she was not able to deliver the goods and lost to an unseeded player who was in her second grand slam final and first one since 2019. Not to take anything away from Vondrousova, but Jabeur should have won this match. It'll be interesting to see how she'll respond in future slams, especially in her next final assuming she gets back to one. 

#5. Daniil Medvedev needs to up his game on the grass: While he did reach the semifinals, Daniil Medvedev got rolled in straight sets by Carlos Alcaraz, losing 3-6, 3-6, 3-6. As one who has won a grand slam before (2021 US Open), one would expect Medvedev to perform better in the semis. He has work to do on the grass for sure. On the positive side, this was the furthest Medvedev has gone at Wimbledon, so there's certainly hope for him to do even better next year. Still, getting waxed in straight sets is not the way he wanted this to end. 

#6. Aryna Sabalenka needs to up her game on the grass: Aryna Sabalenka came in as the #2 ranked player in the world and was my pick to win the ladies' singles title. She came up a bit short in the semis, losing to Ons Jabeur 7-6, 4-6, 3-6. This was Sabalenka's second trip to the semis at Wimbledon and she just wasn't quite able to reach her first Wimbledon final, yet alone win it all. She won the Australian Open earlier this year and is only 25 years of age. She's just starting to hit her prime and will have plenty of chances. So hopefully for her this will be a really good learning experience. 

#7. Jannik Sinner had a bit of a breakthrough tournament: Jannik Sinner fell to Novak Djokovic in the semis 6-3, 6-4, 7-6. This was the furthest Sinner has gone at any grand slam, so for him this was a real breakthrough tournament. Coming in as the 8th seed, Sinner had a relatively smooth run to the semis, not facing a seeded player until he faced Djokovic. So it's fair to wonder whether or not he just happened to benefit from a soft draw. Still, you have to beat the guy in front of you and you can't really control who you face, so that's certainly not a reason to diminish Sinner's run.

#8. Iga Świątek needs to figure out the grass: Progress was definitely made by world #1 Iga Świątek given that this was her first trip to the Wimbledon quarterfinals. That said, it's clear that grass is the surface she needs the most work on. She's won Roland Garros three times, making the clay her top surface and then she's won the US Open (2022) while also reaching the Australian Open semis in 2022. If she can figure out the grass and start winning Wimbledon, she'll be on path to domination in the women's game. 

#9. Christopher Eubanks burst onto the scene: Christopher Eubanks came out of nowhere to reach the quarterfinals, upsetting (5) Stefanos Tsitsipas in the 4th round 3-6, 7-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. Eubanks played at Georgia Tech and hails from Atlanta, Georgia so he was truly representing the Peach State in this tournament. The furthest Eubanks had gone at any other grand slam until this year's Wimbledon was the 2nd round, so this was truly an amazing run by him. It'll be interesting to see if he'll be able to build on this and make deep run at the US Open. 

#10. Elina Svitolina is knocking on the door: Elina Svitolina fell to Marketa Vondrousova 3-6, 3-6 in the semifinals. This was Svitolina's second trip to the Wimbledon semis (2019) and her third trip to a grand slam semifinal overall (2019 US Open). She's knocking on the door and keeps putting herself in position to be a threat, but she just hasn't been able to find that extra gear to reach a final or go the distance. It'll be interesting to see if she can find that next gear and win a slam in the future. She's 28 years old, so she's still got enough years ahead to make it happen. 

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10 things to look for at 2023 Wimbledon

 

The 2023 Championships at Wimbledon will begin on Monday, which means it is time for me to write my 10 things to look for. Let's dive in! 

#1. Can Iga Świątek make the jump on grass? Iga Świątek is the number one player in the world right now, fresh off her third French Open title and fourth grand slam title overall (2022 US Open). She's starting to establish herself as an all-time great at just 22 years of age. The next step for her is to make some noise at Wimbledon. The furthest she's gone is the 4th round in 2021. It'll be interesting to see if she'll be able to make a deep run this year. 

#2. Can Carlos Alcaraz make some noise? Similar to Iga Świątek, Carlos Alcaraz is ranked number one in the world with his best Wimbledon performance being a trip to the 4th round in 2022. Alcaraz is coming off a disappointing French Open in which he fell in the semifinals to Novak Djokovic in four sets. This Wimbledon will tell us a lot about Alcaraz and where he's at mentally. I could see him bouncing back strong and making a deep run and I could also see him flaming out early. It'll be interesting to see what happens and whether or not he'll be able to have the kind of Wimbledon that we all know he's capable of having. 

#3. Can Victoria Azarenka have a renaissance? Victoria Azarenka is coming in as the number 19 seed, so she's in a position where she could make her presence felt. She reached the semifinals way back in 2011 and 2012, but has since then gone even deeper at a grand slam, reaching the 2020 US Open final. When talking about dark horses on the ladies' side, Azarenka is definitely a name to keep an eye on. 

#4. Can anyone stop Novak Djokovic? While he comes in as the number two seed behind Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic is the clear front runner on the gentlemen's side. Djokovic will be gunning for his 24th grand slam title and his 8th Wimbledon title. He's won Wimbledon the last two times and has to like his chances to win it once again. It'll be fun to see how the Joker does and whether or not anyone will be able to give him a serious push. 

#5. Can Beatriz Haddad Maia prove her ranking? Beatriz Haddad Maia is ranked #12 in the world, but that's largely due to her semifinal run to the French Open. The Brazilian hasn't gotten past the 2nd round at any of the other grand slams. Her last trip to the 2nd round at Wimbledon was in 2019. This Wimbledon is going to be big for her. If she can make a run to the 4th round or better, I would call that a success. Anything less than that will be a major disappointment. It'll be interesting to see how she does. 

#6. Can Andy Murray make a bit of a run? Andy Murray is in the bonus round of his career at this point. It's not clear how many more of these he has left. Wimbledon is where he is most loved and after reaching the 2nd round last year, he showed he's got some fight left in him. If Murray could even reach the 3rd round, the place would go nuts. And then if he happens to go even further, you know that will be the biggest story of the tournament so long as he stays alive. 

#7. Can Aryna Sabalenka have her Wimbledon moment? Victoria Azarenka isn't the only player from Belarus looking to make some noise on the ladies' side. Aryna Sabalenka comes in as the #2 player in the world after winning the Australian Open earlier this year. Sabalenka made a run to the Wimbledon semifinals in 2021 and this time has her eye on the title. She's got to like her chances. Especially with Świątek looking far from a lock given her Wimbledon history. 

#8. How will Daniil Medvedev handle his Wimbledon return? Due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Wimbledon banned Russian athletes from competing last year, but this year they are able to do so. That means Daniil Medvedev is back and looking for his first Wimbledon title. Medvedev comes in as the #3 ranked player in the world and is one of the few guys who could challenge Djokovic for the title. It certainly would be exciting if he finds himself in the semifinals, a place he's never been at Wimbledon. 

#9. Can Coco Gauff go the distance? Coco Gauff took the tennis world by storm when she reached the 4th round of Wimbledon in 2019. She was just 15 years of age. Since then, she's gotten back to the 4th round at Wimbledon once in 2021 and also has a grand slam final under her belt at the 2022 French Open. It's time for her to take the next step at Wimbledon. It would be awesome if she does. 

#10. Can Stefanos Tsitsipas make it to the second week? Stefanos Tsitsipas has only reached the 4th round at Wimbledon once in 2018. He reached the Australian Open final this year and the French Open final in 2021, so he's shown he can go deep at grand slams. He just hasn't yet shown that he can at Wimbledon. At some point, he needs to break through on the grass. Maybe this will be the year. 

Prediction: On the gentlemen's side, I got Novak Djokovic winning it all. He's the best in the world and is probably going to go down as the GOAT. He's the clear front runner and easy pick in this one. As for the ladies' side, give me Aryna Sabelenka. She's number two in the world and has reached the semifinals before. I like her chances to come through and win it all this year. 

Note: On CardinalSportsReport.com, I wrote a piece on John McEnroe's greatest Wimbledon performances. Click here to check that out. 

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10 things to take away from 2022 Wimbledon

 

                                             (Credit: AELTC/Thomas Lovelock) 

Before I write my preview of the upcoming US Open, I wanted to quickly write my 10 things to take away from the two weeks that were at Wimbledon earlier this summer. Without further delay, let's get into it! 

#1. Novak Djokovic is one Wimbledon title away from tying Roger Federer's record: Novak Djokovic now has seven Wimbledon titles, one shy of Roger Federer's record of eight. Djokovic defeated Nick Kyrgios 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 in the final. In addition to it being his seventh Wimbledon, it was Djokovic's 21st grand slam title making him one shy of Rafael Nadal's all-time mark of 22. 

While he is known most for being a hard court player, where he has won most of his grand slams, Djokovic has become close to equally dominating on the grass. It's truly remarkable what he's doing right now. 

#2. Elena Rybakina is a grand slam champion: Elena Rybakina won her first grand slam title, defeating Ons Jabeur 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 in the final. This is one that came out of nowhere as the furthest Rybakina had gone in a grand slam before was to the quarterfinals at the 2021 French Open. I don't know if we'll see her win a grand slam again, but regardless, she'll forever be a Wimbledon champion. Hats off to her. 

#3. Nick Kyrgios was in peak form: Nick Kyrgios did the most Nick Kyrgios thing ever: He reached his first career grand slam final amid facing charges for assaulting his ex-girlfriend in Australia. Even when he has the best tournament of his career, he still is embroiled in controversy! The court case shouldn't overshadow the amazing two weeks he had in London. Reaching a grand slam final is a big deal and maybe this will be a sign of things to come for the Aussie. 

#4. Ons Jabeur made history: While she came up a bit short in the end, Ons Jabeur still made history by becoming the first Arab woman to reach a grand slam final. Per her Wikipedia page, she is also the highest ranked Arab and African player in ATP & WTA history. At 28 years of age, it's no guarantee she'll ever win a grand slam. But even if she doesn't, what she's accomplished is remarkable. She'll forever hold a special and unique place in tennis history. 

#5. Grass just isn't for Rafael Nadal: Rafael Nadal's days of winning grand slams is not over, but I think it's pretty safe to say he's done winning Wimbledon titles. He's won two in his career (2008 & 2010) and he can say he's won each grand slam at least two times, so he doesn't need to prove himself at Wimbledon anymore. He's done it. But, for whatever reason, he just keeps coming up short. This year, he lost in the semis via walkover against Nick Kyrgios. No matter what the reason is, since that 2010 title I should say, he keeps falling short. 

Now, if there's one reason to have some hope that he might win Wimbledon again, it's the fact that he has been knocking on the door, reaching the semifinals in the last three Wimbledons he has played in. So perhaps he'll prove me wrong, but until/unless he does, my skepticism will be warranted. 

#6. Serena Williams is at the end of the road: The US Open will be Serena Williams' final grand slam after she lost in the first round at Wimbledon. She's had a phenomenal career and is without a doubt the greatest female player of all-time. But at some point, father time catches up with even the very best and it has caught up with her now. 

#7. Cameron Norrie made Great Britain proud: Cameron Norrie fell to Novak Djokovic in the semifinals in four sets, but while he came up short, he still made Great Britain proud. He's a British citizen, born to British parents in South Africa. So I guess you could say he made both countries proud. At 27 years of age, it'll be interesting to see if Norrie enters a new stage of his career and starts to make deeper runs at grand slams with some frequency or if this was just a flash in the pan. 

#8. CoCo Gauff needs to take this up a notch at Wimbledon: CoCo Gauff first burst onto the scene four years ago when she reached the 4th round of Wimbledon at just 14 years of age. Four years later, she has not gone any further at Wimbledon, losing in the 3rd round this year. Ironically, clay has become her best surface as she reached the quarterfinals at Roland Garros last year and the final this year. But for whatever reason, she hasn't been able to go deeper at Wimbledon than she did when she was 14. Grass is a surface she needs to figure out. 

#9. Casper Ruud needs to figure out Wimbledon: Despite being a top ten player, Casper Ruud has never gotten past the second round at Wimbledon. If CoCo Gauff has things to figure out, this guy has to do some real soul searching on the grass. A run to the final at Roland Garros this year was fantastic, but clay and grass are very different surfaces. He flamed out in the second round this year, but that was his best career result. Baby steps, I guess. 

#10. Iga Świątek needs to figure out Wimbledon as well: One more player who needs to figure out Wimbledon is world number one Iga Świątek. She's got the two Roland Garros titles, so she's doing just fine for herself, but right now she's looking more like a clay specialist than a legit all-around player. Showing you can compete on both the dirt and the grass is one of the first tests to show you can excel on multiple surfaces. 

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10 things to look for at 2022 Wimbledon

The 2022 Championships at Wimbledon are getting underway today, which means it is time for me to write my 10 things to look for. To check out all of the draws, click here. To check out my recent French Open recap, click here. 

#1. Can Novak Djokovic get back in the winner's circle? Novak Djokovic has had a rough go lately. He didn't get vaccinated against COVID and as a result missed the Australian Open. He later got bounced in the quarterfinals against Rafael Nadal in the French Open. If there's a Grand Slam for him to bounce back at, it's Wimbledon. He's won the event six times and really should be the odds on favorite to win it all. How Djokovic does will be really interesting to see given the rough ride he's been on. 

#2. Can Iga Świątek make a deep run? Iga Świątek has won two French Open titles after winning it all in Paris this year. She's the best in the world on clay in the women's game. Now it's a matter of winning Grand Slams outside of the French Open. She's ranked number one in the world and has an opportunity to show she truly is the best in the world and not just the best on clay. The furthest she's gone at Wimbledon is the 4th round last year, so she's certainly got a lot to prove. 

#3. Can Rafael Nadal win another Wimbledon? If Rafael Nadal finds a way to win Wimbledon this year, the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) discussion will get even more interesting than it already is. It would be Nadal's third Wimbledon title and his first since 2010. It would also be his 23rd Grand Slam title, extending his all-time record. And in case you think it's a long put for Nadal, when he won the Australian Open this year, it was his first Australian Open title since 2009. Maybe this is going to be the year of Nadal ending really long droughts. 

#4. Can Anett Kontaveit back up her ranking? Anett Kontaveit comes in as the number two ranked player in the world and yet she has never been to the semifinal of a major. At Wimbledon, she's never gotten past the 3rd round. This is a big Wimbledon for her. A chance to show she is as good as her ranking says she is. How she does under the pressure will be fun to watch. 

#5. Can Stefanos Tsitsipas make some noise? Stefanos Tsitsipas is seeded 4th at Wimbledon and yet has never gotten past the 4th round. He's reached the semifinals three times at the Australian Open and the 2021 French Open final, so he's gone deep at majors. He just hasn't yet done so at Wimbledon. If he can find a way to step up his game on the grass, look out. 

#6. Can Ons Jabeur back up her ranking? Ons Jabeur is seeded third at this year's championships even though she's never reached the semifinals of a Grand Slam. She did reach the quarterfinals at Wimbledon in 2021 and the quarterfinals of the Australian Open in 2020. Like Kontaveit, Jabeur is another player who has a lofty ranking, but hasn't done enough in the majors to justify her ranking. It'll also be interesting to see how she performs and how well she backs up her ranking. 

#7. Can Andy Murray find lightning in a bottle? Andy Murray reached the 3rd round of Wimbledon last year and will once again have the British crowd behind him. If the draw opens up for him a bit, he could make things interesting. Watching Murray even go as far as the 4th round would be a ton of fun. 

#8. Can Serena Williams win one more Grand Slam? Serena Williams has won 23 Grand Slams, the most of anyone in the Open era, and just one shy of Margaret Court's record of 24. She's been stuck on that number 23 for a while though as she hasn't won a Grand Slam since 2016 Wimbledon. It does feel like Serena is not going to tie Court's mark, but given how many times she's been doubted before and proved us wrong, I wouldn't count her out. 

#9. Can Casper Ruud do something at Wimbledon? Casper Ruud is coming off a phenomenal run to the French Open final and yet at Wimbledon he has never gotten past the 1st round. History says he'll flame out early, but after what he did at Roland Garros, one can't help be like his chances of at least winning one match. 

#10. Can Coco Gauff build on her strong French Open? Coco Gauff is coming off a trip to the French Open final and will look to build on that with a strong performance at Wimbledon. She first burst onto the scene at 2019 Wimbledon with a run to the 4th round, so the fans are very familiar with her. She has since not been able to get beyond the 4th round at Wimbledon, but it's possible this run to the French Open final will propel her to an even deeper run. 

#11. How will the lack of ranking points affect the tournament? Due to Russian and Belarusian players being banned from Wimbledon due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, ranking points won't be assigned for this tournament. It'll be interesting to see how that affects the feel of the tournament and just in general, what the absence of some major names will mean. It's a very strange position for the tournament to be in and one of the major storylines going into the tournament for sure. 

Prediction: On the gentlemen's side, I'm going to predict that Novak Djokovic will find a way to win it all. He's been the best on grass and he knows he really needs to win this one. On the ladies' side, it's a total crapshoot, so just to have some fun, I'm going to predict Serena Williams to come out on top. This very well may be her final Wimbledon and if things open up for her, she could make a deep run. 

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10 things to take away from 2021 Wimbledon

 

                                                  (Credit: Peter van den Berg-USA TODAY Sports) 

2021 Wimbledon is now behind us, which means it is time for me to write my 10 things to take away from the two weeks that were in London. The top seed in both the gentlemen's and ladies' singles draw won the championship, making it somewhat unique in that sense. #1 Novak Djokovic defeated #7 Matteo Berrettini 6-7, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 in the gentlemen's singles final while #1 Ashleigh Barty defeated #8 Karolina Pliskova 6-3, 6-7, 6-3 in the ladies' singles final. 

#1. Novak Djokovic is on path to being the GOAT: Novak Djokovic now has 20 grand slam singles titles, tied for most all-time on the men's side with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. He also now has six Wimbledon titles, two back of Federer's all-time mark of eight. While there will always be those who say Federer is the greatest of all-time and to a lesser extent Nadal, it's clear at this point that Djokovic is on path to being the greatest men's tennis player of all-time. He's already tied Federer and Nadal and he is the youngest of the three. There's no reason to doubt that he'll walk out with at least 5+ more grand slam titles and with the US Open just around the corner, he has a chance to finish the year with 21 grand slam titles and hold the record outright. 

When you consider that Djokovic has done this in the era of Federer/Nadal that just makes it all the more amazing. He's never not known having them in front of him, which raises the scary question of what his numbers would look like if they weren't around. Before attempting to complete the calendar slam later this summer at the US Open, Djokovic first heads to Tokyo for the Olympics where he will attempt to get a gold medal, setting up the possibility of a calendar golden slam. It'll be fun to see if Djokovic can pull that off. 

#2. Ashleigh Barty backed up her #1 ranking: Going into Wimbledon, Ashleigh Barty held the world #1 ranking on the women's side, but she did so without having won a grand slam in the past 12 months. She had won a grand slam before at the 2019 French Open, so that helped boost her resume a bit, but still, if you are world #1 without a grand slam title in the past 12 months, some may feel your ranking isn't legit. By winning Wimbledon, Barty backed up her #1 ranking and showed that she is deserving of the world #1 ranking that she holds. She will even further solidify that ranking if she can win a gold medal in Tokyo and/or win the US Open later this summer. 

#3. Roger Federer could be done: Roger Federer's plan to withdraw from Roland Garros after his 4th round match win in order to save his body for Wimbledon didn't go as planned. He exited in the quarterfinals to Hubert Hurkacz of Poland, casting doubts about his long-term outlook. Personally, I think Federer will play one more season as a farewell tour of sorts, giving the tournaments a chance to say one final goodbye to him. 

In terms of whether or not he has one more grand slam title up his sleeves, I think it's unlikely though it is possible that he will be able to get one more. Maybe at this year's US Open, which has historically been the most unpredictable tournament on the men's side for the past few years now. Regardless of how this all ends for Federer, he will go down as one of the greatest players to ever play the game, with some forever calling him the GOAT. 

#4. Serena Williams may never pass Margaret Court: While there isn't as much discussion about Serena Williams' future as there is about Roger Federer's, the truth is there is just as much reason if not more to wonder whether or not Serena is done winning grand slams. She hasn't won a grand slam since the 2017 Australian Open (Federer ironically has won two since then at 2017 Wimbledon and 2018 Australian Open) and she hasn't reached a final since 2019 (Wimbledon and US Open). Wimbledon was especially bad for her as she went down in the 1st round, appearing to injure her knee/ankle. 

As it stands, Serena has won 23 grand slam titles, one shy of Margaret Court's all-time mark of 24. When you consider the data I just presented, it's clear that it's quite possible that Serena is done winning grand slams. If you are a Serena fan looking for some hope, it should be noted that Serena reached the semifinals at the 2020 US Open and the 2021 Australian Open. She is better on hard court. So, there is good reason to think she can win another US Open and Australian Open. Still, father time is not on her side and she knows it. 

#5. Hubert Hurkacz could be the next big thing: I might be getting way ahead of myself here, but after reaching the semifinals and knocking off Roger Federer in the quarterfinals, Hubert Hurkacz deserves some love on here. He's only 24 years old and made a major breakthrough at Wimbledon. His previous best outing at a grand slam was reaching the 2nd round. It's of course possible that this was one magical run by Hurkacz and that's it, but if you watch him play, you know that there's more reason to think this is only the beginning for him. He has great size at 6'5", moves well, has confidence, and in general has a really good feel for the game. On top of that he's very poised and relaxed on the court. The US Open and Olympics will be a good test for him to see if he can keep the mojo going. 

#6. Can Karolina Pliskova build on her run to the final? Karolina Pliskova reached her second grand slam final (2016 US Open) after nearly five years. That's a bit surprising since she's one who we thought might even have a grand slam title by now. After reaching her first grand slam final, she didn't do much to build on that reaching just two semifinals until this most recent run to the final. Maybe this is the start of something new for Pliskova and she'll be a threat at the US Open and beyond, but for now I wouldn't hold my breath. 

#7. Matteo Berrettini is the real deal: If we're gonna talk about Hubert Hurkacz possibly being the next big thing, the same has to be asked of Matteo Berrettini after his trip to the gentlemen's final. It was his first trip to a grand slam final and his second trip to a grand slam semifinal (2019 US Open). On top of that, he had a very nice outing at Roland Garros, reaching the quarterfinals. The US Open has recently produced some surprise champions on the men's side (e.g. Dominic Thiem in 2020). Maybe Berrettini will win it all in New York later this year. That's certainly something I might address when my US Open preview comes rolling around. 

#8. Aryna Sabalenka is making progress: While she didn't win it all this year, Aryna Sabalenka's time could be coming soon. She reached her first career grand slam semifinal at Wimbledon and is starting to show that she has the confidence to go deep in grand slams. She came in as the #2 seed and overall backed up her ranking. This year's US Open will be big for her. 

#9. Stefanos Tsitsipas needs to figure out Wimbledon: In case you were wondering if Stefanos Tsitsipas' 1st round exit at Wimbledon can be simply be blamed on fatigue from a run to the French Open final, it doesn't look like that answer will suffice. Sure, it might be part of it, but Tsitsipas has never fared well at Wimbledon. The furthest he's gone at Wimbledon is the 4th round back in 2018. In 2017, 2019, and 2021, the result was the same: 1st round exit. While I don't doubt that Tsitsipas will figure out the grass in the future, at the moment, it does remain something that he needs to figure out if he wants to take his game to the next level. 

#10. It's amazing that Venus Williams is still playing: At 41 years of age, I just wanted to give Venus Williams a shout out for still playing on the tour! Not only that, she's still winning matches at grand slams! She won her first round match at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon this year. While she is long past her prime and no longer contending for slams, it's nice to see that she still has a love for the game and is out there playing. It certainly would be fun to have one more grand slam featuring Venus Williams in the second week. 

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10 things to look for at 2021 Wimbledon

 

Today is the eve of 2021 Wimbledon, which means it is time for me to write my 10 things to look for. Yesterday I wrote my 10 things to take away from the 2021 French Open, which you can read here. 

If you want a link to the 2021 Wimbledon draws, click here. If you want a link to the 2021 Wimbledon schedule, click here. Also, Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from Wimbledon and the Tokyo Olympics. Click here for details on that. 

#1. Will the pressure of a calendar slam get to Novak Djokovic? The biggest story coming into this year's Wimbledon is the fact that Novak Djokovic is gunning for a calendar slam, which means a chance to win all four grand slams in one calendar year. Rafael Nadal's dominance at the French Open has typically made a calendar slam impossible, but by beating Nadal and winning the French Open, Djokovic now has as good of a shot as he's ever had to accomplish this monumental feat. Djokovic has won Wimbledon five times in his career, so he should be feeling pretty confident coming into this event. He's number one in the world and is playing the best tennis of his career. 

However, it should be noted that Djokovic has been in this position before. In 2016, he won both the Australian Open and French Open, but failed to win Wimbledon to keep the dream alive. He also did not win the US Open that year. So, it's far from a slam dunk that Djokovic will get the calendar slam even with an elusive French Open title under his belt. I think the biggest hurdle for Djokovic right now is the pressure that comes with chasing a calendar slam and also the physical side of it as well. I'm going to come out right now and say that I do expect Djokovic to win it all on the men's side, but it's going to be no easy task. Especially with a rested Roger Federer in the draw.  

#2. Can Ashleigh Barty win it all as number one? Ashleigh Barty comes in as the number one ranked player in the world on the women's side, making her among the major contenders. However, she's never advanced past the 4th round at Wimbledon and she had a less than stellar outing at this year's French Open, exiting in the 2nd round. 

If Barty wants people to take her world number one ranking seriously, she needs to win a grand slam as the world number one. When she won her lone grand slam title at the 2019 French Open, she was the #8 seed and she kinda came out of nowhere. Since being ranked number one, she hasn't won a grand slam, which is why many don't feel she's a true number one. Winning Wimbledon this year would change that perception of her for sure. 

#3. Will Roger Federer's plan to pull out of the French Open pay off? As I mentioned in yesterday's French Open recap, Roger Federer made the decision to pull out of his 4th round match against Matteo Berrettini at the French Open for the purposes of saving his body for Wimbledon. It was a gutsy decision by Federer that ruffled many feathers. The only way Federer can save face with the decision is if he reaches the final or wins Wimbledon. Otherwise, the decision to pull out of the French Open will look like it wasn't worth it. It'll be interesting to see how far Federer goes and what kind of reception he'll receive at the end of the tournament. 

#4. Can Serena Williams win her 8th Wimbledon and 24th grand slam? If Serena Williams wins Wimbledon, it will be her eighth Wimbledon title and her 24th grand slam title, tying Margaret Court's all-time mark. If you were to pick a place for Serena to tie Court, Wimbledon would be a pretty safe bet. She's won the event seven times before and in her last two trips to Wimbledon in 2018 and 2019 (remember there no Wimbledon last year), she lost in the final, so it kinda feels like she's due to win it again. 

While she's not the top seed, Serena is seeded 6th and is overall sitting in a good position. In case you are wondering, yes, I am picking Serena to win it all this year on the women's side. She's been sitting on 23 for a while and as I said above, it just feels like she's due to get her 24th grand slam title. 

#5.  Can Andy Murray make some noise? Once thought to be done with his tennis career, Andy Murray is back at it and has a wild card into this year's Wimbledon. The two-time Wimbledon champion (2013 and 2016) has already accomplished far more in tennis than anyone ever thought he'd accomplish. Back when he won his first gold medal at the 2012 Olympics in London, everyone thought that would be the closest he'd ever get to winning Wimbledon or a grand slam. A few weeks later he won the US Open and came back the following year to win his first Wimbledon. So, if there's anyone who knows how to come back from the dead, it's him. Personally, I don't expect much from Murray this year, but if he could somehow find a way to get into the second week, that would be a lot of fun. 

#6. Can Coco Gauff make a deep run? Coco Gauff comes in as the #20 seed and makes her first return to Wimbledon since her 2019 run to the 4th round. Gauff had a strong outing at the French Open, reaching the quarterfinals before falling to eventual champion Barbora Krejcikova. Gauff is proving that she's the real deal and that she has a very bright future in front of her. It'll be fun to see if she can build on her French Open success and past success at Wimbledon to make a real run at the championship. 

#7. Can Stefanos Tsitsipas get even with Novak Djokovic? Stefanos Tsitsipas had a two-set lead on Novak Djokovic in the French Open final and failed to finish the job. Thankfully for him, he has a chance to get right back on the saddle at a grand slam and get even with Djokovic. If they were to meet, it would be in the semifinals as Tsitsipas is the #3 seed and Djokovic is the #1 seed. What a scene that would be if Tsitsipas were to be the one to upend Djokovic on his quest to a calendar slam. It would be a case of Tsitsipas giveth and he taketh away! 

#8. Can Barbora Krejcikova follow up her French Open title with a Wimbledon title? Winning the French Open and Wimbledon is the hardest pair of grand slams to win back-to-back. Part of it has to do with the difference in surface and then also the fact that the two events are typically held two to three weeks apart from each other. I honestly doubt Barbora Krejcikova gets it done, but it'll be interesting to see how close she gets and whether or not she's able to translate success on the clay to grass. 

#9. How far will Daniil Medvedev go? Daniil Medvedev comes in as the number two ranked player in the world behind Novak Djokovic, so he's naturally among the list of contenders on the men's side. However, he hasn't had much success at Wimbledon, never getting further than the 3rd round. If there's reason for Medvedev to have hope it's the simple fact that going into this year's French Open, he had never advanced past the 1st round and he ended up reaching the quarterfinals. So, I do expect Medvedev to be playing into the second week and possibly be on the other side of the net when Djokovic is in the final. 

#10. Can Aryna Sabalenka make some noise? Aryna Sabalenka comes in as the #2 seed on the women's side and the number four ranked player in the world. So naturally she's considered a contender based on her ranking/seeding alone. However, the furthest she's gone at Wimbledon is the 2nd round back in 2017. In 2018 and 2019, she lost in the 1st round. 

The furthest she's gone at a grand slam is the 4th round (2018 US Open and 2021 Australian Open), so it's fair to call her ranking/seeding into question. It'll be interesting to see if Sabalenka can silence her critics a bit with a deep run or if she'll once again flame out early. There's a lot of pressure on her for sure. 

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