Wimbledon 2023: First-time champions, rains, records and other highlights

Wimbledon saw Carlos Alcaraz stun Novak Djokovic thereby bringing his incredible streak at the All England Club to a halt. Over in the women’s singles, Marketa Vondrousova emerged as the surprise first-time major champion. In between there was rain, records, royals and ridiculous. Two first-time Wimbledon champions Carlos Alcaraz and Marketa Vondrousova took centre stage at the Wimbledon champion’s dinner on Sunday evening. Two first-time winners at the All England Club. The last time two first-timers were crowned at SW19, the year was 2013 and Andy Murray and Marion Bartoli were champions. Alcaraz beat Djokovic 1-6, 7-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 to bring the Serb's reign to a stop . It comes just five weeks after he was undone by “tension” of the opponent. On Sunday, he came from a set down to win in five sets - with World No 1 ranking on the line, with his king watching - for his second Grand Slam title. How many more to come? Vondrousova became the first unseeded champion at Wimbledon by beating Ons Jabeur in the final. She had come close to full glory earlier - runner-up at 2019 French Open. Silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics. But never, except at Biel in 2017, had she lifted the trophy. The 24-year-old changed all that with a clinical display. On a surface (grass) she had a 2-10 record before this season. So, the World No 42, the seventh best player from Czech Republic, lifted the Venus Rosewater dish and leaped to World No 10 as a result. Feel for Ons Jabeur

We are going to make it one day. I promise ❤️ 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/Up0pLT12HF

— Ons Jabeur (@Ons_Jabeur) July 15, 2023

If you’re Ons Jabeur, what do you focus on? The fact that you beat three top-10 opponents in six matches? Or, that you fell short on the seventh - losing in straight sets? She said it was, “the most painful loss of my career” and you can’t help but feel sorry for her. The Tunisian has now lost three major finals in 12 months. If the nerves didn’t play a part now, they may going forward. Djokovic undone.. finally! It has taken a man 16 years his junior to finally dethrone Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon. The winning run at Wimbledon going back to 2016 snapped. As is the streak of matches won on the Centre Court which stretched back to 2013. It required Alcaraz to play lights out tennis for four sets. For six matches before it, he was barely tested. With that, the predictions and notions of this being the end of Djokovic, who had won Australian and French Opens, appear far-fetched. Elina Svitolina shines in more than one way [caption id=“attachment_12859832” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Elina Svitolina beat four Grand Slam champions on the way to her run to Wimbledon semi-finals. AP[/caption] At every major, a player pops up for the heartwarming story. At Wimbledon, that can be reserved for Elina Svitolina . She may have fallen flat to eventual champion Vondrousova in the semi-finals, but not before beating World No 1 Iga Swiatek. In the process, Ukraine’s Svitolina, who returned to tour a couple of months ago from maternity leave, made her country proud. An upward curve in her trajectory while playing more offensive, bold, and less risk-averse tennis - far cry from her counter-punching self in 2019. Eubanks does US tennis proud

The #Wimbledon crowd fell in love with @chris_eubanks96 💚💜 https://t.co/4I3WoF0SPT pic.twitter.com/b243DpZnSy

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 18, 2023

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Christopher Eubanks did himself and US tennis collegiate system proud by reaching the quarter-finals and coming close to beating Daniil Medvedev. He soaked in the moment and basked in the limelight. Besides being the only man to hit over 100 aces at the tournament, he smacked 321 winners, beating Andre Agassi’s record of 317 from 1992. He witnessed quite an uptick in results, just a couple of months after describing grass as the “stupidest” surface! The American climbed 12 places in the ATP rankings to a career high World No 31 with wins over Stefanos Tsitsipas and Cameron Norrie. 37 is the new 27.. or something [caption id=“attachment_12882272” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Barbora Strycova (L) and Hsieh Su-Wei celebrate with their trophies after winning the women’s doubles title at Wimbledon. AP[/caption] Djokovic said 36 is the new 26 after beating Jannik Sinner. It appears 37 years old also means nothing anymore. Following the men’s final, the women’s doubles final took place on Centre Court. If the 36-year-old was defied by a 20-year-old, the 37 year olds in the women’s doubles could not be denied. Barbora Strycova, who had been off the tour for two years on maternity leave, and crafty Hsieh Su-wei, back from retirement, took another title. They had won this tournament as a team in 2019. Just a pity this was Strycova’s last appearance at Wimbledon. “It’s a great fairy tale because it’s my last Wimbledon playing ever, so I couldn’t ask for a better finish,” Strycova said. “I am so, so, so, so happy. Rain, slips and court mopping Heavy rain brought havoc to the schedule on the second day with just one hour’s play possible on the outside courts. It meant 69 of the planned 77 matches were suspended. The next day, 87 matches were put on the schedule! Novak Djokovic helped dry the Centre Court with his towel, appealing to fans to “blow” on the court during a lengthy delay. With rain creeping in every now and then, the courts became slightly slippery. Andy Murray took a nasty tumble. As did Venus Williams - who later said , “.. I got killed by the grass.” Alize Cornet also hit the deck. The tournament organisers felt they were “good and grippy” and stuck to things - as expected. How to beat the curfew? Wimbledon is the only major to have a curfew. At 10 PM GMT, in agreement with the local council, play is stopped. Murray’s match against Tsitsipas was suspended and resumed a day later. Djokovic’s match versus Hubert Hurkacz was also pushed by a day. How do you ensure you beat the curfew? Start on time is the logical answer. Djokovic advocated for play to start at 12 PM instead of the traditional 1:30 PM. “I think the matches could be pushed at least to start at 12:00. I think it would make a difference,” he said. The organisers, though, preferred to stick to the 1:30 PM slot. “What we’re really trying to do, particularly when it comes to the scheduling and tennis decisions, is try to avoid making a knee-jerk decision based on one or two matches and trying to take at least a three-year picture of what happens.” Protests hit Wimbledon

More disruption at #Wimbledon! Another Just Stop Oil protester gets onto Court 18 with a jigsaw and confetti! @BBCSport pic.twitter.com/A1H2OmXANY

— Sanny Rudravajhala (@Sanny_Rudra) July 5, 2023

It was expected, security was ramped up but it happened anyway. Climate activists ’took court’ on the third day, scattering orange confetti and jigsaw pieces on Court 18. Three individuals, wearing T-shirts with “Just Stop Oil” printed on them, were arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass and criminal damage. One fan yelled “Get off the court” as fellow spectators booed and jeered. 38 point tiebreak! Lesia Tsurenko and Ana Bogdan played the longest-ever tiebreak in a Grand Slam women’s singles match. A tiebreak that went on for 38 points! Tsurenko took victory on a seventh match point after saving five match points in a three-hour 40-minute epic on Court 14. Talk about nerves to the end! Is this last of Andy Murray? Has Andy Murray played his last Wimbledon? The Scott admitted he didn’t know if he will be back next year after a heart-breaking second round loss to Tsitsipas. Two-time champion Murray went down 7-6 (7/3), 6-7 (2/7), 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-4 after a gruelling four-hour 40-minute match-up. The defeat meant 36-year-old Murray has not reached the second week of a Grand Slam since the quarter-finals of Wimbledon in 2017. “I don’t know,” said Murray when asked if he would be back at the All England Club next year. Brave or daft?

8-8 in the tiebreaker.

Who expected Alejandro Davidovich Fokina to do an underarm serve? 😯#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/2ki8QOqkXz

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 8, 2023

There is a thin line between brave and daft when going for broke. Tweeners, drop shots, outrageous shot attempts… and underarm serves. All look beautiful when things go right. When they don’t, they make you look stupid. The brashness is elevated when it is attempted at a crucial moment in the match - such as two points from booking a place in the last-16 - in a five-setter no less. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina tried just that. The Spaniard went for an underarm serve at 8-8 in the fifth set tiebreak against Holger Rune. The sixth seed would run on and play a forehand winner to bring up match point and close the contest out. Fokina, who had already squandered two match points, insisted he had no regrets after his decision to serve underarm. Asked to explain the serve, he eloquently said: “I sh** myself!” ‘Unfair boos’ for Azarenka [caption id=“attachment_12847672” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Victoria Azarenka walks back after losing to Elina Svitolina at Wimbledon. AP[/caption] The Ukraine and Russia/Belarus player tussle continued at the All England Club. The stance remained the same - no handshake between players involving said countries. The crowd, however, appears to not be clued in or appreciative of players skipping the customary handshake. Victoria Azarenka, of Belarus, blasted the Wimbledon crowd as “unfair” and “drunk” after she was booed off Centre Court following her defeat to Svitolina. Svitolina came through in three sets and opted not to shake hands with Azarenka in protest over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “It wasn’t fair. It is what it is. What can I do?” said Azarenka. Error in the press conference!

When the interviewer thinks you've won... but you didn't 😬

This was one awkward press conference for Paula Badosa #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/sz7UrATG8p

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 7, 2023

Spain’s Paula Badosa, on the mend from injury, gave Marta Kostyuk a walkover in the second round. Clearly upset after a 1-6, 0-2 exit, she was not in a good mood. Didn’t help that she had the following exchange in the press conference: Journalist: “Congratulations on your win” Baodsa: “I lost” Journalist: “Can you please tell me about your confidence level & fitness” Baodsa: “For your information, I just lost. I didn’t win.” Yikes! Shot of the tournament: Andrey Rublev

"That is one of the great shots we've seen here in YEARS!"@AndreyRublev97, take a bow! 😱#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/uEHcbcf1k8

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 9, 2023

Andrey Rublev hit the shot of the tournament at Wimbledon . His outstretched, diving forehand winner in reply to Alexander Bublik’s thumping backhand down the line was a joy to watch. Does help significantly with how expectedly baffled Bublik looks when the ball comes back! Alcaraz's around the net winner wasn’t half bad either. Wimbledon coverage takes a hit In a sign of continued decline of tennis coverage in India, Wimbledon was reduced to just two streams throughout the two weeks. Disney+ Hotstar restricted themselves to two matches - largely covering the Centre Court and Court No 1 - and ignored matches going on at rest of the ground. This ’limitation’ was restricted for matches involving Indian players. With no proper coverage of ATP or WTA events throughout the year, it is sad to see Wimbledon, once the best-covered tennis tournament in India, be shoved to the corner too.