Wimbledon is the highest-regarded tournament in the world of tennis. Every year, we get sensational entertainment from the best players from all over the globe who participate in it. There is no year when this tournament disappoints us. The tournament was established in 1877, and there have been 136 editions to this day. Only a few years ago could we see the pause caused by unrest on the old continent, like World War I and World War II.
Many don’t know that the first name of this tournament was “All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.” Naturally, the tournament was organized in Wimbledon. Only a few decades after this tournament was organized, the tournament got the name it has now. Roger Federer is, to this day, the single title player. Regarding the double titles, this name goes to Todd Woodbridge.
Along with the competition, there are always numerous interesting stories we can follow every year. We can say that 2024’s edition was among the most interesting ones to this day. That’s why we want to discuss what has happened in this year’s edition: controversies, underperformances, overachieving, contrasts, and many more things. Without further ado, let us dive deep into the subject.
The Fiercest Rivalry
The number one favorite for winning the tournament this year was a veteran, Novak Djokovic. The absence of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer was a clear sign that some from the younger generations would have the chance to win the tournament by overcoming the veteran. And that’s exactly what has happened. You will see that Carlos Alcaraz, whose name is among the most prominent ones, was the one who did it.
Numerous experts suggested that the match between these giants will determine the tournament winner. Novak Djokovic wasn’t considered a favorite just for his long and successful career. If we look at the tournament’s history, we can see that he hasn’t lost a match since 2017. Of course, the only exception would be the final matches. So, you will see that Djokovic was a force to be reckoned with.
Since nobody from the older generation was present to challenge Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz was the one who took it upon himself. The final match was highly entertaining since the opponents played five sets. Djokovic, 6-1, won the first one. Alcaraz won the second, and then Alcaraz repeated the result from the first one. Djokovic won the fourth. Alcaraz, 6-4, won the fifth and decisive one. So, you can see just how tied the final match was.
Vondrousova Exceptional Story
2023’s edition was when some of the most beautiful stories in the tournament’s history were written. The story about Marketa Vodrousova is one of those that will motivate younger generations to continue pursuing their dreams, no matter what. Now, what is so special about her story? A female tennis player from the Czech Republic was the first unseeded player to win the tournament. It’s something that never happened before.
The final match was between her and Ons Jabeur, who was in sixth place on WTA before the tournament. Naturally, she was considered a strong favorite against Vondrousova, who was unseeded. Bookies considered Jabeur a strong favorite, and you can see that all the odds were on her side. Another interesting thing to say is that Vondrousova was just a visitor in the tournament just a year ago.
But in 2024, she managed to win the tournament. So, you can see why this tournament is widely perceived as one of the most interesting ever. She gave several interviews after she won the tournament, where she said that she didn’t expect to reach the tournament’s final stages. Since it is the first time something like this has happened, It sets an interesting precedent that can be explored by many people in the future.
Russia-Ukraine Controversies
Russian and Belarusian athletes will be able to compete at the 2024 #Wimbledon tennis tournament as “neutral athletes,”. Wimbledon have offered £1 of every ticket to be donated to Ukraine. This is an insult to the tens of thousands of people murdered and tortured by Russians and… pic.twitter.com/6DUyPZLbga
— Beefeater (@Beefeater_Fella) April 25, 2024
The 2022 edition of Wimbledon was the first time players from certain countries couldn’t participate in the tournament. We all know this ruling was because of the Russia-Ukraine war. So, players like Danil Medvedev and many others weren’t allowed. What is interesting to know is that the same ruling was for players from Belarus. In 2024, players from both countries could participate if they accepted certain conditions.
The conditions complied with a couple of requirements. For instance, the flags of these countries weren’t allowed to be displayed. As you probably know, there was a chance for players who came against players from Ukraine. Naturally, the probability of this happening was especially high regarding the female tournament. Numerous household names come from these three countries.
We need to say that while the general atmosphere wasn’t nearly as troublesome, it would be a mistake to say that there were no tensions in the air. The most interesting moment in the tournament was the match between Elina Svitolina and Victoria Azarenka. Svitolina refused to greet Azarenka, who comes from Belarus. There were some problems during the match, and we could see that the fans were not kind to Azarenka after the match.
Interesting Things to Come
We don’t really know what the situation regarding these controversies will be in 2024. We hope everything is resolved and everyone can participate in Wimbledon freely. At the same time, you can expect that some interesting things will happen next year. When you understand the competition’s history, you will see that this trend repeats constantly.
Furthermore, we can count on the return of veterans, such as Djokovic, to return to the tournament and give another great performance. Also, the players from the new generation, like Medvedev and Carlos Alcaraz, will continue to pave the way for new generations. The era of the three major players is over, and we are about to expect something completely different in 2024 and many years to come.
In Conclusion
As we’ve said, Wimbledon always provides entertainment. If you want to visit the tournament next year, you can purchase tickets at seatsnet. For those interested in doing so, we can guarantee this visit will create some exceptional memories for them.
