Arguably the most famous tennis tournament in the world, the historic Wimbledon Championships returns for its 134th edition after being canceled in 2020 due to the ongoing pandemic. Many iconic moments and players have come and gone in London during the summer, and there will be many more to come this year.
Previous Wimbledon Championship
The last tournament was held in 2019, where Novak Djokovoic won his 16th grand slam and his 4th Wimbledon. He was able to edge out Roger Federer in 5 sets, with the final tiebreaker ending 13-12, in a true all-time classic.
On the women’s singles side, Simona Halep was able to dominate the GOAT, Serena Williams in straight sets, 6-2 6-2. Not only did she dominate in the final, she was able to shut down everyone in her path, only dropping 1 set the entire tournament.
2021 Wimbledon
Restrictions are being relaxed and there is almost a sense of normalcy back in the world. The fans that bring the electric atmosphere on the grass courts is what makes this historic great to watch. Not to mention the number of great players we see competing in all four grand slams throughout the year.
Men’s Singles
For the men’s singles tournament, there are few players that have a great shot at taking home the prize.
Novak Djokovic is the reigning French Open champion and the most recent Wimbledon champion. He has been exceptional as of late winning 3 out of the last 4 grand slams. His only loss was the 2020 US Open where he was forced to withdraw from the tournament after hitting a ball at an official. He is looking to tie Federer and Nadal for the most grand slams in history and has a great opportunity to do so here.
Roger Federer is someone who is consistently a favorite to win any tournament he is in. However, this year looks a bit different for the 39 year old. He recently retired from the French Open due to knee problems that he had surgery on. Due to his health being in question for this Wimbledon it is difficult to decide whether or not he will be a contender. But there is no question if he is healthy that he will definitely be a strong candidate.
Alexander Zverev is a young player who has finally risen up to the occasion in major tournaments. He has made either the semi-finals or finals in the last three grand slams. He has all the tools necessary to compete against the best of the best. But the main thing that has held him back in recent tournaments is his mentality. Too often he finds himself losing advantages and not being able to rally back when down. Will the 24 year old finally win the mental battle?
Women’s Singles
Here are some of the few contenders on the Women’s side of the bracket, and there’s a few surprises.
It wouldn’t be fair if we didn’t include the reigning champion Simona Halep right? Well not so much, she has been dealing with calf issues that held her out of the French Open and draws concern to just how healthy she really is.
Serena Williams, the GOAT of tennis in my opinion, is always a solid contender for any grand slam that she is playing in. However, if she wants to win that historic 24th grand slam, the 39-year old is running out of time and this might be her best shot. The playing field is wide open and she has made the past 2 finals in 2018 and 2019 but lost in both.
Coco Gauff is the next great tennis player at 17 years old. Many experts believe she will make a deep run at this year’s Wimbledon and I have to agree 100%. She finally has broken the top 25 rankings in the ATP, and reached her first grand slam quarter-final this year at the French Open. Many big things are going to happen for the young American, and this Wimbledon could be the start of it.
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Akshay is a rising senior at the University of Miami. He is studying Marketing with a minor in Sports Administration. He is joining Knup Solutions with hopes of being able to contribute to the team at a high level, with his high attention to detail and perfectionist personality. Has done recreational freelance work for online gaming and sports previously, and is excited to use his skills in the real world
