Now, it’s summer of Slam
WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND A week longer than normal, tennis’ grasscourt season is over as quick as the ball shoots off the lawn surfaces of the All England Club. Wimbledon produced a variety of brilliant story lines — and shotmaking — again this year.
Here are 10 takeaways from the fortnight. What’s next? The U.S. summer swing, starting this month in Atlanta.
Serena, slammin’:
Can anyone stop her? Serena Williams won a sixth Wimbledon, giving her 21 majors overall and a second career “Serena Slam” after having won the U.S. Open last fall and the Australian and French Opens this year. For the first time (that’s not a phrase you hear often anymore with Williams), she’ll go to New York with the chance to complete the calendar Grand Slam, last done by Steffi Graf in 1988. At 33, Williams is the oldest player to win a major tournament — and doesn’t appear to be slowing down.
Djokovic the juggernaut:
Perhaps almost as many accolades can be heaped on men’s winner Novak Djokovic, the 28year-old Serb who proved again that he is the tour’s most steely competitor with a second consecutive final victory against seventime champion Roger Federer. It was a third Wimbledon title for Djokovic, matching coach Boris Becker’s count and bringing him to nine majors overall.
Hola, Garbine:
Was there a brighter spot than 21-year-old Spaniard Garbine Muguruza, who introduced herself to the public at large with her Cinderella dance into the women’s final? Muguruza has been well known in tennis circles for the last couple of years, but the hard-hitting, fast-smiling, easy-quipping Garbi will enter the top 10 after her dash to the championship match that included wins against Angelique Kerber, Caroline Wozniacki and Agnieszka Radwanska.
Right there, Roger:
Another Wimbledon, another oh-so-close effort from Roger Federer. Federer, 33, hasn’t won a major title since 2012 when he was champion here, but he continues to keep himself in the conversation, particularly through six outstanding matches in which he dropped serve once and lost a single set en route to the final. Djo- kovic was too good, but Federer proved he can still hang around and has the ability to win another Slam tournament.
Hingis, re-energized:
It was two more Slams for Martina Hingis, the 34-year-old Swiss who won the women’s doubles crown (with Sania Mirza) and mixed doubles title (with Leander Paes). Hingis won doubles here for the first time since 1998 with Jana Novotna, but Hingis’ all-court game excels in the team game, and she has won three of the six major draws in which she has competed in this year (Australian
Open mixed with Paes, as well).
The curious case of Kyrgios:
Is Nick Kyrgios the future of men’s tennis? Maybe. The 21-year-old Australian made plenty of headlines during this year’s event, from audibly berating a chair umpire to being accused of giving up for a moment in his loss to Richard Gasquet. (He denied as much, but video seemed to show otherwise.) Kyrgios, who shocked Rafael Nadal here last year, has plenty of game — and perhaps a personality that could be a magnet for the sport. “I’m a big defender of Nick Kyr- gios,” John McEnroe said on a British Broadcasting Corp. telecast. “He’s good for the game. He should have tapped out and admitted he (stopped trying vs. Gasquet). I don’t agree with that whatsoever. I think it’s unprofessional. But hopefully he’s going to learn something from this. I like him.”
Yolo, CoCo:
For the first time in 11 years, three American women made the quarterfinals, as Madison Keys and CoCo Vandeweghe joined Williams. Keys had her grand arrival in Melbourne, Australia, in January, but it was the first time on the big stage for Vandeweghe, who at 23 has been hovering for some time. Her guts and guile against Maria Sharapova, whom she took to three sets on Centre Court, proved that this run could serve as a legitimate breakthrough.
Rafa reeling:
But is it a legitimate breakdown for Rafael Nadal? The Spaniard has struggled with a series of maladies that put him out for the most of the second half of 2014, and he lost early again at Wimbledon, failing to make the quarterfinals for the fourth consecutive year. This was at the hands of dynamic German Dustin Brown, who electrified Centre Court with his do-or-die tennis against more conventional Rafa, who has dipped to No. 10 in the world.
Bad omens:
What’s next for Petra Kvitova, Genie Bouchard, Simona Halep, Grigor Dimitrov and Nadal? It’s hard to say. None of them left the All England Club smiling, only wondering how they can rediscover the greatness they once experienced at this event.
Future is bright:
Reilly Opelka, a 6-11 American, won the boys singles title, beating 6-4 compatriot Taylor Harry Fritz in the semifinals. Along with Frances Tiafoe, these American teenagers are on the upswing.