Wimbledon, unstacked
What to watch for, on the courts and off
Wimbledon is here, hot on the heels of Roland Garros and in the midst of what’s become a grueling year-round tennis season. With the finals looming this weekend, we looked to Substackers—a former tour pro, expert reporters, and the girlfriend of a current semi-finalist among them—for what to watch in the final stretch.
The context
Madeline Vogt: It’s the third Grand Slam of the year—Wimbledon, famously played on the meticulously-mowed grass courts of the All-England Club in London. This tournament is famous for its strawberries and cream served on the grounds, mandatory white tennis clothing, and a crowd so hushed between points that I often have to check that my ESPN stream didn’t freeze.
Andrea Petkovic: [Wimbledon isn’t] just any major, no, it’s the most prestigious of all. It’s the one everyone wants.
Morgan Riddle: Wimbledon is the oldest running tennis tournament in history, first organized in 1876. As someone who has been to a lot of events, the best way I can describe it is that it is simply magical and there is no other sporting event on earth quite like it.
The experience
Morgan Riddle: The tournament is named after the charming little town of Wimbledon where the games first began. In the weeks leading up to first round, it sort of looks like a big green tennis monster threw up all over the streets and every storefront, restaurant, and pub in the town is covered in turf, tennis balls, strawberries, and rackets.
Jessica Anne: Seriously, what could top it? The smell of freshly cut grass, a Pimm’s in hand, strawberries and cream, (hopefully) some sunshine, a bit of celeb-spotting, and of course some epic tennis.
Joe Levin: The famed Pimm’s Cup was £10. Strawberries and cream (with generous servings and from a local farm) were £2. In areas that would only be attended by patrons with GA grounds passes, there were still wooden benches, shade, free water. You could bring in your own food and drink. The staff was friendly and helpful. Was it any surprise that everybody was in such a good mood?
Morgan Riddle: A word of caution that [Pimm’s cups] don’t taste like much but they will sneak up on you. I’ve had the pleasure of witnessing a lot of stumblers when leaving the grounds late at night.
Andrea Petkovic: While I ponder over milk in tea, sneeze from the freshly cut grass in the air and try my hardest not to mention strawberries and cream, players are getting ready to snatch the most important trophy of all and maybe marry a royal while they’re at it.
Hailey Grohman: Wimbledon, despite its satisfyingly crisp lawn lines, has kind of an off-putting colonize-y vibe to me. Why does everything have to be white? Why do we have to eat cream when it’s hot out?
The matches
Video shared by Hugh Clarke
Ben Lewis: To call it a surprising opening week at the All England Club hardly does justice to the carnage we’ve witnessed across both the men’s and women’s singles draws in London.
Madeline Vogt: Unlike Roland Garros, which followed predictions to absolute perfection, with both the women’s and men’s no. 1 and no. 2 players facing off in the finals, this year’s Wimbledon is messy. But this kind of carnage feels necessary for a good season of professional tennis, in my opinion— kind of like a controlled prairie burn.
Ben Lewis: By the end of action last Thursday evening, 36 seeded players had been knocked out of the Wimbledon Championships. By the end of Day 7, just one top five player remains in the women’s field (Aryna Sabalenka), while two top five men’s players are gone (Alexander Zverev, Jack Draper), and half of the top 10 have been knocked out.
Tennis Sweet Spot: The main storyline here is to see if Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner will meet again after their epic Roland-Garros final.
Jonathan Kronstadt: Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner battled on red clay for 5 ½ hours in a French Open final that many, myself included, think is the single greatest tennis match ever played. It’s entirely possible they’ll meet again in the July 12 Wimbledon final.
Tennis World Live: The 22-year-old Alcaraz will be aiming for a third consecutive Wimbledon crown. However, he may once again run into the Serb in the final—and who knows, this could be the year Djokovic exacts his revenge and finally equals Federer’s record at the All England Club.
Ben Rothenberg: Even at 38, seven-time Wimbledon champion Djokovic surely remains the most daunting of the 5-8 seeds in the draw.
Madeline Vogt: In the upcoming week, I’ll be champing at the bit to see who can hack it. How far can Novak Djokovic go? Can he beat Jannik Sinner? Could he beat Carlos Alcaraz after that?
Malaika: Amanda Anisimova delivered a stunning performance to defeat World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in a tightly contested Wimbledon semi-final.
Areyah DCosta: A 100% deserved win for Anisimova. She was courageous on the big points and kept Sabalenka under pressure almost throughout the match.
Malaika: The stage is set for the Wimbledon Women's Final. Amanda Anisimova will face Iga Swiatek, with both players aiming to capture their first Wimbledon title.
Merlisa Lawrence Corbett: It’s the first Grand Slam final for Anisimova. It’s the first Wimbledon final for Swiatek, who has five Major titles, the most of any active player. It’s a clash of contrast: a big hitter against an aggressive baseliner. Amanda’s flat ball against Iga’s topspin.
Malaika: It all comes down to Saturday, 12th July.
So, who will win?
Andrea Petkovic: Carlos Alcaraz, all the way in the bottom on the other end of the draw, is probably the number one favourite as the title defender and logical clay court and grass court specialist in one (seriously, how does he do it? Talent helps I guess).
Tennis Sweet Spot: If there’s still one place [Djokovic] could get Alcaraz or Sinner, it’s on Centre Court…If he gets a good draw and lands fresh in that second week, watch out.
Ben Lewis: Djokovic may bend (quite literally), but you’ll never hear a snap.
Andrea Petkovic: [Djokovic] functions under pressure and knows Center Court better than any other active player. He has that firmness in his eyes again that I’ve known for a long time and that is always a dead give-away of where his ambitions lie: In winning.
Tennis Sweet Spot: If there’s one thing I’ve kept from all my years alongside tennis champions, it’s that they often come back to their best at unexpected moments. So, why not imagine Iga Swiatek rising from the ashes of these Roland-Garros semifinals to win her first Wimbledon title? Yes, on the surface, she had the least convincing results as a pro. Don’t forget she won the title in juniors… Just saying!
Andrea Petkovic: During 2 matches in Bad Homburg, a falcon or a hawk or an eagle (I’m clearly not an ornithologist) was circling above Iga Swiatek’s head for minutes on end. Those who have followed me for awhile know that my toxic trait is that I believe in witchcraft and superstitions. I believe that the falcon, let’s say it was a falcon, was a sign that Iga will win Wimbledon. I actually also thought she played great in Bad Homburg so it’s not only the falcon. But the falcon definitely helps.
Madeline Vogt: I will be plenty satisfied just listening to the echo of tennis balls hitting strings and the soft carpet slide of grass under the players’ shoes.
I’m not mad at these tennis updates! 😍🎾
I was an American evangelical "missionary to the UK" in the mid-1970s.
Just after marrying my British wife, we spent the weekend at Wimbledon in the early 1980s, with a generic grounds pass, so we were just wandering around between courts, without actually seeing any tennis.
EXCEPT when McEnroe threw a tantrum on court, and a pissed Ivan Lendl hit a ball out of Center Court, and it landed on top of my camera case. This is 100% true. People around me couldn't believe it!! (Update: I became an atheist at the age of 62, because the evidence was overwhelming!)