Congratulations to our Wimbledon champions, Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic!
What an incredible two weeks it’s been. We have seen smiles, tears, screams, accusations, fines, violations, and more. There was incredible tennis as well as incredible drama. I’m not quite ready to say goodbye for another whole year. So, to hold off on the inevitable farewell, I will take you through some of the best 2015 Wimbledon moments.
Cheating Accusations
Right out of the gates, there was coaching controversy and cheating allegations at this year’s Wimbledon. This time, Djokovic was in the middle of it. This is not a new topic in the tennis world, where basically every player and their coach have some unique way to communicate with each other during a match. Issues arise when the rule around coaching is so subjective from umpire to umpire. When it isn’t constantly enforced by the officials, why is it still a rule and why does it still create drama?
Eugenie Bouchard and Her Woes
Bouchard did not have a good Wimbledon. Not only was she taken out in the first round by a qualifier, she also almost went home with a dress code violation when a sliver of her black sports bra showed under her Wimbledon whites. It’s just another example of what Roger Federer calls the “ridiculously strict” Wimbledon dress code.
Dustin Brown Takes Down Nadal in Stunning Fashion
Dustin Brown defeated Rafael Nadal in what I would deem the most fun match of the tournament. Brown rushed the net over 80 times, and won way over 50% of them. Nadal was always a step too slow against Brown and found himself out of Wimbledon early in the first week.
Australian Drama
It’s safe to say that Nick Kyrgios is one of the best rising tennis players at this time. If only he will learn to control his mouth. Kyrgios took home a substantial paycheck this Wimbledon, but it would have been quite a bit bigger if he hadn’t racked up almost $10,000 worth of fines for his on-court behavior. In other news, the other young Australian Bernard Tomic got himself suspended from the Davis Cup after accusing Australian Tennis officials for not emotionally (and really financially) supporting him this year. How about we grow up a little, boys.
Kyrgios Hugs a Ball Boy
While Kyrgios still has some maturing to do, we are hard-pressed not to love him. During his fourth round match against Richard Gasquet, Kyrgios just needed a hug. At the beginning of the third set, the Australian walked to the back of the court and embraced one of the ball boys. While odd, we couldn’t help but smile, especially when the ball boy eventually gave in and hugged Kyrgios back. Kyrgios went on to win that set, but ultimately lost to the Frenchman in four sets.
Three Americans in Women’s Quarterfinals
For the first time in over 10 years, there were three American players in the women’s quarterfinals: Serena Williams, Madison Keys, and Coco Vandeweghe. All three of these quarterfinal matches went to a stunning three sets, but only Serena advanced. These three ladies’ Wimbledon runs, with Serena eventually winning the tournament, can only mean good things for the future of American professional tennis.
Body Issues in Women’s Tennis
Ben Rothenberg wrote a New York Times article that exposed many of the depressing body issues that plague female tennis players, and really all female athletes. Serena Williams is one of the most dominant athletes. Yet, she admits that throughout her life she has struggled to accept her incredible and athletic body that has allowed her to win a stunning 21 Grand Slam tournaments without any signs of stopping. Rothenberg interviewed multiple top female tennis players, and I am still stunned by what some of the players said. But even more than stunned, I am angry at the statements that some of these top female athletes, women that many girls look up to and aspire to be, gave in response to the writer’s questions. It seems as though Sharapova and Radwanska are more focused on what they look like rather than winning when out on the tennis court. Safe to say, I don’t think Radwanska and I share the same opinion of what it means to be a woman. If you ask me, as a former athlete myself (though nowhere near that caliber), I would love to have Serena’s physical and mental strength and all of the athletic success that it has helped her achieve.
JK Rowling’s Perfect Response
JK Rowling is a big fan of Serena Williams, actively supporting and congratulating her after her Wimbledon championship victory. After posting a celebratory tweet, one of her followers responded in a disrespectful manner, attacking the world #1’s body. JK Rowling responded in the perfect way that showed the tennis star’s beauty and strength, showing a picture of Serena looking fabulous in a form fitting dress and telling the man he’s an idiot.
Federer Leaves Murray in the Dust
Federer takes down Andy Murray in the semifinals in a shocking straight sets. The 7-time Wimbledon champion and former world #1 looked like his younger self, winning an impressive 84% of his first serves and crashing the net whenever possible. Murray, known for his speed, could not keep up. While Murray played well, he was just completely outmatched by this tennis. Federer ultimately fell to Djokovic in the finals, but what a spectacular tournament the man had.
