What’s Happening in Wimbledon
It’s been raining a lot in London. But that hasn’t put a damper on the excitement and drama at Wimbledon this year. The All-England Club has two courts with retractable roofs, so play has continued ‘indoors.’ Already there have been upsets, injuries, mini-dramas and thrilling victories—and it’s only the first week!
Here are the top stories at Wimbledon so far. Yes, we’re spilling some British tea:
Beloved British tennis star Andy Murray has officially retired. Playing with a partially replaced hip (he had the surgery in 2018), the 37-year-old and three-time
Grand Slam champion had recently undergone back surgery. This kept him off the singles court at Wimbledon this year, but he entered the doubles, partnering with his brother, Jamie. Unfortunately, the pair lost in the first round. After the match, the tournament staged a retirement ceremony for Murray, and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house as the tributes poured in. We’ll miss you, Andy!
Chapter Two… Ok, so Andy was actually supposed to play in the mixed doubles after the men’s doubles at Wimbledon this year, which would have been his ‘second’ last match. He asked young British tennis phenom, Emma Raducanu, to be his partner. She immediately said yes, only to withdraw from the mixed doubles competition before they took to the court. Prone to injury (she has had wrist surgery), she said she felt some tightness in her wrist, and wanted to focus solely on singles. Understandable, as the former US Open champ had made it through to the fourth round at Wimbledon this year.
Anyway, this led to some British beef, as the press said it wasn’t fair for her to deny Andy another chance to play. If Sir Andy Murray asks you to play—you play. (He has been knighted, after all.) Even Andy’s mother got into it, ‘tweeting’ something slightly snarky, which she has since retracted. Raducanu simply shrugged off the criticism. But sadly, she lost her next singles match. Hmmm, seems the whole kerfuffle turned into a ‘nobody wins’ situation.
In an upset that stunned the tennis world, Iga Swiatek lost in the third round. The top seed was defeated by Yulia Putintseva in three sets, snapping a 21-match winning streak that included winning the French Open in early June. That was her fourth French Open title, but she has yet to make it past the quarterfinals at Wimbledon. While Swiatek, 23, is arguably the best player in the world, grass is simply not her best surface. Look for her to come back strong on the hard courts of the US Open.
Another news making loss: Defending women’s champion Marketa Vondrousova was ousted in the first round, making her the first woman to do so since 1994. Tough loss, Marketa. We’ll see you again next year
Grass is a tough surface to play on, known for causing awkward slips and falls. Grigor Dimitrov, Anna Kalinskaya, Hubert Hurkacz are among the top players forced to retire with injuries so far. But the saddest scene unfolded during the Madison Key-Jasmine Paolini fourth round match. The contest had been an exciting, high-power exchange, until Keys tweaked something in her upper thigh when she was poised to win in the third set. She took a medical time out, returned to the court with taping on her leg and attempted to finish the match, but could not. She left the court in tears while the crowd honored her with a lengthy standing ovation. So sad. But we love you, Maddie! Get better!
In an exciting All-American showdown, Emma Navarro upset superstar Coco Gauff in the round of 16 in two sets (6-4, 6-3). Navarro is through to the Wimbledon quarterfinals. In fact, this is the first time the former college champ has made it to the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam tournament. Based on her precision, power and calm determination, it should not be her last. Go Emma. We’re also rooting for Danielle Collins, another American hoping to advance to the quarterfinals. Good news for Gauff—she and her partner, Jess Pegula, are in the Wimbledon doubles quarterfinals.
Style watch: Of course, all-white is the dress code at the All-England Club. This tradition began because white clothes made sweat stains appear less visible—how very posh and proper. But if Wimby was handing out awards for fashion, the winner would have to be Marta Kostyuk.
The Ukrainian player was recently married and wore a gorgeous wedding dress designed by Wilson Sporting Goods, her tennis sponsor. The tenniscore twist: Wilson also designed her sleek white tennis dress for Wimbledon this year. Inspired by the shape and silhouette of her wedding gown with a plunging neckline and back cutouts, it’s called the Marta dress. It’s beautiful and we can all buy it now at Wilson.com.
