Tennis fans are all eyes on the ongoing Championships, Wimbledon 2016, which has officially opened on June 27 and will cap off on July 10. Will Andy Murray steal the trophy and stop Novak Djokovic from winning his third straight Wimbledon for men’s singles? Will Serena Williams win back-to-back Wimbledon titles?
The Wimbledon, which began in 1887, is known as one of the oldest sporting events in the world. The tournament got its name because it has always been played at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London. It is one of the four major Grand Slam tennis tournaments, while the other three are the U.S Open, French Open and Australian Open. Among the four tournaments, Wimbledon Championship is the only one that is still being played on a traditional grass court, while the rest are played on clay or hard courts.
The Wimbledon is proudly hosted in the UK but ironicaly, the last time it was won by a British man was in 1936 (men’s singles). On the other hand, the last time the UK won the women’s singles trophy was in 1977. No English player has been able to win this title since.
Men’s Singles
Djokovic is currently the number one bet to win the Championships, Wimbledon this year. The Serbian player is the reigning champion of all four grand slam events and has won five of the last six major events in tennis. Djokovic is now eyeing to land his third straight Wimbledon title.
Sottish player Murray comes in second since he was the last Wimbledon champion before Djokovic took over. He has a lot of reasons to be inspired to win because Djokovic has defeated him both at the Australian Open and the French Open this year. Murray has beaten Djokovic at the Wimbledon in 2013 and his home court advantage will definitely come in handy.
Swiss player Roger Federer may have suffered a lot of injuries this year, even missing the French Open, but he is hungry for his eighth Wimbledon title. Some would consider him old but let us not forget that he had won 17 grand slams in his career and is arguably the best tennis player on grass. He won his first Wimbledon title in 2003, and his most recent one was in 2012.
Other mens’s singles contenders include Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland), Milos Raonic (Canada), Nick Kyrgios (Australia), Kei Nishikori (Japan), and Dominic Thiem (Austria).
Women’s Singles
American player Serena Williams currently ranks as the world’s number 1 women’s tennis player. She has won four of the last seven Wimbledon crowns. However, she has not won any of the last grand slams since winning the Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon tournament last season. She hopes to add another Wimbledon title to her impressive resume.
Spain’s Garbine Muguruza is currently ranked number 2 after winning her first French Open and beating Williams just three weeks ago. Her first major Wimbledon breakthrough was last year against Williams. The world is awaiting a great rematch between the two come July 10.
Petra Kvitova has two Wimbledon titles, which she won in 2011 and 2014. The Czech player is in 10th seed in this tournament. This may be her equal-lowest Grand Slam seeding in over five years but she should not be counted out as she believes that the grass her most favourite playing surface.
Other women in the running for a Wimbledon title are Madison Keys (USA), Angelique Kerber (Germany), Simona Halep (Romania), and Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland).
Who are rooting for to win this year’s Championships, Wimbledon 2016? If you are required to submit an essay or coursework about the Wimbledon, tennis or any other sport, simply fill out the order form to get started.