The Wimbledon 2021 Championships started from June 28, 2021, to July 11, 2021, at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London. Find out the latest happenings of this tournament!
The 2021 Wimbledon Championships is a Grand Slam tennis tournament currently taking place in Wimbledon, London, United Kingdom.
The 2021 Championships are the 134th edition. The tournament is the 53rd in the Open Era and the third Grand Slam tournament of the year.
It is played on grass courts. Wimbledon is organized by the All England Lawn Tennis Club and International Tennis Federation.
The cancellation of the 2020 tournament happened because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The main tournament of 2021 began on Monday, 28 June 2021. It will end on Sunday 11 July 2021.
This article lists out everything about the important players, schedules, and highlights of the 2021 tournament.
1. The Top Facts of the Wimbledon 2021
2. Wimbledon 2021 Highlights
Tournament Date: June 28 – July 11, 2021
Location: Wimbledon, London, UK
Club: All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club
Prize: US $35,016,000
Defending Champions: Men - Novak Djokovic | Women – Simona Halep
Surface: Grass
Players in an Event: 128
Events: 15
Rounds: 7
Edition: 134
The entire tournament will be broadcast on the ESPN family of networks and ESPN+ and the ESPN App.
The ladies' championship will be broadcast on Saturday at 2 PM GST on ESPN. The gentlemen's championship will be broadcast at 2 PM GST on Sunday.
Some Players Withdraw Before the Start
Nadal withdrew from Wimbledon 2021 and the Olympics. He said he was listening to his body to prolong his career.
Nadal is not the only big player to pull out of Wimbledon. Naomi Osaka, the second-ranked women's player, withdrew from the tournament to prepare for the Tokyo Olympics.
Defending women's singles champion and world no. 3 Simona Halep withdrew early with a calf injury. World no. 5 Dominic Thiem pulled out of Wimbledon due to a right wrist injury as well.
A Slippery Start to the Tournament
Sliding around during a match is expected at the French Open. There the clay courts of Roland Garros reward players who slide into their shots.
But Wimbledon is a different beast. It is rare to see too many falls on the grass, even though it can be slippery.
Something odd is happening at Wimbledon 2021, though, with players slipping and sliding all over the place, particularly on Centre Court.
Djokovic repeatedly found himself on the ground in his match against wildcard Jack Draper.
Both Adrian Mannarino and Serena Williams faced devastating early exits. Slips left both of them injured and unable to compete.
Why is the finely manicured grass proving so treacherous?
So, what is going on? The conditions are not helping. It has been a drizzly Wimbledon so far. The roof has been a godsend to fans, but it means the grass gets damper, the air is more humid, and the slide hazard worsens.
The tournament was forced to miss a year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Much effort is put into maintaining the grass at Wimbledon.
A series of cuts through the year achieves the precise grass height for a perfect surface. It is 8mm per blade, in case you were wondering.
The same dedication has gone into the upkeep. But we have missed a season of posh trainers pounding the grass. Perhaps that has made an impact?
Let us hope the conditions improve and that no more players fall foul of the wet grass like Williams.
Serena Williams Exits Early
Serena Williams's try for a record-breaking major title ended early. She retired from her first-round match due to an ankle injury.
Williams, the 6th seed, went off court for treatment after losing her footing near the baseline. This was in her women's singles match against Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus.
Serena was unable to continue. She went up the net and shook hands with Sasnovich. She retired from the first-round match with tears rolling down.
It is only the second first-round Grand Slam exit of Serena's career. She is a seven-time Wimbledon singles champion. She last won here in 2016.
Serena also was the runner-up at Wimbledon each of the last two times it was contested, in 2018 and 2019. But she crashed out of last year's US Open as well after registering her 102nd Singles victory. Naomi Osaka had won that US Open.
Notably, Serena confirmed earlier this week that she would miss the Tokyo Olympics. The Olympic gold medallist has not won a major title since winning the Australian Open in 2017.
Roger Federer crashes out in the quarter-finals
There was a massive upset at the Centre Court. Roger Federer crashed out in the quarter-finals of Wimbledon 2021. He lost 3-6, 6-7(4), 0-6 to 14th seed Hubert Hurkacz of Poland.
He could convert only one of the four break-points. His opponent Hurkacz converted five out of 15 break-points.
Federer could win 67 percent of points on the first serve. This was against 79 percent by the Polish player.
Federer's last Grand Slam title is the 2018 Australian Open. It is unlikely that he will win anymore as many youngsters are beginning to challenge him and Nadal. But hey, you never know!
Yes, fans are permitted at this year's tournament. Both singles finals will allow packed crowds at Centre Court.
Since the pandemic, this will be the first outdoor sporting event in the UK to have total capacity. It will be 50% for all matches. In the finals, it will be 100%.
The organizers said fans must wear face coverings at the venue grounds. But they will not be required to wear masks and maintain social distancing when seated.
Spectators will need to present proof of vaccination. Alternatively, they must provide a negative COVID-19 test within 48 hours of attending.
Conclusion:
The prestigious Wimbledon 2021 has seen many things taking place even before the start of the tournament.
Novak Djokovic earned an epic French Open victory. Naomi Osaka declared that she would not attend any press conference at Wimbledon.
Rafael Nadal withdrew from participating in the tournament. When the tournament started, there was the controversy of slippery grass.
But amidst the pandemic, the tournament has provided much-needed relief for tennis and sports fans. We hope our article will help you appreciate and enjoy Wimbledon 2021.
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