The oldest tennis tournament in the world, the Wimbledon Championships is universally considered as the most prestigious one. Often referred to as simply Wimbledon, it is one of the four Grand Slam tournaments. The others include the Australian Open, the US Open, and the French Open.
It is an annual championship that starts either on the last Monday of June or the first Monday of July and carries on for two weeks, closing with the Ladies’ and Gentlemen’s Singles Finals. Since 1877 it has always been played at the same venue of All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London.
Apart from being the oldest tennis championship, there are a number of other things that are exclusive to Wimbledon. It continues to be the only tennis event still played on grass, a traditional surface. It retains an obligatory all-white dress code for the players. The Wimbledon Championships boasts of the longest lasting sporting sponsorship it has retained with the ball supplier Slazenger since 1902. It is also the only one of the Grand Slam events to maintain a night curfew.
The curfew was established in 2009 to protect the local residents from noise and disturbances. Initially, a retractable roof was constructed over the Centre Court to give the competitors the possibility to continue playing during the rain. But since it also allowed them to continue the game into the night under the lights, the local Council required the introduction of a curfew, with all games ending before 11:00 pm.
2024 Wimbledon Championships
The 2024 Wimbledon is the 137th edition of the tournament and the 130th time the Ladies’ Singles Championship takes place. It is held from 1 July to 14 July 2024 and consists of the following events:
- men’s and women’s singles
- men’s and women’s doubles
- boys’ singles and doubles
- girls’ singles and doubles
- wheelchair players men’s singles and doubles
- wheelchair players women’s singles and doubles
- gentlemen’s and ladies’ invitational doubles
- mixed invitational double draw
Both reigning champions in men’s singles Carlos Alcaraz and women’s singles Markéta Vondroušová entered the competition, with Alcaraz reaching the quarter finals, while Vondroušová lost the first round to Jéssica Bouzas Maneiro.
Neither of the Williams sisters will be appearing in this tournament for the first time since 1996.
Wimbledon Quarter Finals 2024 Review
The first part of the quarter finals took place on Tuesday, 9 July. It included two games in the men’s singles event and two games in the women’s singles event, determining two semifinalists in each category.
The other two matches in each category, as well as both ladies’ and gentlemen’s doubles was scheduled to be held on Wednesday, 10 July.
Men’s Singles
Daniil Medvedev vs Jannik Sinner
Before coming onto the court on Wednesday, the world’s number one men’s tennis player Jannik Sinner had defeated Daniil Medvedev in the previous five meetings. Yet, on the day of the match Sinner, who seeded first, seemed to be not in his best health. Medvedev, who seeded fifth, had to fight hard for his victory.
Sinner briefly left the field in the third set, returned for the fourth, throwing Medvedev off 6-2, but eventually lost in the fifth, with Medvedev playing even more aggressively than usual. Medvedev moved on to semifinals with 6(7)-7, 6-4, 7-6(4), 2-6, 6-3.
Carlos Alcaraz vs Tommy Paul
The current champion Carlos Alcaraz, seeding number 3, and Tommy Paul, seeding number 12, came against each other in a three hour and 11 minute-long match. In the first set, both worked on wearing each other out, and it seemed like Paul was succeeding in this task. He ended the first set on top.
However, Alcaraz picked up his game in the second set, putting pressure on Paul, who finally succumbed to Alcaraz’s wild style. With 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2, Alcaraz is set to play the semifinals against Medvedev.
Lorenzo Musetti vs Taylor Fritz
Very few Italian tennis players have made it to semifinals at the Wimbledon Championships. In fact, Lorenzo Musetti will only be the fourth to do so. He may have dropped the first set, but he quickly switched his tactics, employing a more slice game. In the fourth set of the three and a half hour-long game Fritz, who seeded number 13, managed to throw off Musetti, who seeded number 25, but the Italian player regained his ground in the fifth set.
Musetti won the game 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 and is set to play in the semifinals against Novak Djokovic.
Novak Djokovic vs Alex de Minaur
Novak Djokovic enters his 13th Wimbledon Championships semifinals without hitting a single ball in the quarterfinal match against Australian Alex de Minaur. Minaur, who seeded number 9, withdrew from the game after having sustained a hip injury in the previous game against Arthur Fils.
Initially, Minaur was planning to play, however, the training session on Wednesday proved that he wouldn’t be able to come out on the court, and withdrawing to avoid a graver injury was a wise decision, even though it left Minaur, in his own words, “devastated”. Novak Djokovic, who seeded number 2, will play the semifinals against Lorenzo Mosetti.
Women’s Singles
Donna Vekić vs Lulu Sun
Forty-third time proved to be the charm for Donna Vekić as she secured her first ever spot in the Grand Slam semi final. Her opponent Lulu Sun is the first woman from New Zealand to have reached the quarter finals. The match required every bit of concentration from Vekić who had undergone a knee surgery in 2021 and was now facing a fierce opponent in Sun.
Vekić seemed to have found her ground in the second set, and with Sun losing momentum from the third set on, she won the game. Vekić moved on to semifinals with 5-7, 6-4, 6-1.
Jasmine Paolini vs Emma Navarro
Another maiden Wimbledon semi final awaits Jasmine Paolini after her game with Emma Navarro in the quarter finals. It only took Paolini, seeding number seven, 58 minutes to win against Navarro, seeding 19, in an almost blitz game.
With 6-2, 6-1, Paolini will play against Vekić, becoming the first Italian woman to reach Wimbledon semifinals.
Barbora Krejčíková vs Jelena Ostapenko
Jelena Ostapenko caused a bit of confusion in her game against Barbora Krejčíková, as she was actively motioning for one of her coaches to leave the box. One of them eventually did vacate the seat, which briefly seemed to do Ostapenko, who seeded number 13, good in terms of playing. However, she eventually lost the game.
Krejčíková, who seeded number 31, kept her composure throughout the game, forcing Ostapenko into errors. She won the match 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) and will play in the semifinals against Elena Rybakina.
Elena Rybakina vs Elina Svitolina
Elena Rybakina, who has been widely considered a favourite to win her second Grand Slam title in the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, has moved one step further towards this goal. In the game against Elina Svitolina, who seeded number 21, Rybakina, who seeded number 4, put her “aggressive” style to the forefront, securing a victory.
Having won the game 6-3 6-2, Rybakina moved to the semifinals to play against Barbora Krejčíková.
Men’s Doubles Quarterfinals Review
Women’s Doubles Quarterfinals Review
