Since 1987, Tiffany & Co. has been the official producer of the U.S. Open Trophy, weighing 10 pounds and 18 inches tall. The trophy is awarded to both the men’s and women’s singles champion.

In 1975, the U.S. Open became the first Grand Slam tournament to feature night matches.

In 2001, Venus and Serena Williams became the first sisters to meet in a grand slam final at the US Open. The match lasted 69 minutes, with Venus winning 6-2, 6-4.

Tennis became the first sport and the U.S. Open became the first Grand Slam to offer equal prize money to men and women. This all started in 1973 when Billie Jean King threatened to boycott the event.

The youngest men’s singles champion in U.S. Open history is Pete Sampras, who was 19 years, 28 days old when he won the title in 1990, defeating Andre Agassi in straight sets. The youngest women’s singles champion is Tracy Austin at the 1979 U.S. Open where she beat Chris Evert to win the title at the age of 16 years and eight months.

The U.S. Open has been played on three different courts surfaces in its history. From 1881 to 1974, it was played on grass; from 1975 to 1977, on clay and since 1978 it’s been a hard-court surface — DecoTurf. The courts were made blue in 2007.

1. The first Olympic Games took place in the 8th century B.C. in Olympia, Greece. They were held every four years for 12 centuries. Then, in the 4th century A.D., all pagan festivals were banned by Emperor Theodosius I and the Olympics were no more.

2. However, the athletic tradition was resurrected about 1500 years later: The first modern Olympics were held in 1896 in Greece.

3. In ancient Greece, athletes didn’t worry about sponsorship, protection, or fashion – they competed naked.

4. Back then, the games lasted five or six months.

5. Women have been allowed to compete in the Olympics since 1900.

6. From 1924-1992, the Winter and the Summer Olympics took place in the same year. Now, they’re on separate cycles and alternate every two years.

7. Only four athletes have won medals in both the Winter and the Summer Olympics. Only one of them, Christa Ludinger-Rothenburger, won medals in the same year.

8. During the 2012 London Games, the Olympic Village required 165,000 towels for a bit more than two weeks of activity.

9. The official languages of the games are English and French, complemented by the official language of the host country.

10. Tarzan competed in the Olympics: Johnny Weissmuller, an athlete-turned-actor who played Tarzan in 12 movies, won five gold medals in swimming in the 1920s.

Yesterday evening Carlos Alcaraz crushed Novak Djokovic in straight sets to defend his Wimbledon crown. Equalling the Open Era record for most Grand Slam wins, Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz overpowered seven-time champion Novak Djokovic 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (4) in straight sets to retain his Wimbledon title on Sunday. Five weeks after undergoing surgery on his right knee, World No.2 Djokovic renewed his inter-generational rivalry with defending champion Alcaraz in the rematch of the Wimbledon 2023 final. A fourteen-minute opening game, with seven deuces and five break points – Alcaraz and Djokovic kickstarted the final of the Wimbledon final in grand fashion on the Centre Court.

I use to be a big tennis fan. When I was 11 years old, back in 1987, I watched the Wimbledon final in which Aussie Pat Cash beat then world #1 Ivan Lendl in straight sets and then proceeded to start a new tradition – climbing into the stands and up to the player’s box at Centre Court, where he celebrated with his family, girlfriend, and coach. Since then any other players have done this, including Alcaraz. That made me a fan of the sport and I started watching the four major grand slam tournaments and the David Cup and then with the onset of cable tv a lot more matches and tournaments. However when my favourite players retired I slowly started to lose interest.

Also by 1997 I started watching club football a lot more and tennis slowly went down the rankings of things I want to watch. I barely watched any tennis in my 20s and 30s and upto now in my late 40s. Yesterday was my first full match since…….I dunno, maybe 2001. It was fun to watch and also see Kate Middleton present the trophy. That was nice to see.

The Gentlemen’s Singles Trophy was first presented by the All England Club in 1887.

It replaced the Field Cup (1877-1883) and the Challenge Cup (1884-1886) which were both won by William Renshaw after twice winning the Gentlemen’s Single title three times in succession.

The AELTC spent 100 guineas to purchase a trophy as the Club was not prepared to risk losing a third Cup to a future three-times Champion so the decision was taken that the new trophy would never become the property of the winner.

The Cup, which is made of silver gilt, stands 18 inches high and has a diameter of 7.5 inches. The inscription on the Cup reads: “The All England Lawn Tennis Club Single Handed Championship of the World”.

Around the bowl are engraved the dates and names of the Champions.

In 2009, there being no space left to engrave the names of the Champions, a black plinth with an ornamented silver band was designed to accompany the Cup.

The Champions receive a three-quarter size replica of the Cup bearing the names of all past Champions (height 13.5 inches).

Carlos Alcaraz beat four-time defending champion Novak Djokovic in five-set thriller 1-6, 7-6(6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4. Alcaraz fought from a set down in an instant classic to end Djokovic’s winning run in SW19, with the match played across almost five hours of breathtaking drama. Before the final, Djokovic had won 34 consecutive matches at Wimbledon and had not lost on Centre Court since 2013, but Alcaraz overturned history to win his second grand slam title. Djokovic had also won his previous 104 grand slam matches after winning the opening set.

In doing so, the 20-year-old Spaniard brings one of the most dominant eras of tennis history to an end. Alcaraz is the first player outside of the sport’s ‘big four’ of Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray to win the Wimbledon men’s singles title since 2002. Djokovic had been bidding to join Federer by equalling his men’s record of eight singles titles, but was denied by an inspired Alcaraz. The Wimbledon victory is his second grand slam singles title after the 2022 US Open win.

Alcaraz is just the third Spanish man after Manuel Santana (1966) and Rafael Nadal (2008, 2010) to win Wimbledon. He is also the third-youngest men’s champion at Wimbledon after Bjorn Borg and Boris Becker, and the fourth Spanish player to win multiple Grand Slam titles, after Nadal, Santana and Sergi Bruguera. Alcaraz is the fifth man in the Open Era to win multiple Grand Slam titles prior to turning 21 – after Mats Wilander (4 Grand Slam titles prior to turning 21), Borg (3), and Becker and Nadal (both 2).

Why do players wear white at Wimbledon?

The original reason for cracking out the tennis whites was to prevent sweat patches prominently showing through – a disaster for the social elite types back in the day. The tradition stuck and a fresh set of rules in 2014 stated that only “a single trim of colour” no wider than 10mm is allowed on the neckline, sleeves or even underwear. This is a rule the All England Club takes seriously – Roger Federer’s trainers were banned from the tournament in 2013 because the soles were orange.

Are tennis balls yellow or green?

When it comes to the colour of tennis balls, we’re inclined to fall in line with whatever Roger Federer thinks. “They’re yellow, right?” said Federer in 2018. Who are we to argue?

How long does it take to close the Centre Court roof?

The roof itself is a speedy mover, switching from open to closed (and vice versa) in just 10 minutes. However, a 45-minute stoppage may be required while the air-conditioning system acclimatises the arena to become an indoor venue.

What is inside a tennis ball?

A kinder egg toy? Strawberries and cream? Pimm’s? A total vacuum? A wormhole? Nah, it’s just air inside a tennis ball. Or nitrogen, for those who want to inflate tennis balls for longer.

What TFL zone is Wimbledon in?

Wimbledon sits in Zone 3. More than 12 million people pile through the barriers each year, with many heading to The Championships.

Why is there a pineapple on top of the Wimbledon trophy?

You’ve never noticed before, have you? Legitimately, nobody really knows. In 2017, a spokesperson for the Wimbledon Museum told Express.co.uk that the origin story of the immortalised golden fruit contains “very few facts”, though one reasonable explanation is that pineapples were once a rarity, a sign of honour and wealth in society.

Can Wimbledon players go to the toilet during a match?

Wimbledon rules permit players to “request permission to leave the court for a reasonable time for a toilet break”, but this must be taken during a set break and cannot be used for any other purpose. Male and female players are allowed two toilet breaks per match, while doubles teams must share their allocated number of breaks. The rulebook also states “the nearest assigned bathroom should be used” and that a line judge must accompany the player to ensure they “do not use the break for any other purpose”.

Why are Wimbledon tennis balls kept in the fridge?

Don’t you hate it when you’re searching for that jar of mayo at the back of the fridge and you can’t see past the Wimbledon tennis balls spilling out? Throughout history, fridges have been deployed at the side of courts to maintain the consistency of bounce in every ball while they’re waiting to be used. The 53,000 balls used at the tournament will be kept at 20 degrees until it’s their time to shine.

How much will strawberries and cream cost at Wimbledon?

A portion of 10 strawberries (minimum) and a lashing of cream will set you back £2.50 at the Championships, a price that has been frozen for the last 13 years. Take that, inflation! The strawberries are always Grade 1 from farms in Kent, and they are picked at 4:00am on the day they are sold and scoffed at Wimbledon. More than 166,000 portions were sold during the two-week 2018 tournament – but wait, why are we eating them at Wimbledon?

Why do people eat strawberries and cream at Wimbledon?

The delicious snack was served to 200 punters at the 1877 Championships and the tradition is still going strong more than 140 years later. But the origin story of strawberries and cream allegedly dates back to 1509, when Thomas Wolsey – a powerful figure around the time of King Henry XIII – served up the treat to guests at a banquet. Wolsey’s own palace also boasted tennis courts, where staff would be deployed to bring strawberries and cream to guests. A simple luxury fit for a king.

What length is the grass on Centre Court?

The first cut in preparation for the Championships shaves the lawn down to 25mm, before the winter sees another reduction down to around 13mm. However, this figure can only be reached without trimming off more than a third of the original length at a time, to avoid weakening the individual grass blades. The surfaces are then cut by 1mm per week from approximately nine weeks before the tournament, down to the optimum playing height of 8mm. In the four weeks leading up to the tournament, the grass is mowed every day to ensure the 8mm length is adhered to. Think about that next time you mow the lawn!

Do ball boys and girls get paid?

In 2015, the going rate for two weeks work at the tournament was £200 per ball boy or girl, and they were also allowed to keep the snazzy Ralph Lauren tennis uniforms worn during the Championships.Local school headmasters are asked to select their best and brightest, and 700 applicants are narrowed down to around 250 hard-working, unsung heroes.

Two weeks before the action shifts to tennis’ third grand slam of the year at Wimbledon, some of the biggest stars in the game will travel to the Cinch Championships at Queen’s Club. Queen’s Club in West Kensington, London, is named after Queen Victoria and it was established in 1886. It was the first multi-purpose sports complex ever to be built anywhere in the world. Besides tennis, it also holds the World Rackets Championships and has in the past held ice-skating, baseball, athletics and rugby.  Since its inception in 1890, the tournament has gained recognition as one of the most revered warm-up events for the Wimbledon Championships, which is held shortly after.

The total prize money pool for the 2023 Queen’s Club Championships sits at around £1,880,000 (€2,195,175 / $2,384,064). That’s an overall increase of 2.8% compared to the 2022 prize fund in an attempt to entice even more players to the tournament. Of that amount, the winner of the event this season will net £409,712 (€477,795 / $518,908) -— a near 20% increase on last season’s figure for winning the title.

Interesting Facts about the Queen’s Club Tennis Tournament

• The Queen’s Club Tennis Tournament was the first official lawn tennis tournament in the world, preceding Wimbledon by one year.
• The tournament has a longstanding tradition of inviting the reigning Wimbledon champion to play, providing an opportunity for fans to witness the clash of champions.
• The record for the most titles won at the Queen’s Club Tennis Tournament is held by the legendary British player, Fred Perry, who claimed the trophy eight times between 1931 and 1938.
• In recent years, the tournament has introduced a doubles competition alongside the singles event, adding further excitement and opportunities for players to showcase their skills.

Seven different players have completed The Queen’s Club-Wimbledon title double in the same year, including John McEnroe (1981, ’84), Jimmy Connors (’82), Boris Becker (’85), Pete Sampras (’95, ’99), Lleyton Hewitt (2002), Rafael Nadal (2008) and Andy Murray (2013, ’16). In 2016, Murray became the first player to win five Queen’s Club titles, separating himself from the elite group of players who have won four Queen’s Club crowns, including McEnroe, Becker, Hewitt and Andy Roddick. The cinch Championships was the ATP 500 Tournament of the Year in 2015-16, 2018 and 2022.

Citing an injury, Nadal shockingly withdrew from defending his title. While he might not be competing this year, the 22 times Grand Slam winner is the ruler of Roland Garros. Here’s a look at his five unbreakable records at the French Open over the years:

1) Four Grand Slam Wins Without Dropping A Set

Not only does Nadal win, but he gives his competitor a tough time and is ruthless on the court. Given the neck-to-neck competition in tennis, it’s hardly a one-sided match. But Nadal made it happen four times at Roland Garros. From Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic to Dominic Thiem, all fell prey to his excellence. In, 2008, 2010, 2017, and 2020, he won French Open without dropping a set.

2) Winning Streak of 112 games

Rafael Nadal has won 112 games at the French Open during his career. What makes it even more interesting is that he has only lost three times in his decades-long tennis career. The only two players he has lost against are Robin Soderling (2009) and Novak Djokovic (2015 and 2021).

3) Best on Red Dirt

Nadal surpassed the best in the history of clay. He has won 63 of the 70 finals he has stepped into. Notably, it is 14 times more than Guillermo Vilas, known as the second-most successful clay player.

4) 81 straight wins on clay

Nadal owns the longest single-surface winning streak in the Open era. At 18, he defeated Gael Monfils at Monte-Carlo Masters (2005), and from there to 2007 he never lost a match. But in 2007 it came to an end when Federer defeated him at the Hamburg Open.

During 2005-2007, he won straight 81 matches on clay. He surpassed Martina Navratilova’s mark of 74 wins.

5) The King of the French Open

While Nadal has the same number of grand slams as Novak Djokovic, when it comes to the French Open, he is an unbeatable force. Nadal holds the record for the most number of titles at a single grand slam. He has won the Roland Garros title 14 times. From 2005 to 2022, Nadal continued his supremacy on the clay court. It will take a long time for anyone to even reach close to him.

The Australian Open holds the record for the highest attendance of any tennis tournament ever staged with 812,174 people attending the 2020 edition. And here are some more quick fun facts:

1. Novak Djokovic holds the record for the most Men’s Singles titles with 10 wins
2. Margaret Court holds the record for the most Women’s Singles Titles with 11 wins
3. The Australian Open was the last of the four majors opened to professionals in 1969
4. Out of the four Grand Slams, Melbourne Park (Australian Open Venue) is the only venue to have three stadium courts covered by a retractable roof
5. After winning both his Australian Open Singles titles Jim Courier jumped into the Yarra River for a swim
6. The Australian Open was a Grass Court Event until 1988
7. Every year the ball kids who work at the AO are made up of a small contingent of overseas ball kids – 20 from Korea, 6 from China, 10 from India and 2 from France
8. The Australian Open is shown live in more than 220 Countries and Territories around the world
9. The Australian Open stringers restring over 5000 racquets throughout the tournament using more than 60km’s of string
10. The highest single-day attendance at the Australian Open is 93,709 at the 2020 edition
11. Close to 50,000 Tennis Balls are used during the tournament
12. Since 1905 the Australian Open has been staged in January, March, August and December with the Ja middle of January start time being in place since 1977
13. Kia is the longest-running sponsor of the Australian Open beginning it’s deal in 2002 with the current deal set to expire in 2023
14. The revenue generated from the Australian Open is over $330million
15. The last Australian female to win the Women’s Singles Title at the Australian Open was Christine O’Neil in 1978
16. The last Australian male to win the Men’s Singles Title at the Australian Open was Mark Edmonson in 1976

I’m a little in getting this post done but better late than never. I’ve also not really followed the recently completed Australian Open, here are a few fun facts about the first leg of the Tennis Grand Slam that every tennis fan should know about:

Youngest of the Grand Slams : In tennis, there are four Grand Slam Games. Wimbledon (established in 1877), the US Open (1881) and the French Open (1891). The Australian Open started in 1905.

The first-ever match was played on a cricket field : When the Australian Open was first held, the very first game was held on a cricket field at the Warehouseman’s Cricket Ground. Today, the facility is known as the Albert Reserve Tennis Centre.

Ken Rosewall is the youngest and oldest player to win the championship : Ken Rosewall is a prominent name in the tennis world, with several Grand Slam singles titles, nine slams in doubles, and a career double grand slam. But he is also the youngest player to win the Australian Open at 18 years old in 1953 and the oldest at 35 in 1972. Meanwhile, in the women’s division, Martina Hingis is considered the youngest to win the tournament at 16 years old, and Thelma Coyne Long is the oldest at age 35.

Australian Summer Heat : The biggest challenge for players in the Australian Open is the Australian heat. The tournament is in January when summer in Australia is full of swing. And with summer comes the sweltering heat that can reach up to 40 degrees Celsius. Being out in the heat is hard, much more so if you’re playing tennis. That is why players are encouraged to use braided ice towels to keep cool in between sets. And in 1988, the Extreme Heat Policy was put in place wherein the referee could stop the game at any time if the temperature reached 40 degrees.

The longest Match is 5hrs and 53 minutes : Unlike sports like basketball or American football, tennis does not have a time limit. That is why matches can sometimes last for hours on end, and in the Australian Open, the longest game lasted for five hours. That game was between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic during the final match at the Australian Open in 2012. Djokovic ended up defeating Nadal 7-5.

1977 and 1986 : The Australian Open has had its fair share of hiccups over its existence. One of which happened in 1977. Before, the games were from December to January. Following the games from December 1976 to January 1977, the organisers wanted the second tournament for that year to be held in December 1977. The drawback was that not a lot of players competed.

But if the tournament happened twice in 1977, it was not held at all in 1986. During the 80s, the games were held from the last week of November to the first week of December. That was the setup till 1985. After that year, the games have since been held in the middle of January, starting in 1987. And that was why there was no Australian Open in 1986.

Pioneering tennis coach and owner of his own academy Nick Bollettieri died on 4th December at the age of 91. He pioneered the concept of a tennis boarding school, and helped develop many leading tennis players during the past decades, including Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, Monica Seles, and Mary Pierce. He also worked with players such as Maria Sharapova, Daniela Hantuchová, Jelena Jankovi?, Nicole Vaidišová, Sabine Lisicki, Sara Errani, Tommy Haas, Max Mirnyi, Xavier Malisse, Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Martina Hingis, Anna Kournikova, Marcelo Ríos, and Kei Nishikori. Bollettieri was also a tour traveling coach, the last time having been for and with Boris Becker for a span of two years.

Bollettieri never set out to revolutionise the way tennis was coached, let alone become world famous. But over the course of the past six decades, the charismatic former American football player-turned paratrooper, who has passed away aged 91, never stopped learning about the sport. Be it from his time in Coral Gables and onto Victory Park in North Miami Beach; from Synder Park in Springfield, Ohio, the Port Washington Tennis Academy to the Dorado Beach Resort in Puerto Rico and Beaver Dam, Wisconsin; then The Colony Beach & Tennis Resort, located in Sarasota, and onto an old tomato field in Bradenton, Florida, his home of the past 40 years.

Born in Pelham, New York, to immigrant Italian parents, he served with the United States Army, attaining the rank of First Lieutenant.  In 1956 he turned to teaching tennis after dropping out of the University of Miami Law School. Bollettieri’s first students included Brian Gottfried. His first formal tennis camp was at Wayland Academy in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. Bollettieri married Cindi Eaton on April 22, 2004. The same year, they founded Camp Kaizen, a nonprofit fitness camp.

Most Singles Finals :Bill Tilden and Molla Bjurstedt Mallory each featured in 10 U.S Singles finals. Tilden played in the finals between 1918-1929 while Mallory reached the finals between 1915-1924 and in 1926. Pete Sampras with eight and Chris Evert with nine hold the records for the open era or what is now known as the current period of professional tennis dating back to 1968.

Most Singles Tournaments : But the honour of playing in the most Singles tournament belongs to Vic Seixas Jr. for the men and Martina Navratilova for women. Seixas Jr. played in 28 US opens while Navratilova featured in 21 consecutive U.S. Open between 1973-1993.

Most Singles Titles Won : Bill Tilden, Bill Larned and Richard Sears each won seven titles in the pre-open era. But it’s Jimmy Connors, Roger Federer and Pete Sampras who have dominated in the open era with five titles each. Molla Bjurstedt Mallory was not only a common feature in the finals. The Norwegian-American player won a record eight women’s singles titles between 1915-18, 1920-22 and in 1926. In the pro era it is Chris Evert and Serena Williams who are the most decorated female players with six titles each.

Most Titles Won : In the pre-open era, Margaret Osbourne du Point with three singles titles, 13 doubles and nine mixed doubles tops the list. Navratilova ranks top with 16 U.S Open titles in the open era. Out of that four are singles, nine doubles and three mixed doubles.

Most Single Matches Won : Americans Connors and Evert hold the records for the most single matches won. Evert won 101 women’s singles match at the American major event. Connors won 98 U.S Open men’s matches on all three courts of the U.S Open between 1970-1992.

Youngest Singles Titles Winners : Aged 16 years and 8 months, American Tracy Austin became the youngest ever winner at the U.S Open in 1979. Sampras won the men’s title for the first time in 1990 which made him the youngest ever men’s champions at 19 years and 28 days.

Oldest Singles Titles Winners : Molla Bjurstedt Mallory last victory at the U.S. open in 1926 made her the oldest champion at 42 years and five months. Before her William Larned had won the men’s 1911 U.S. Championship when he was 38 years and 8 months.

Unseeded Champions :The 2021 women’s singles winner Emma Raducanu is not just in the list of unseeded champions, she’s the only qualifier to win a major title. Belgium’s Kim Clijsters (2009) and Sloane Stephens (2017) are the only two other players to have lifted the trophy after coming in as unseeded players.

Longest Doubles Partnership : The long-time doubles partnership of Louise Brough and Margaret du Pont produced 12 titles between 1940 and 1957. The identical twin brothers of Bob and Mike Bryan are the most successful pair at the U.S open having won five men’s doubles titles.

Longest Match : The over five-hour men’s semi-final match in 1992 is the longest match in U.S. Open history. Stefan Edberg of Sweden overcame American Michael Chang in a gruelling five hour, and 26 minutes match in 6–7, 7–5, 7–6, 5–7, 6–4.

It’s the Only Major Tournament Played on 3 Surfaces

Although the US Open is famous for its hard courts, it still remains as the only major tennis tournament to be played on three surfaces. The tourney started out on grass courts in 1881 at Newport Casino in Rhode Island. It then transitioned to clay courts from 1975 to 1977, before finally moving to the acrylic hard courts fans and players know today.

Fun fact: Jimmy Connors is the only player to have won singles titles on all three surfaces, while Chris Evert is the only woman to have won singles titles on two surfaces.

It Was the First Grand Slam Tournament to Award Men & Women Equal Prize Money

This historic moment came about after tennis great and equality activist Billie Jean King, along with 8 other female players, formed their own tour in 1970 in protest of the pay disparity. King then successfully lobbied for equal prize money for US Open female players, which was brought into effect in 1973.

It’s Offering Record Prize Money in 2022

It’s highly unlikely you’ll find another tournament that offers as much prize money as the US Open. In 2021, the tournament gave out a record $57.5 million in total prize money, and the USTA announced this year that the US Open was set to hand out more than $60 million for the 2022 edition – breaking yet another record. The singles winners will take home $2.6 million, while the doubles champs will have a $688,000 payday. Who do you think will be pocketing the prize money this year?

More Facts:

Arthur Ashe won the first US Open as an amateur and the main stadium at the Billie Jean King USTA Tennis center is named after him.  Virginia Wade won the women’s title.

Arthur Ashe stadium, named after the winner of the 1968 inaugural US Open, is the largest tennis-specific stadium in the world, with seating for 23,771 people. That’s more than 8,000 seats bigger than any other stadium in the sport. It debuted in 1997 and cost $254 million to construct.

In 1970, the US Open became the first Grand Slam to use a tiebreak, and until last year it remained the only one of the four slams to play a deciding-set tiebreak. Wimbledon and the Australian Open this year followed suit.

Jimmy Connors, Pete Sampras and Roger Federer are tied for the most US Open men’s singles titles in the Open Era with five each. Tying for the most women’s singles titles are Chrissie Evert and Serena Williams each with six.

Elena Rybakina has won the women’s title at Wimbledon by beating Ons Jabeur 3-6, 6-2, 6-2. Rybakina is the first player representing Kazakhstan to win a Grand Slam singles title. She was born in Russia but switched nationalities in 2018. The 17th-seeded Rybakina dropped only two sets in her seven victories at the All England Club. Rybakina, who turned 23 last month, is the youngest woman to win the Wimbledon title since a 21-year-old Petra Kvitova in 2011.  Both competing in the biggest match of their lives, the first Grand Slam final appearance for them and their respective countries, the strange match reflected their lack of experience in this moment and showed in the final tally.

Rybakina lost her serve early in the first set as Jabeur took a 3-1 lead and went on to a dominant 6-3 win. Jabeur is the first female player from the Arab world to reach this stage in a Grand Slam competition and though she started well, Rybakina was too good for her on Saturday. Rybakina found her rhythm in the second set and dominated the match thereafter, negating Jabeur’s dogged style of play that involves mixing powerful groundstrokes with well-disguised drop shots, with big serves and brilliant net play. The 23-year-old Moscow-born Rybakina broke Jabeur early in the second set, and then got the better of her rival’s serve once again to take the match into a decider.