The 2021 Wimbledon tournament came to an end today after two weeks of extraordinary tennis. After a one-year hiatus, the world’s top players returned to the All England Club in London in all force. It was an intense, entertaining, and slippery tournament, among other things. And, it was the end of some years-long traditions at the beloved tournament. This was the last year in which the traditional rest day on middle Sunday took place and the last time in which The Duke of Kent served as the president of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC) after more than 50 years. So, without further ado, her is what went done in this years’ finals.
Men’s Singles Draw
Getty Images/ Xinhua News Agency/ Xinhua News Agency
2019’s defending champion, Novak Djokovic, managed to hold on to his title, claiming the title for the sixth time at the All England Club. With his 6-7 (7-4), 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 victory over Matteo Berrettini, Djokovic claimed his 20th Grand Slam title to equal the men’s record shared by his ‘Big Three’ rivals – Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. The Serbian player now has a 21-match win streak at Wimbledon. This win keeps Djokovic’s victory keeps intact his goal of making history in men’s tennis by winning a Golden Slam (winning all four majors and Olympic singles gold in the same year.) Now, the No.1 player only lacks the Olympic gold medal and the U.S. Open title to achieve this milestone. If Djokovic, who expressed doubts about going to the Tokyo Games, will indeed sit out on the Olympics, he could also join an elite list of tennis players by achieving a calendar Slam, which only five other players achieved throughout history.
“Winning Wimbledon was always the biggest dream of mine as a kid,” Djokovic told the Centre Court crowd after his win. “I was a seven-year-old boy in Serbia, constructing Wimbledon tennis trophies from improvised materials that I could find in my room. And today, standing with a sixth Wimbledon [title], it’s incredible, amazing.” Djokovic also spoke about his ‘Big Three’ rivals, saying: “I have to pay tribute to Rafa and Roger. They are legends of our sport and they are the two most important players that I ever faced in my career. They are the reason that I am where I am today. They helped me to realize what I need to do to improve.”
