2022 Wimbledon: Top highlights originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
An action-packed two weeks of Wimbledon is underway at the All England Club’s iconic grass courts.
The Championships is known as the oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament around the world, featuring the game’s best players.
Fans are never disappointed in the legendary tennis that takes place each year.
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In 2010, the tennis world was wowed by the John Isner-Nicolas Mahut match, which continues to be the longest match in tennis history. The match took 11 hours and five minutes, over the span of three days, with a final score of 6–4, 3–6, 6–7 (7–9), 7–6 (7–3), 70–68 for a total of 183 games. That feat won't be repeated this year, as deciding sets at the Grand Slams are now decided by 10-point super tiebreakers.
In 2013, England's Andy Murray won The Championships, becoming the first British player to capture the Gentlemen’s Singles Trophy there since 1936.
Let’s dive into the action! Here’s a running list of the best highlights from each day of 2022 Wimbledon:
July 10: Novak Djokovic claims fourth straight Wimbledon title
Novak Djokovic won his fourth straight Wimbledon and 21st Grand Slam title.
The Serbian defeated Australia's Nick Kyrgios on Sunday in four tight sets and sealed the win with a tiebreaker -- 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (3).
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"I lost words for what this tournament, trophy means to me, to my team, family," Djokovic said.
"It will always be the most important tournament to me in my heart," he added.
Djokovic, who has been unbeaten on Center Court at Wimbledon since 2013, got to lift the Silver Gilt Cup and take home 2,500,000.
July 9: Elena Rybakina claims Wimbledon women’s singles title
Elena Rybakina is the 2022 Wimbledon singles champ.
On Saturday, the 23-year-old upset No. 3 seed Ons Jabeur of Tunisia 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 and got to lift the prestigious Venus Rosewater Dish at the All England Club.
Rybakina, a Russian athlete representing Kazakhstan since 2018 when the country offered to fund her tennis career, entered the tournament ranked No. 23 and is the second lowest-ranked woman to win at Wimbledon. In 2007, Venus Williams won the title ranked No. 31.
Rybakina became the first athlete from Kazakhstan to make a singles Major final while Jabeur became the first Arab woman and first African woman to make a Grand Slam Finals.
July 8: Novak Djokovic advances to Wimbledon men’s singles final
In the lone semifinal of the day, Serbia’s Novak Djokovic defeated England’s Cameron Norrie to claim a spot into Sunday’s men’s singles final 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.
In the other semifinal, Australia’s Nick Kyrgios received a walkover when Spain’s Rafael Nadal withdrew with an abdominal injury.
Djokovic and Kyrgios are set to take the championship stage on Sunday at 9 a.m. ET.
Djokovic, the No. 1 seed in the tournament, is the No. 3-ranked tennis player in the world while Kyrgios is unseeded and ranked 40th.
July 7: Ons Jabeur and Elena Rybakina make history earning spots in Wimbledon final
Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur and Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina are the first women in their countries to play in a Wimbledon singles final.
On Thursday, Jabeur defeated Tatjana Maria 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 to book her spot into Saturday’s final.
In the other semifinal on Thursday, Rybakina cruised past 2019 Wimbledon champion Simona Halep 6-3, 6-3.
Jabeur and Rybakina will play in the 2022 Wimbledon final on Sunday at 9 a.m. ET.
July 6: Rafael Nadal survives Wimbledon rollercoaster to advance to semifinal
Rafael Nadal defeated American Taylor Fritz in an epic five-set match on Wednesday to book a spot in the Wimbledon semifinals.
Nadal and Fritz were split after the first four sets but the 22-time Grand Slam champion's physicality and experience shined through in the fifth and final set to stay alive in the 2022 tournament. Nadal won the epic match 3-6, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(4).
Nadal admitted after the match that he had been dealing with a painful abdominal injury that almost caused him to forfeit.
The 34-year-old Spaniard is set to face Australia’s Nick Kyrgios in the semifinal on Friday.
July 5: Tatjana Maria and Ons Jabeur secure their first Wimbledon semifinal spots
Germany's Tatjana Maria is having the Wimbledon run of her life.
The 34-year-old and mother of two defeated fellow German Jule Niemeier on Tuesday 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 to book her spot into Thursday's semifinal.
Prior to the 2022 Wimbledon, Maria hadn’t passed the second round of a Grand Slam.
In the semifinal, she faces Tunisia's No. 3 Ons Jabeur, who is also in her first Slam semifinal.
Jabeur defeated Marie Bouzkova on Tuesday 3-6, 6-1, 6-1.
Jabeur is the highest seed left in the draw as No. 1 Iga Swiatek and No. 2 Anett Kontaveit were eliminated in Week 1
July 4: Rafael Nadal slides one past Botic van de Zandschulp
The King of Clay does not seem to be having any troubles on grass. Nadal bested No. 21 van de Zandschulp in straight sets, including a rally that ended with the Spaniard sneaking a shot past the Dutchman. He capped off the point with a celebration for good measure.
Nadal spoke after about the honor of sharing Centre Court with past champions on the venue’s Centenary Celebration.
“For me, just to be part of this group of legends has been unforgettable,” he said.
July 3: David Goffin beats Frances Tiafoe in marathon match
American Frances Tiafoe went toe-to-toe with Goffin, but came up short in the four-hour, 36 minute match. This was the longest match at Wimbledon this year.
This marks the second-straight Grand Slam that Goffin has eliminated Tiafoe, having done so at the French Open earlier this year. The Belgian national holds a 5-1 lead in head-to-head matchups, but expect Tiafoe to be locked in next time these two face off.
Beyond the bracket, some of the sport’s biggest names returned to Centre Court to celebrate the storied venue’s 100th anniversary.
Hosted by John McEnroe and Sue Barker, the ceremony included Billie Jean King, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Venus Williams and Andy Murray, among other former champions.
July 2: Alize Cornet snaps Iga Swiatek's 37-match winning streak
One of the longest winning streaks in modern women's tennis came to an end at the hands of Alize Cornet.
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek had her 37-match winning streak snapped after being upset by Cornet in the third round of Wimbledon in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2.
By snapping what had been the longest winning streak in women's tennis since Venus Williams's 35-match streak in 2000, the 32-year-old Cornet advances to face Ajla Tomljanovic in the fourth round. Her victory comes eight years after she upset No. 1 Serena Williams 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 to advance to Wimbledon’s Round of 16 in 2014.
"It reminds me of the time I beat Serena on the same court, eight years ago exactly," Cornet said after the win. "I think this court is a lucky charm for me."
July 1: American John Isner breaks all-time record for most aces
American John Isner set another historic record at Wimbledon on Friday.
In his third round match against Jannik Sinner, he hit the five aces he needed in less than two serve aces to overtake Ivo Karlovic's count of 13,728.
Despite losing the match in three straight sets, 6-4, 7-6, 6-3, Isner holds the new record of aces with 13,729.
In Isner's first round match against Enzo Couacaud, he mustered a whopping 54 aces.
Additionally, he is only the fifth ATP player to reach 1000 aces at Wimbledon.
June 30: England’s Katie Boulter eliminates No. 6 Pliskova, Brandon Nakashima scores big win
England’s own Katie Boulter eliminated the 2021 Wimbledon runner up, No. 6 Karolina Pliskova, on Thursday.
Boulter dropped the first set 6-3 but fought back to grab the next two sets, 7-6, 6-4.
After the match, Boulter said she wanted to dedicate the win to her grandmother who had just passed away.
In the on-court interview, she said, “My gran passed away two days ago. I'd just like to dedicate that to her.”
Boulter faces France’s Harmony Tan in the third round. Tan is another player that is having a successful tournament, defeating Serena Williams in the opening round.
In other news, American Brandon Nakashima defeated No. 13 Denis Shapovalov 6-2, 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 in the second round.
He is one of eight Americans that have advanced to the third round of Wimbledon.
June 29: American John Isner ousts England’s Andy Murray, French Open finalist Ruud falls
No. 20 John Isner put on a show in his second round match against hometown favorite Andy Murray.
The 6-foot-10 American took the first two closely contested sets that left Murray scrambling to stay in the match. The Brit grabbed the third set in a tiebreaker before ultimately falling in the fourth set. The final score was 6-4, 7-6, 6-7, 6-4.
Murray's elimination on Center Court came right after Great Britain's No. 10 Emma Radacanu was upset by France's Caroline Garcia, 6-3, 6-3.
French Open runner-up No. 3 Casper Ruud lost in his second round match to France's Ugo Humbert in four sets.
Hubert won 3-6, 6-2, 7-5, 6-4 to pull off the upset.
June 28: Serena Williams eliminated in opening round, Nadal’s odds improve
The first giant has been slayed at the All England Club.
France’s Harmony Tan, making her Wimbledon debut, defeated Serena Williams in a third-set tiebreaker. Tan is ranked 115th.
This is only Williams’ third first-round exit in 80 career Grand Slam appearances. This marked the return for the 23-time Grand Slam champion and seven-time Wimbledon champion who last competed nearly a year ago before getting hurt during the 2021 Wimbledon tournament.
On the men’s side, French-American Maxime Cressy knocked out No. 6 Felix Auger-Alliasssime. With the Canadian out of contention and Covid withdrawals from the reigning men’s runner-up Matteo Berrettini and Martin Cilic -- both ranked in the top 20 –, Rafael Nadal’s draw significantly opens up.
June 27: Alejandro Davidovich Fokina upsets No. 7 Hubert Hurkacz
Day 1 of play at The Championships featured an upset from Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina over No. 7 seed Hubert Hurkacz, who was one of the favorites to win the entire event.
Hurkacz found himself in a hole, down two sets to love but put up a great fight to claw his way back into the match, winning the next two sets.
Ultimately, the Pole dropped the final set and match, 6-7, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2, 2-7 (10-8).
On Sunday, Hurkacz announced he would donate 100 Euros for every ace he hit at Wimbledon to the Russia-Ukraine Crisis.
He finished the match with 20 aces.
