The 2024 Wimbledon Championships will see the best and brightest in the tennis world fight it out for arguably the most prestigious grand slam of them all.
With the tournament being steeped in tradition and history, it is the dream of all tennis players to one day lift the famous trophy.
A list of illustrious champions have graced the courts of SW19 in London, and this year there will be both old challengers and new hopefuls looking to add their names to that roll call.
Twelve months ago, we were blessed with two thrilling finals. The Sporting News looks back at who won the titles last year.
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Last year’s Wimbledon tournament saw history being made, with an unseeded player winning the ladies’ singles for the first time ever.
Marketa Vondrousova was ranked at 42 in the world before the tournament began, but pulled off one of the most remarkable runs the championship has ever seen.
After starting her journey with a first-round win over American Peyton Stearns, she followed up with victories against Veronika Kudermetova, Donna Vekic and countrywoman Marie Bouzkova to book a spot in the quarterfinal.
A 6-4 2-6 6-4 win over Jessica Pegula was as hard as she was pushed but sent her into the last four, where she dispatched Elina Svitolina in straight sets.
Sixth-seeded Jabeur started the final as the favourite, looking to end her wait for a grand slam after two previous losses on the biggest stage, but she was blown away as Vondrousova won 6-4 6-4 to take her place in the record books.
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There was no shortage of drama either in the men’s tournament, as Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz won the title at the age of just 20, defeating the legendary Novak Djokovic in the final in a thrilling contest.
Spaniard Alcaraz had long threatened to live up to his potential on the biggest stage, and a stunning 1-6 7-6 (8-6) 6-1 3-6 6-4 triumph ended Djokovic’s hopes of a record-equalling 24th grand slam.
Alcaraz had looked to be cruising when he recovered from a nervy start to go two sets to one ahead, but Djokovic did what Djokovic does and rallied to win the fourth and then take charge at the start of the fifth.
But the momentum swung again decisively, and Alcaraz finally completed the win after four hours and 43 minutes of a classic.
His triumph marked his first title at the famous All England Club and his ascension as potentially the heir to Djokovic’s throne as the best player of his generation.
In the men’s singles tournament, Roger Federer still stands apart as the player with the most Wimbledon titles, having won eight between 2003 and 2017.
Pete Sampras and Novak Djokovic are close behind with seven each.
In the women’s tournament, Martina Navratilova has won the most titles in the Open era with nine, while Steffi Graf and Serena Williams both have seven Wimbledon titles to their names.
One man has dominated the men’s singles titles since 2019, while there has been a different women’s winner every year for the past five years, although in 2020 neither title was awarded due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
| Year | Gentlemen | Ladies |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Novak Djokovic (SRB) | Simona Halep (ROM) |
| 2020* | N/A | N/A |
| 2021 | Novak Djokovic (SRB) | Ash Barty (AUS) |
| 2022 | Novak Djokovic (SRB) | Elena Rybianka (KAZ) |
| 2023 | Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) | Marketa Vondrousova (CZE) |
*Tournament cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
