Parting shots: Talking points and memories from Wimbledon 2026...and a wish list for 2027
From Serena and Novak to Fery, Noskova, Sinner and the heat, this year's Wimbledon thrilled in many ways, but some things need to change.
So another Wimbledon is over, or Wimbledone, as they say around here. Jannik Sinner and Linda Noskova were worthy winners of the singles titles, Novak Djokovic continues to fight father time and the return of Serena Williams was the talk of the (very hot) town for much of the first week.
With a firm nod to Jon Wertheim, whose 50 thoughts from each slam are always required reading, I’m starting a similar thing here, with some parting shots from this year’s Championships, including a few things I’d like to see change for the better in 2027.
Will Serena Williams be back next year?
The return of the 23-time grand slam champion to Wimbledon was a great boon for tennis. Serena has always grabbed the headlines but seeing her back out there at the age of 44, digging deep, raging against time and a younger opponent was genuinely inspirational. That she picked up an injury in the process was not a surprise, it happens so often to players returning from injuries, let alone when they’ve been out four years and are 44. It seems like she wants to play singles again sooner rather than later but the question now is whether she will be back for one more Wimbledon. It will depend on her health and fitness, her level of play and perhaps, on the outcome of WADA’s look at whether weight loss drugs should be put on the banned list. If they are, supposing Serena is still taking them (she looked to have put muscle on during the grass-court season) then maybe she’ll decide to just play this summer, join her sister Venus at the US Open and then head off into the sunset. With Serena, anything is possible, so it’s probably best to just enjoy her while she’s here.
Will Novak Djokovic be back in 2027?
There’s a theme here. Novak Djokovic showed once more what a phenomenal player he still is, reaching the semi-finals for the 15th time at Wimbledon and 55th time at a grand slam (the numbers are a joke). At 39, what he’s doing is remarkable, especially the way he outlasted world No 4 Felix Auger Aliassime in the quarters. He was well-beaten in the semi-finals by Jannik Sinner, and as he talked afterwards, his inner turmoil at not knowing just how he would be able to play day in, day out, was clear. He remains a top-five player, and if he continues to play on, then who knows, he could land in the other half to Sinner in New York and go on to win a 25th grand slam title. If he does that, in his 40th year, it would be one of the greatest achievements ever. He says he would like to come back to Wimbledon at least one more time, but a year’s a long time in tennis.
Sinner restores his aura
While Alexander Zverev played his best ever grass-court tennis to get to a first final, a couple of things struck me about Jannik Sinner’s second Wimbledon title. First of all, he’s just the 10th man in the Open era to win the title twice in a row, and just the seventh to do so after winning his first. Secondly, it completed a massive turnaround from what happened to him in Paris, where he wilted in the heat in the second round, just two points from victory. With unusually hot weather, he must have feared that his body might let him down again, which adds stress, but he got better and better as the tournament went on to win a fifth grand slam title.
What a year in store for Arthur Fery
No one, absolutely no one, had Arthur Fery making it all the way to the semi-finals. The 23-year-old has always had plenty of talent and belief, but to get all the way to the last four, having needed a wildcard to get in, was surely beyond anyone’s expectations. The way he battled past Zizou Bergs and then Grigor Dimitrov was impressive but then his win over Flavio Cobolli in the quarters was a statement. His run means he’s now up to No 36 in the world, a few spots out from being seeded at the US Open. He’s guaranteed to be in the main draws of all the big events on Tour in the next 12 months and he could easily find himself close to the top 20 this time next year. Staying there is a different matter, but what an incredible platform for him to build from.
Noskova adds to Czech domination
For the third time in four years, the women’s title went to a Czech player with Linda Noskova edging out her compatriot Karolina Muchova in three sets. Despite a mid-match wobble, to say the least, the way she came good in the third says a lot about her temperament and bodes well for the future. Her first grand slam title moves her up to a career-high ranking of 7 and she’ll take some stopping. Two Czechs also won the girls’ doubles title at Wimbledon and the conveyor belt shows no signs of slowing down. Noskova talked a little about this, and her nose ring and wanting to help people and the environment, in a special sit-down with a few of us on Saturday night. I wrote about that for The Guardian, which you can read here. If she can handle the extra attention, and increased expectations, then there may be more big titles in her future.
How will Iga Swiatek bounce back?
This time last year, Iga Swiatek was on a high, having won the title in blistering style, double-bagelling Amanda Anisimova. It’s a result that hardly seems plausible a year on, with Swiatek visibly tense on court, unable to free herself up to play her best tennis. At times it’s hard to watch her, the stress is so obvious. The shock of testing positive for a banned drug, even though it was later to be proven to be a contaminated sleeping pill, clearly affected her badly and her confidence is still not there. She has quite a few points to defend over the next few months, too, and if she doesn’t find form, it’s highly possible she’ll drop out of the top 10, which would be crazy for someone of her class. She’s won six grand slam titles, remember, but there is an awful lot of work to be done on and off the court if she’s to win a seventh any time soon.
The beauty of the scoring system in tennis
I’m not talking about 0-15, 30, 40, deuce etc; rather, the fact that until you win the last point of a match, the result can still be in serious doubt, however big your lead. Ask Coco Gauff, who had match point on Karolina Muchova but couldn’t convert it, or Linda Noskova, who saved match point before beating Sorana Cirstea in the third round, and had five match points in the second set of the final but was forced to go three sets. The sets system itself allows people to reset, as Noskova did against Muchova and it’s one of those odd things that you can win more points in a match but still lose it. The last point means everything, and finishing it off is a test of nerve.
Matches were longer than ever
It was Novak Djokovic who suggested that something is up with the state of ball technology at the moment, the product not quite up to scratch. According to him and many others, they fluff up faster than ever and that’s putting a strain on the bodies of the players. Certainly matches are lasting longer. According to Tennis Insights, at this year’s Wimbledon, the average match length in the men’s event was 2 hours 44 minutes, while in the women’s singles it was 1 hour, 45 minutes. That’s the longest for both events since timings of matches started being recorded in 2001. More and more players are struggling with injury so the Tours and the slams owe it to their players to find a way to reduce the issues. Let’s start with the balls.
And my wish list for 2027…
Start earlier on Centre Court, please
The 11pm curfew is one of the things that distinguishes Wimbledon from the other three grand slams, stopping matches being played well into the night, which is no good for anyone; players, fans, staff, ball kids, volunteers, media. But this year’s event had several days when the 11pm deadline was almost breached, and one, involving Alexander Zverev, had to be held over to the next day. That’s partly because matches are longer than ever (see above) but it’s also because with a 1.30pm start on Centre Court and 1pm start on No 1 Court, organisers are asking for trouble. On Centre Court, the Royal Box is the reason, with invited guests having an early lunch before taking their seats. OK, well, why not start at 11am? If they still want to provide lunch, they could have a decent break between the first and second matches. That way, the chances of running into the 11pm curfew would be far less, which would be fairer to everyone. There’s no good excuse to not start earlier on Court No 1. And there should be no worries about empty stands at 11am, since the fans flood in through the gates at 10am, giving them plenty of time to fill the seats.
Make prices more reasonable
Wimbledon likes to pride itself on being accessible to everyone, but in the past 10 years, being at Wimbledon has become incredibly expensive. Ticket prices have pretty much doubled since 2016; the best men’s final ticket then was £175; now it’s £350. The cheapest Centre Court ticket in 2016 was £53; in 2026, it was £115. Inflation, in that time, would not justify anywhere near that kind of rise. A quick check on an inflation calculator will show it should be £75. It’s hard to see why that’s OK. And prices of drinks inside the grounds is eye-watering (a glass of Pimm’s was £13.45. If Wimbledon want more young people, and more families, to attend, then they need to be careful not to price out normal people.
Add a splash of colour
I was looking back at videos and photos of Wimbledon in the 1990s the other day and the thing that stood out for me was the amount of colour on players’ clothing. Somewhere in the early 2000s, the All England Club decided to go all-in on the virtually all-white rule. I’m sure the tournament thinks it adds to its uniqueness but I just think it’s odd to see two players wearing the same thing, often with a white hat to boot. A little colour would lift the occasion and certainly wouldn’t harm the product.
Until next year….
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Enjoyed reading your thoughts and insight on a thoroughly entertaining Wimbledon.
Thank you: enjoyed the linked Linda Noskova interview as well.
Some words dropped out from: "and if she it’s highly possible she’ll drop out of the top 10"