It took Iga Swiatek less than an hour to swat aside Amanda Anisimova, of the USA, in the Wimbledon women's final on Saturday. In winning her maiden Wimbledon title, Swiatek also did something few players have ever done.
Iga Swiatek has now won three of the four grand slams, only the Australian Open remainsImage: Andrew Couldridge/REUTERS
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Six major finals, six major titles — Iga Swiatek once again proved herself the woman for the big occasion in London on Saturday.
The number eight seed produced a 6-0, 6-0 win over American, Amanda Anisimova. It is the first time a woman has won a final at Wimbledon without dropping a game, a feat known as a double bagel, since 1911.
And Swiatek, 24, is just the second player in the Open era (1968) to win a major title without losing a game in the final after Germany's Steffi Graf beat Natalia Zvereva at the 1988 French Open.
The Polish player, ranked number 4 in the world, has long been regarded as a clay court specialist but looked completely at home on the grass courts of Wimbledon.
Swiatek needed just 57 minutes to record a 6-0, 6-0 victoryImage: Stephanie Lecocq/REUTERS
Swiatek enjoys 'surreal' win
"It seems super surreal," said Swiatek, who is the first Wimbledon singles champion from Poland in the Open era.
"I didn't even dream, for me it was way too far. I feel like I am already an experienced player after winning the Slams before but I never expected this one.
"This year I really, really enjoyed it and feel I improved my form here. I am always going to remember the opening of champagne bottles between serves. It is a sound that will keep me awake at night."
Anisimova admitted she was in shock after suffering the worst Wimbledon final defeat in more than a centuryImage: Toby Melville/REUTERS
Anisimova was expected to prove a tough test after beating world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals but failed to recover from a nervy start in her first grand slam final.
"I know I didn't have enough today, but I'm going to keep putting in the work," an emotional Anisimova said postmatch. "And I always believe in myself, so I hope to be back here one day."
The top two seeds, Italy's Jannik Sinner and Spain's Carlos Alcaraz face off in the men's singles final on Sunday.
Tennis: What makes Wimbledon so special?
The Wimbledon grass court tournament, which starts on Monday, is tennis's most prestigious Grand Slam event.
Image: Mike Egerton/PA Wire/picture alliance
Tradition, grass, technology
Wimbledon, the world's oldest tennis tournament, is held annually at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London. In 2009, its Centre Court was fitted with a retractable roof to reduce the amount of playing time lost to rain. There are 18 courts used for the championships (and 22 practice courts). Preparing a court takes 15 months and 9 tons of grass seed.
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A royal view
The royal box, in the stands of Centre Court, offers the best view of the action. King George V was the first royal guest at the Wimbledon Championships in 1907. In recent years, Princess Catherine and Prince William have regularly attended the tournament.
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Recieving trophies from a princess
Catherine, the Princess of Wales, took over the award ceremonies in 2022. For 52 years, Edward, Duke of Kent, accompanied by his wife, did the honors — until 2001. Edward served as president of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, which hosts the championships, from 1969 until 2021.
In modern sports, where advertising dominates team kits and color is everywhere, there is something brilliant about the fact that the kits of Wimbledon players must be 90% white. White does not include cream or off-white, just white. Originally, it was to avoid sweat showing. Andre Agassi's wild taste was tamed in the 1990s, while Roger Federer's orange-soled shoes weren't part of the code.
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Only the best
Long before the ball girls and boys walk out onto the courts of Wimbledon, they go through a strict selection process. The 14 to 18-year-olds undergo five months of drills, during which they are taught how to roll balls perfectly and pass towels correctly. Every year, only 250 out of 1,000 applicants make the cut.
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Old-fashioned way
Who is playing against whom, when and in which round on which court? At a tournament the size of Wimbledon, where the singles, doubles and mixed competitions are played, it's not easy to keep track of everything. At Church Road, however, nothing is left to chance or a computer — the board is always kept up to date by hand.
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Strawberries and cream
Apart from the green grass and the white kit, the other color often seen at Wimbledon is red. Strawberries and cream are a favorite dish. During the 14 days of the tournament, spectators eat 28,000 kilograms of strawberries and 10,000 liters of fresh cream. Add to that the 320,000 glasses of Pimm's, 29,000 bottles of champagne and 25,000 scones, it's no surprise Wimbledon is awesome.
