Three things we learned from Wimbledon

It was an exciting, unpredictable two weeks at Wimbledon this year.  It was a week that saw WTA top players drop like flies before the fourth round, men semifinals match reach marathon time endings and stars of past regain glory. There were many stories to walk away with, here are the top three.

Serena is close to returning to form

Serena Williams had a magical two weeks at Wimbledon. Many wondered how she would do after having a subpar season in her return from maternity leave. Serena answered most of those questions and nearly captured her eighth Wimbledon trophy. Round by round, Serena got better and reminded players on tour how much of a force she is. Although Serena faced very top players (almost all were gone by the fourth round), it was clear that her serving and movement was improving. In the end, Angelique Kerber was too good and proved to be an obstacle Serena couldn’t get through.

Still, it appears that it is a matter a time before Serena fully gets back her game and return to the top. With no points to defend and her health being 100 percent, Serena will no doubt look to dominate the U.S. hardcourt season.

Angelique Kerber knows how to win big titles

The 2017 tennis season was a struggle for Angelique Kerber, from start to finish. She failed to capture any titles and she lost early in three out of the four grand slams. It was a bit of a shock considering in 2016 she made it to three grand slam finals, winning in two of those finals. But Angelique’s 2018 has been very strong, with her going deep in many tournaments. At the 2018 Wimbledon Championships very few had talked about Kerber winning the tournament. Only after all the top ten was sent home did people start to notice how well Kerber was playing.

But still even with Angelique playing well and being the highest seed left (she was seeded 11), most eyes were on Serena Williams. Most believed that Serena would win her eighth Wimbledon when the two faced off. Kerber proved them all wrong, handily beating Serena in two straight sets. With Kerber winning three of the four majors, it is clear she knows how to play on the big stage. It does not matter who she faces, Angelique is ready to play her game and take home the title.

Djokovic is back!

After winning the French Open in 2016, Novak looked unstoppable. It was quite possible that he would win all grand slams and an Olympic gold to win the elusive Golden Slam. But an American by the name of Sam Querrey put that possibility to a halt in the third round of Wimbledon. Despite that loss, it was hard to imagine that Djokovic would not recover and return to dominate the sport. That was not to be the case. Although he did make it to the U.S. Open final, losing to Stan Wawrinka, Novak has never been the same.

He faced many struggles that occurred both off and on the court. At one point, Djokovic got rid of his whole team causing many to wonder, what was his head at. It was not until Novak played in Rome that the tennis community starts to see glimpses of the old Novak. At Wimbledon, Djokovic proved that he is back and ready to take over the sport again.

The ultimate test for Djokovic was defeating long-time rival Rafael Nadal. Rafa has been some off the chart tennis and he was considered the second favorite behind Roger Federer. Many circled the semifinals as an important match because of the potential meeting between Rafa and Novak. They did meet and as expected played an epic match. It was a hard-fought battle that went in extended time in the fifth. Although Rafa had his chances, Novak was rock solid and ended up pulling out the match.

The final was a piece of cake compared to the semifinals. Djokovic used his experience and he had the benefit of facing an opponent Kevin Anderson, who went deep into the fifth set in his previous two matches, to win his fourth Wimbledon title.

It is now crystal clear that Djokovic is back to his old form and will be a contender at every tournament he plays.