26 Thoughts on Wimbledon 2026

As we close the curtains on another Wimbledon fortnight, we look back on a tournament that was full of pleasant surprises, breakthroughs, and magical moments. Here are 26 thoughts on Wimbledon 2026.

More women’s singles three-setters than any other major in history

52 of the 127 women’s singles matches went the distance. According to ESPN, that’s an all-time Open Era record for the women at the majors. So, what gives? Is grass the great equalizer for the women? Is the field so deep that easy wins are rarer than ever? Or was 2026 an aberration? Whatever the cause, we loved the drama.

Serena’s return

How incredible was it to watch Serena patrol her baseline on Centre Court again? Sure, she wasn’t able to get past Maya Joint in a three-set battle, but just feeling her aura was worth the price of admission. Though her stay didn’t last long at Wimbledon, it was fun to speculate on what might be possible in the lead-up. Did she meet your expectations? Will we see her in New York. So many questions… 

Sinner, Winner

Down two sets to one against Miomir Kecmanovic in round one, sentiment around Jannik Sinner’s Wimbledon title hopes was at an all-time low. By the end of week one, it was pretty obvious that it was going to take a Herculean effort to stop him. Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev threw all their chips in, but couldn’t even manage a set, leaving no doubt who is the game’s most dominant player at the moment.

39, Fine Wine

Though Djokovic couldn’t ruffle the feathers of Sinner, how mindblowing was it to watch him become the oldest semifinalist in 52 years at Wimbledon? His energy, his passion, his ability to maintain an elite level as his 40th birthday approaches – he reached his eighth consecutive Wimbledon semifinal, a new record – never ceases to amaze.

Noskova Rebound

The most impressive script flip in recent Grand Slam memory happened in the women’s final. How did Linda Noskova go from meltdown to glow-up in such short order? The 21-year-old showed all her frailty and then erased every vestige with a step-up for the ages.

Eala Blazes

By reaching the fourth round and taking out defending champion Iga Swiatek, Filipino trailblazer Alexandra Eala proved that she has a bright future on Wimbledon’s grass. Her first trip to the second week of a major is another magical moment in what seems to be a never-ending supply of storybook triumphs. 

Coco’s Breakthrough

Coco’s love-hate relationship with the grass turned into a full-blown crush. Big serving and bold strikes allowed Gauff to navigate a quartet of three-set battles as she produced her best Wimbledon performance ever. But this crush ended in heartbreak – a match point squandered in the semis. The 22-year-old American now officially has unfinished business at SW19.

Zverev Goes Big

What can winning a maiden major title do for one’s psyche? At Wimbledon, Alexander Zverev was living proof that it can embolden a player. He produced his best-ever performance at Wimbledon and has clearly unlocked a higher level in his game. At 29, it feels like he’s hit another level.

Kostyuk Energized

Back-to-back semifinals for Marta Kostyuk show that the Ukrainian is finally starting to deliver the results that she is capable of. It could be just the beginning, and a logical progression would be for her to take the lessons learned from a spring and summer of breakthroughs and continue to push further at the majors.

10 years, 10 champs

First-time women’s singles winners are the tradition at Wimbledon. After two decades of domination by the Williams sisters, it really is the logical next step, isn’t it? Added bonus? It’s fun and refreshing to see new winners cycle through with regularity. Who’s next?

Czechs at Wimbledon

Navratilova. Mandlikova. Novotna. Kvitova. Vondrousova. Krejcikova. And now Noskova and Muchova. The Czechs are good on every surface, and they have been for a while, but with three Wimbledon titles in the last four years, and the first all-Czech Slam final this century, we’ll raise a glass of pilsner to grass-court greatness from Czechia. 

Fery’s Future?

Welcome to the Top 40, Arthur Fery. After one of the most incredible Wimbledon wild card runs in history, we’re curious to see if this comeback kid can continue his momentum on the tour. At No. 36, the Wimbledon semifinalist will have the chance to play all the big events, and could even be seeded at the US Open.

Jordan Lee and Pushkareva Junior Champs 

American qualifier Jordan Lee defeated Cruz Hewitt in the boys’ final, while Anna Pushkareva took out China’s Sun Xinran for the girls’ title. Both title matches went the distance.

Osaka on multiple levels

Fashion icon and… natural surface overachiever? The Japanese megastar reached the second week in Paris and the quarterfinals in Wimbledon – her best-ever performance at both events. If she can do that on her most challenging surfaces, we’re wondering what’s in store for the US Open.

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No rain?

It didn’t rain once during Wimbledon. That’s one of the most crazy stats of the fortnight. Not a single rain delay. Props to the grass for holding up!

Mladenovic 10

Kiki Mladenovic won her 10th major doubles title, partnering with China’s Guo Hanyu. A true star of the doubles circuit who doesn’t get the credit she deserves.

87 consecutive holds by Sinner, and a five-setter to start

Notable stats ticked off by Jannik Sinner, in addition to becoming the 10th man to successfully defend a Wimbledon title in the Open Era: he has put forth 87 consecutive service holds against Alexander Zverev, and he is the first man to win Wimbledon after needing five sets in his first-round match since Bjorn Borg in 1978.

Struff defies age

Djokovic and Serena weren’t the only players defying age at Wimbledon. How about Jan-Lennard Struff, who became the oldest man to reach his maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal in Open Era history.

Sinner or Alcaraz, 10 years on?

The year is 2036. We have just wrapped up another Wimbledon. Who has more titles at the All England Club, Alcaraz or Sinner?

Shelton’s Next Step?

Tough tournament for Ben Shelton, who was the highest American seed (No. 4) since 2007 and dropped out in the first round. The US Open will be huge for Mr. Shelton.

From Columbia to Wimbledon’s third round 

Props to Michael Zheng, who has gone 9-0 in Grand Slam qualifying this year. The American reached the third round at Wimbledon for the first time and is up to No. 121 in the rankings.

Grigor’s Not Done Yet

An emotional return to Wimbledon for Grigor Dimitrov was one of the emotional high points of week one. Though the 35-year-old Bulgarian lost to Arthur Fery from two sets to one up (and twice a break up in set four) in the fourth round, his return to the event was a great personal triumph and the beginning – hopefully – of a run of good health.

American Women in Week Two

Five American women reached the second week, and although that effort did not produce a finalist, the effort is commendable. What’s the old saying about keeping giving yourself chances deep in Slams and something good will happen?

Match point madness!

Saturday’s women’s final was a battle between two players who saved match points to reach the title round, and featured a wild second set that featured five match points saved by Muchova. The drama was real, as Noskova became the first woman to win Wimbledon after saving match points since Serena Williams in 2009. And the drama was awesome! 

Late night fun, or late night done?

For about five days in the middle of the tournament, it seemed like the final match was pushing up against the curfew every time. It made for some good drama (see Coco Gauff’s 11th-hour win over Belinda Bencic in the fourth round), but it feels like it is time for Wimbledon to move up the Centre Court start time from 13:30 to 12:30.

Kamiji Golden Slam

Japan’s Yui Kamiji completed the career Golden Slam at Wimbledon, and she did it in style, taking out Diede de Groot via a double bagel in the women’s wheelchair final. It was a good tournament for Japan, as Tokito Oda also defended his men’s wheelchair title.