5 most endearing stories to come out of Wimbledon 2024 ft. Taylor Townsend's triumph against all odds, Novak Djokovic battling Father Time
Wimbledon 2024 produced plenty of memorable storylines right from the first day. Defending champion Marketa Vondrousova was stunned in the first round by Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, the second time a defending champion fell at the first hurdle here.
Emma Raducanu notched up her best result at a Major since her title-winning run at the 2021 US Open by reaching the fourth round. World No. 1 Iga Swiatek's 21-match winning streak came to an end in the third round against Yulia Putintseva.
One of the biggest moments was three-time Major champion Andy Murray's farewell. He teamed up with his brother to play his final match at the venue, and they lost in the first round.
While there were plenty of highs and lows, now that the tournament is over, it's time to take a look back at some of the positives. On that note, here are five feel-good stories to come out of this year's Wimbledon:
#1 - Taylor Townsend has her long overdue moment under the sun
Townsend finally nabbed her maiden Grand Slam title in doubles as she teamed up with Katerina Siniakova to beat Erin Routliffe and Gabriela Dabrowski 7-6 (5), 7-6 (1). Third time proved to be the charm for her, after previously losing the 2022 US Open and the 2023 French Open finals.
However, Townsend's path to glory wasn't the easiest. A promising junior talent, she was denied a wildcard into the 2012 US Open by the USTA because of her weight. While the decision stung, she continued to work hard and make a name for herself on the tour.
Townsend finished three consecutive seasons ranked in the top 100 from 2018 to 2020. She announced her pregnancy in late 2020, and gave birth to her son in March 2021. She returned to the tour in 2022, and forged a successful career in doubles, culminating in her triumph at Wimbledon.
#2 - Barbora Krejcikova's Wimbledon run solidifies her place among the best in the sport
Krejcikova already had an established doubles career before she won her maiden singles Major title at the 2021 French Open. She completed the career Super Slam in doubles by winning the 2022 US Open, a rather rare feat.
However, the Czech's results in singles over the past year weren't up to the mark, albeit due to injuries and illnesses. She couldn't remain healthy for long enough to garner some momentum by stringing along a few wins. Following her quarterfinal finish at this year's Australian Open, she endured some tough times.
Krejcikova withdrew from three tournaments because of physical issues, and lost in the first round of another four tournaments. She started the grass swing on a positive note with a quarterfinal appearance in Birmingham, though she failed to get past the first hurdle in Eastbourne.
A crisis of confidence is only natural after so many setbacks but Krejcikova didn't let her inner demons prevail. She dug deep and battled hard once Wimbledon kicked off, and now she has followed in her mentor Jana Navotna's footsteps by winning the title at the All England Club.
#3 - Novak Djokovic is far from done after his Wimbledon run
Djokovic's French Open campaign ended in disappointment as he was forced to withdraw prior to his quarterfinal match due to a right knee injury. He underwent surgery to treat the same, which cast some doubts on his Wimbledon participation.
However, the Serb defied all odds to not only be ready for the tournament but also made it all the way to the final. It marked his 37th Major final, an all-time record, and while he lost to Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets, he once again showed that it's unwise to count him out.
It was a great showing from Djokovic considering his quick recovery and once he's back in top shape, he still has the potential to do some damage. While a 25th Major title slipped out of his hands at the All England Club, it could be well within his reach at the next Major.
#4 - Alfie Hewett finally completes a career Grand Slam
Hewett has been the flagbearer of wheelchair tennis in Britain, and a top name in the discipline for close to a decade now. He won his maiden singles title at the 2017 French Open, and over the years captured trophies at the Australian Open and the US Open as well.
The only place left to conquer was his home tournament, Wimbledon. He finished as the runner-up the last two years, and reached his third straight final at the venue with a comeback win over Gustavo Fernandez. He beat Martin de la Puente in straight sets to claim his first title at the All England Club.
With the win, the Brit completed the career Grand Slam in singles, having already accomplished this feat in doubles back in 2020. It was an overdue victory for Hewett, who has been a great champion for the sport.
#5 - Henry Patten's incredible journey from Wimbledon courtside statistician to a doubles champion
Patten played college tennis in the US during his undergrad days, and moved back to the UK to pursue his postgraduate studies at Durham University. He took up a gig at IBM as a courtside statistician during Wimbledon while on a summer break.
Once Patten was done with his studies, he set the Challenger tour on fire as he won 10 doubles titles in 2022. He carried the momentum on to the ATP Tour, and reached his first final in doubles the following year, and the third round of the US Open as well.
Patten teamed up with Harri Heliovaara this year and won two titles. The two knocked out the fifth-seeded duo of Andrea Vavassori and Simone Bolelli to begin their Wimbledon campaign. They eliminated fourth seeds Mate Pavic and Marcelo Arevalo in the quarterfinals, and ousted ninth seeds Neal Skupski and Michael Venus in the semifinals.
They took on the Australian pairing of Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson in the final, and saved three championship points to claim their maiden Grand Slam title. It was quite a moment for Patten, who was on the sidelines a few years ago, and now is on top of the world following his win at Wimbledon.