5 lowest-ranked players to win Wimbledon ft. Novak Djokovic and Venus Williams
It is only a matter of days before the likes of Novak Djokovic, Iga Swiatek, and Rafael Nadal take to the famous courts at Wimbledon.
This year's tournament will be a little different from those of previous editions as there will be no ranking points. The ATP and WTA made this decision after the All England Club decided to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing.
Hence, we will not see the likes of Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, Victoria Azarenka and Aryna Sabalenka at the grasscourt Major.
In the men's singles tournament, Djokovic and Nadal are the top two seeds and heavy favorites to win. However, the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Matteo Berrettini, Hubert Hurkacz and Felix Auger-Aliassime will provide stiff competition.
Iga Swiatek has been in sensational form for a while now and given that she has won 35 matches and six titles in a row, many will be keen to see how she fares at Wimbledon, a tournament in which she is yet to reach the quarterfinals. The likes of Ons Jabeur and Paula Badosa will also have their eyes firmly on the prize.
Like every other Major, Wimbledon has seen a number of lower-ranked and even unseeded players win the competition. Some of them are now considered among the all-time greats of the game.
Here's a look at the five lowest-ranked players to win Wimbledon:
#5 Venus Williams - 16, 2005
No player had more success at Wimbledon during the 2000s than Venus Williams. The American lifted the Venus Rosewater Dish five times during that period.
One of those occasions came in 2005 when she was ranked 16th in the world. Williams was the 14th seed at Wimbledon and reached the quarterfinals with straight-set victories over Eva Birnerova, Nicole Pratt, Daniela Hantuchova and Jill Craybas.
She then beat Mary Pierce 6-0, 7-6(10) before defeating then-reigning champion Maria Sharapova 7-6(2), 6-1 to reach the final against World No. 1 Lindsay Davenport. The latter took the opening set 6-4 but Williams fought back, saved a championship point and eventually won the match to lift her third Wimbledon trophy.
#4 Boris Becker - 20, 1985
Boris Becker won Wimbledon thrice, his first win coming in 1985. That year, the German was ranked 20th in the world and was unseeded in the tournament.
Becker had to work hard from the start, winning his first match after going down a set. After defeating Matt Anger comprehensively in the second round, he fought off Joakim Nystrom and Tim Mayotte in five sets each to reach the quarterfinals.
Becker then beat Henri Leconte in four sets and defeated fifth seed Anders Jarryd to reach his maiden Grand Slam final. Standing between the German and his first Major title was eighth seed Kevin Curren.
Becker beat him 6-3, 6-7(4), 7-6(3), 6-4 to become the youngest-ever Wimbledon champion at 17, a record that still stands.
#3 Novak Djokovic - 21, 2018
Novak Djokovic dropped down the ATP rankings in 2017 and by the time Wimbledon came around the following year, he was ranked 21st in the world. The Serb was seeded 12th in the competition and reached the quarterfinals following wins over Tennys Sandgren, Horacio Zeballos, Kyle Edmund and Karen Khachanov.
Djokovic beat Kei Nishikori in four sets to set up a semi-final clash against his rival and second seed Rafael Nadal. The Serb won a grueling encounter 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(9), 3-6, 10-8 to reach the final.
Djokovic beat Kevin Anderson 6-2, 6-2, 7-6(3) to win his fourth Wimbledon title.
YOU'VE GOTTA BE DJOKING! 
🏆 YOU'VE GOTTA BE DJOKING! 🃏
Novak Djokovic is the 2018 #Wimbledon Champion, defeating Kevin Anderson in straight sets 6-2, 6-2, 7-6.
It's Djokovic's 13th Major title, as he takes sole possession with the 4th most Men's Grand Slam Championships. https://t.co/HxovNESs1W
#2 Venus Williams - 31, 2007
After suffering a third-round exit at the French Open, Venus Williams entered the 2007 Wimbledon Championships seeded 23rd and ranked 31st in the world.
The American started the competition by beating Alla Kudryavtseva despite going a set down. She triumphed over Hana Sromova and Akiko Morigami to reach the fourth round. Williams then defeated second seed Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-3 to seal her place in the quarterfinals.
She secured a 6-3, 6-4 win over Svetlana Kuznetsova to reach the semifinals and beat Ana Ivanovic 6-2, 6-4 to confirm her place in the final.
Williams was up against Marion Bartoli in the title clash, who beat World No. 1 Justine Henin in the semifinals. The American won 6-4, 6-1 to win her fourth Wimbledon title and became the lowest-ranked woman to win Wimbledon.
8July/2007 - Wimbledon: Venus Williams defeats Marion Bartoli in 2 sets. How can anyone not love Venus? https://t.co/cYGmX4cASZ
#1 Goran Ivanisevic - 125, 2001
Novak Djokovic's current coach, Goran Ivanisevic, scripted one of the greatest fairy tales in tennis history in 2001. The Croat was ranked 125th in the world during that year's Wimbledon and entered the competition as a wildcard.
Ivanisevic beat Fredrik Jonsson, Carlos Moya, Andy Roddick and Greg Rusedski to reach the quarterfinals. He then beat fourth seed Marat Safin 7-6(2), 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(3) to book his place in the semifinals.
Ivanisevic took on home favorite Tim Henman and beat him in a thrilling five-setter to reach his fourth Wimbledon final. The Croat had lost each of his three previous finals and found himself up against the previous year's runner-up, Pat Rafter.
Ivanisevic finally won Wimbledon by beating the Australian 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 2-6, 9-7 in a nerve-racking match. To date, he remains the only man to win a Grand Slam singles title as a wildcard.