5 most unexpected results at Wimbledon 2024 ft. Emma Navarro
This year’s Wimbledon was filled with big surprises, with underdogs giving fans plenty to cheer about. There were several feel-good stories to have emerged throughout the fortnight.
While Barbora Krejcikova and Carlos Alcaraz were ultimately crowned champions at the All England Club, many breakout stars deserve to be celebrated just as much.
Here, we have listed five of the biggest surprises that added to this year’s Wimbledon providing wholesome entertainment to fans from across the globe.
#5 Emil Ruusuvuori def. Stefanos Tsitsipas
Emil Ruusuvuori’s big game built around his serve and flat groundstrokes was always destined for success on grass. His moment came at this year’s Wimbledon when he ousted Stefanos Tsitsipas in the second round.
Ruusuvuori battled hard in tiebreakers to build a two-set lead over the Greek, before facing a comeback bid. The Finnish player, however, was able to snuff out the challenge and close out the win in four sets 7-6(6), 7-6(9), 3-6, 6-3.
Ruusuvuori, despite having five top-10 wins to his name, had never gone past the second-round barrier at a Grand Slam. And while his run came to a premature end to fellow breakout star Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the third round, he is primed to taste success going forward.
#4 Emma Navarro def. Coco Gauff
Emma Navarro finds herself in the middle of a breakthrough season. After winning her first Tour-level title and breaking into the top 10 in the first half of 2024, the American has now reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal.
And the former varsity tennis star scored wins over not one, but two Grand Slam champions to achieve the feat.
As impressive as her dismantling of Naomi Osaka was in the second round, it was her fourth-round drubbing of the reigning US Open champion Coco Gauff that took the cake. A strategic masterclass, the win saw Navarro bamboozle the World No. 2 6-4, 6-3. She now finds herself at a career-high ranking of No. 15.
#3 Yulia Putintseva def. Iga Swiatek
Yulia Putintseva came to Wimbledon riding high on confidence, having just lifted her first grasscourt title at Birmingham.
No one, however, saw her ousting World No. 1 Iga Swiatek. The Pole had not lost a match since April and was focused on improving her record at Wimbledon. Speaking of which, Putintseva herself had never crossed the second-round barrier at the grasscourt Slam.
None of that mattered as the Kazakh went ballistics after dropping the opening set. She attacked every ball and put Swiatek’s forehand under immense pressure and the World No. 1 unravelled. Putintseva, who posted a similar stunner against Naomi Osaka at Wimbledon a few years ago, won 12 of the match’s last 14 games in what can only be described as a rout.
#2 Francisco Comesana def. Andrey Rublev
Francisco Comesana had never played in a Grand Slam main draw coming into this year’s Wimbledon. His expertise lay on clay and grass was not a surface that he had put a foot on too often.
Imagine the surprise then when he found himself leading World No. 6 Andrey Rublev by two sets to one in the opening round at Wimbledon.
Rublev’s angry outburst took away from the quality that the Argentine was producing in the contest. He thundered down 21 aces, was focused on taking four of the five break chances that came his way, and held his nerve to close out a memorable 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 7-6(5) victory.
#1 Lulu Sun def. Zheng Qinwen
No mention of this year’s Wimbledon would be complete without taking a look back at Lulu Sun and her incredible run to the quarterfinal.
There was something about debutants taking on big-serving top-10 opponents this year. Much like Comesana, Sun was making her Wimbledon debut against an intimidating Zheng Qinwen.
The Kiwi player, however, fought fire with fire. She posted better winning percentages on serve against one of the best servers of the game, hit her groundstrokes bigger, and took the initiative to push her opponent on the back foot.
While Sun would go on to post other big results, including the Centre Court thriller against Emma Raducanu later in the tournament, it all began with the gutsy 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 dismissal of Zheng in the opening round.