WIMBLEDON ’19: Djokovic, Kerber defend their championships
WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — A glance at Wimbledon, the year’s third Grand Slam tennis tournament:
SURFACE
Grass courts
SITE
All England Club
SCHEDULE
The 13-day tournament begins Monday. The women’s singles final is Saturday, July 13; the men’s singles final is Sunday, July 14. There are no night sessions, and there is no play scheduled for the middle Sunday, July 7.
EARLY FORECAST
For now, there is cool, dry weather anticipated during Week 1, with clouds but no rain in the forecast and daily high temperatures in the low 20s Celsius (upper 60s to low 70s Fahrenheit).
2018 MEN’S SINGLES CHAMPION
Novak Djokovic of Serbia
2018 WOMEN’S SINGLES CHAMPION
Angelique Kerber of Germany
LAST YEAR
Djokovic beat a weary Kevin Anderson 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (3) for his fourth title at Wimbledon. That opened a run of three consecutive major trophies that lifted Djokovic’s career total to 15; the streak ended in a semifinal loss at the 2019 French Open. Djokovic reached the 2018 Wimbledon final by beating Rafael Nadal in a five-set thriller played over two days because its start was delayed by Anderson’s 26-24 victory in the fifth set over John Isner in the other semifinal. Kerber defeated Serena Williams 6-3, 6-3 for her first championship at Wimbledon and third Grand Slam title overall. It was Williams’ second major tournament in her return to competition after giving birth to a daughter in September 2017. She would also get to the final at the U.S. Open. She heads to Wimbledon this year with 23 Grand Slam singles trophies, one short of Margaret Court’s mark for the most in tennis history.
NEW ROOF
A retractable roof is making its debut at No. 1 Court, giving Wimbledon two arenas where play can continue when it rains. Centre Court’s roof has been in place since 2009.
FINAL-SET TIEBREAKERS
The All England Club joins the Australian Open this year in adding final-set tiebreakers — fifth sets for men; third sets for women — and leaving the French Open as the only Grand Slam tournament that will let singles matches continue until someone wins by two games. At Wimbledon, first-to-seven, win-by-two tiebreakers will be played at 12-all in the final set. Until 2019, the U.S. Open was the only major tennis tournament with a last-set tiebreaker.
KEY STATISTIC
16 — Consecutive Wimbledon titles won by Roger Federer (8), Novak Djokovic (4), Rafael Nadal (2) and Andy Murray (2), a streak that began in 2003. Murray is entered in doubles but not singles this year as he comes back from hip surgery.
PRIZE MONEY
Total: 38 million pounds (about U.S. $48 million).
Men’s and women’s singles champions: 2.35 million pounds each (about U.S. $3 million).
