Wimbledon 2015: Top Storylines to Follow
Maybe Wimbledon 2015 does not have some of the high drama that preceded the French Open, but there are plenty of good storylines for the year's most important tennis event. We are going to look at possibilities that have elements of history or legacy for the stars.
The first thing we will point out is that Rafael Nadal will be absent from this discussion. For the first time in over a decade, the Spanish superstar does not hold a major title. He has hardly contended for big titles the past year, and it's been four years since he was a Wimbledon threat. He needs to go deep into the second week to be truly relevant, but few will take this seriously.
The women's tour is fairly simple. It's Serena Williams chasing history and everyone else eating her dust. We will explore both topics with more detail.
Here are the top pre-draw stories.
Novak Djokovic Joining Coach Becker as a Wimbledon Legend?
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There’s not nearly the same kind of French Open pressure and expectations for Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon. If anything, he’s kind of under the radar. As if it were no big deal that the Serbian could win a third Wimbledon title.
Maybe it’s because he is not thought of as a grass-court player. His footing slips awkwardly in the grass at times. He employs a counteraggressive baseline game, predicated on breaking big servers and turning returns of service into an offensive weapon. Yet here he is ready to capture three Wimbledon titles.
Three is legendary company with coach Boris Becker, who all but created and cemented his legend with three Wimbledon titles from 1985-1989. Three means a tie with one of the 20th century’s most prototypical examples of Wimbledon purity (his game, not his temperament), serve-and-volley wunderkind John McEnroe, who won those titles from 1981-84.
Three Wimbledon titles would move Djokovic past two-timers like Jimmy Connors, Stefan Edberg and Rafael Nadal. Not bad at all. It would also get him major No. 9, one more than Connors.
As usual, Djokovic will need to create headlines by winning, because anything less will be chalked up as another disappointment. A month ago, it seemed like Djokovic could challenge for a calendar slam, but now he would like to prove his dominance with a second major in a year, something he has only accomplished in 2011 (he won three majors that year).
We won’t wonder if the hype would be much greater if this were Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal looking to win two of three majors. Djokovic will only get his due by winning the title, which is no less than his own standard of excellence demands.
Which WTA Star Will Break Her Slump?
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Maria Sharapova has slipped a notch or two in 2015. Can she play like she's 17 years old, when she won her only Wimbledon title back in 2004? She's not showing signs of playing top tennis, but she's a lightning rod for attention, win or lose.
Eugenie Bouchard, last year's breakout Wimbledon finalist, looks more likely to be out in the first round. Her game is erratic, her confidence shaky and her chances dim. Can she get back on track at Wimbledon?
Simona Halep has been up and down. At times, she has looked like a contender in 2015, but she has been streakier with less patience and endurance. Grass won't produce the high hops that can be both her friend and enemy, so any rebound must start with her keen reflexes and footwork.
With defending champion Petra Kvitova ailing, the well of WTA challengers to Serena Williams may need a refill. How about someone like Madison Keys exploding onto the scene? What are the chances Lucie Safarova can keep climbing? She was a Wimbledon semifinalist last year and is at a career peak.
Someone's bound to make a run, but Queen Serena has to feel mightier than ever.
Is Stan Wawrinka Ready to Be Linked with Bjorn Borg?
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It may not rank as a probable story, but it’s plausible that French Open champion Stan Wawrinka could win Wimbledon. Tennis fans are at least curious to see if he can adapt his baseline slugging to the quicker lawns.
Will he survive the first week against an ATP that is rapidly becoming more of a power tour? Of course, Wawrinka is now the poster man of how power can win major titles. Other players are taking notes, and there’s a good chance someone else could have a hot day and shorten a match against the second Swissman.
Wawrinka will have mechanical challenges. He will not benefit from the higher hops and extended time to wind up and slug from his heels. Unless he can dominate the first few strokes of a point, he will not want to play the role of a backboard.
So give him an outside chance of becoming the third player since Bjorn Borg to win the French Open-Wimbledon double. Borg was of course the godfather of this European Slam, so Wawrinka is chasing something special when the other two names are Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
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Andy Murray to Break Another British Drought?
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Now that Andy Murray is back competing for major titles, don’t expect the British media to give him a pass. After all, it’s been two years since a British native has won the Wimbledon title. Somebody needs to break the drought.
Enter Andy Murray, the rain man. He will forever be the hero who finally let Fred Perry’s 1936 Wimbledon title rest in peace. We would be remiss if we did not mention Perry won three Wimbledon titles, so Murray has work to do if anyone still cares about obliterating tennis records from the 1930s.
Murray would greatly enhance his Hall of Fame resume with a third major, putting him past talented but streaky hitters like Marat Safin and Stan Wawrinka. His excellence in consistency could take center stage again. He could creep out of the shadows of the Ivan Lendl era (reference to his two majors and best career results under Coach Lendl), and he could begin a realistic drive at Novak Djokovic’s No. 1 ranking.
And there lies the key: Djokovic. Forget about Fred Perry. Murray must end the Djokovic drought, eight consecutive losses since Wimbledon 2013. He’s been competitive in matching up with Djokovic’s game but needs to find an extra gear with his variety and control of the grass courts.
If Murray does get a second Wimbledon title, it would be appropriate that he must defeat his Serbian rival.
Roger Federer Can Win His Eighth Wimbledon Title
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Until Roger Federer retires, he might continue to be the top Wimbledon story. Seven championships at the All-England Club have earned him this attention, but more importantly he is the No. 2-ranked player in the world with arguably the most versatile and effective grass-court game in tennis.
However, because Federer has not won a major since his 2012 Wimbledon triumph, too many dismiss his chances due to age or diminished recovery in trying to win seven best-of-three matches in two weeks. Strange to say, but is Federer actually underrated right now?
For instance, suppose 20-year-old Nick Kyrgios was ranked No. 2 in the world as the holder of titles at Cincinnati, Shanghai, Dubai and Halle. Suppose he were last year’s Wimbledon finalist who had lost by an eyelash? Wouldn’t the talk be that he is ready to take his powerful serve and youthful skills to a Wimbledon title?
Federer is the one who has proven everything, including his work ethic, competitive heart, adaptability with his game, experience to overcome adversity and championships aplenty.
Unless Novak Djokovic is playing his A-game, the Swiss Maestro is the player to beat at Wimbledon.
Serena Williams Looking for Serena Slam 2.0
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While many of the top-10 stars in the WTA have fallen back for one reason or another, Serena Williams is pouring it on. It’s actually a perfunctory exercise to list the many tennis skills and mental advantages Serena has over the rest of the tour.
Instead, the only one worthy of being a challenger right now is Steffi Graf. The former legend of women’s tennis, and to many tennis observers the greatest player in history, won the calendar slam in 1988 and then followed that up with three majors in 1989.
Her streak included five straight majors, winning eight of nine from Australian Opens 1988-90. Had she won a first-set tiebreaker against Arantxa Sanchez Vicario at French Open 1989, Graf might have swept two consecutive calendar slams. This is still the standard.
From 2002-03, Williams won her “Serena Slam,” holding all four majors from the 2002 French Open to 2003 Australian Open. Now she has a chance to hold Serena Slam 2.0, starting from the 2014 U.S. Open to winning the 2015 Wimbledon title. It would set up the next U.S. Open to get her own calendar slam and likewise match Graf’s five straight majors.
What’s particularly impressive is that Serena is attempting to do this 12 years after her most epic success. Graf was well into retirement 12 years after her calendar slam.
So for all of the Serena supporters who watch her chase down Graf’s 22 majors and perhaps one day surpass Graf in the eyes of most observers, Wimbledon 2015 sets up as a truly historic opportunity for the American’s remarkable and ongoing dominance.
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