Wimbledon 2015: Key Takeaways from London Heading into 2015 US Open

Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams ruled the day at Wimbledon. Both world No. 1's added to their impressive Slam totals while dominating the competition. But the successes of London soon give way to the preparation for the final major of the year, the U.S. Open.  

Wimbledon success doesn't exactly guarantee U.S. Open success. The switch from grass to a hard surface will definitely be a boon for some, while it will likely discount others from being contenders.

Still, there's some things we can glean from what happened in England to forecast the U.S. Open. Here's a look at some of the biggest takeaways that show us what to expect in New York.

Serena Williams Still has No Peer

Kirsty Wigglesworth/Associated Press

Serena Williams lost two sets on her way to Wimbledon glory. Two. To put that in perspective, it took her seven opponents to lose enough sets to even lose one match. That's impressive.

What's more impressive is that it completed the "Serena Slam." She's won four straight Slam tournaments, starting with the U.S. Open last year. As ESPN Stats & Info noted, it puts her in some pretty elite historical company:

Now, the challenge will be completing a calendar slam. She can lock up the accomplishment with another title in New York. Given her form in London, there's no doubt she's the prohibitive favorite to pull off the feat. ESPN Stats & Info highlighted Williams' dominant serve after struggling a bit with it in the first round:

If Williams continues to dominate with her serve, she'll be even more difficult to beat on a hard surface. New York has consistently been kind to her. She's won the last three U.S. Opens and has a 79-9 record overall in the tournament. 

The most difficult opponent Williams faces is the pressure that comes with trying to make history. It's already a topic she's grown tired of talking about.

"I'm not answering any more questions about the Grand Slam or the alleged Serena Slam," Williams said heading into the Wimbledon final, according to Nick McCarvel of USA Today. "I don't want the pressure of that. When you talk about it every time, you can't help but think about it. It's been okay to free my brain from that."

Instead, Williams has adopted a mentality of taking things one match at a time. If she can maintain that mental edge, it'll be huge for her chances. If she gets swallowed up in the moment, the calendar slam is going to be hard to attain. 

Given her dominant 6-4, 6-4 win over Garbine Muguruza in the match right after those statements, she should be just fine. 

Stanislas Wawrinka is Still a Wild Card

Pavel Golovkin/Associated Press

When Stan Wawrinka won his second Slam title at the French Open, he went from a player who happened to win one Slam to one of the few who has won multiple in the last five years. 

That's something that's bound to create higher expectations moving forward. 

The reality is Wawrinka isn't a player who should be expected to be in the finals every time out yet. If the French Open proved anything, it's that Wawrinka at his best can beat anyone. What Wimbledon proved was that he can be outdone by inferior players when he's not at his best. 

As ESPN Stats & Info highlighted, it was his own errors that aided his demise against Richard Gasquet in the quarterfinals:

Realistically, a quarterfinals appearance in London was a positive for Wawrinka. Wimbledon has traditionally been his weakest major, and it tied his personal best finish. He's only advanced to the quarterfinals twice in 11 tries and is just 17-11 in the Slam. 

Now, he gets to move on to New York, where his 26-10 record is nearly identical to his record at Roland Garros (27-10). 

Wawrinka's finish in Wimbledon may have been a bit of a disappointment, but his overall form wasn't. He didn't even drop a set until the fourth round and had a 2-1 lead on Gasquet. 

Returning back to the hard court, he could be destined for a date with Djokovic. Given his 2-2 record against the world No. 1 in the last two years, that's going to be a fun matchup to keep an eye on. 

Novak Djokovic is Still the Most Dominant Man in Tennis

Pavel Golovkin/Associated Press

Much like Serena Williams, you can add all of the sets that Djokovic lost at Wimbledon and it's still only enough for him to lose one match. He dropped four in his seven-match march to the title. 

His victory over Roger Federer extended his season record to 48-3 on the year. Only one of those three losses has taken place at a major. His French Open final loss to Wawrinka is all that's keeping him from going for a calendar slam himself in New York.

The fact is, it's finally Djokovic's time to take the spotlight for himself. After years of playing third fiddle to Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, the 28-year-old has finally surpassed those two as the unquestioned best player in tennis. 

Tennis legend John McEnroe only envisions more success for the Serbian. "Novak is just coming into his prime and it is pretty hard not to think that he is getting stronger and stronger," McEnroe said, according to Chris Bevan of BBC Sport. "If he stays healthy, he is going to dominate the next couple of years."

McEnroe also went on that it isn't a matter of Federer and Nadal losing a step. Djokovic is finding ways to become a better player even after nine majors.

"He is a different player now," McEnroe explained. "Mentally he is tougher but he has also added more to his game. He is a better volleyer, he is more resilient defensively, and he is also a better returner. Now he is not just able to do that consistently, he also steps in and just crushes the ball."

With the versatility to execute any game plan he feels necessary, the major titles are going to keep coming. He has yet to find victory on the clay of Roland Garros, but he's had no issues winning hard-court slams. The 2015 U.S. Open should just be the latest in his trophy case.