After Carlos Alcaraz defeated Novak Djokovic in an instant classic, Wimbledon 2023 is officially in the books. LWOS writers have compiled a list of some of the best matches from the fortnight. Spoiler alert, the match mentioned above may feature towards the end.
5. Christopher Eubanks d. Cameron Norrie 6-3 3-6 6-2 7-6 (3) – second round
This match truly announced Eubanks to the big stage of Grand Slam tennis, as he effortlessly defeated the British No. 1 in an incredible display of tennis. Eubanks fired countless backhand winners, painting the lines over and over again. The American hit 63 winners to just 39 errors, in a match only spanning two and a half hours. Norrie could have played more offensive, yet he ultimately was simply outplayed.
4. Holger Rune d. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-3 4-6 3-6 6-4 7-6 (8) – third round
It’s sad that this match could have easily been overturned if Davidovich Fokina didn’t foolishly attempt an underarm serve at 8-8 in the fifth set tiebreaker, yet in a sense, it summed up the unpredictability and wild nature of the match. Rune dug deep to once again overcome mental roadblocks, given he had lost a heartbreaker to Fokina in Madrid. Rune was clutch in the fifth set, thrilling the crowd by coming back from multiple hurdles in the match. He was down 8-5 in the tiebreaker and saved two match points with winners down 5-4. Additionally, the Dane has now played a fifth-set tiebreaker in each of the Grand Slams this year. Is the US Open next?
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3. Stefanos Tsitsipas d. Dominic Thiem 3-6 7-6 (1) 6-2 6-7 (5) 7-6 (8) – first round
This was one of those popcorn matches featuring sets that were each decided by a single clutch point. Thiem’s backhand came to life to win him the first and fourth set, while Tsitsipas’ mental resilience guided him through the fifth set tiebreaker. The match was intense towards the end, with the crowd only improving the quality of the match. Tsitsipas made some incredible gets and displayed his touch to the finest late in the match, saving himself from a shocking first round exit. Ultimately, Thiem did miss a sitter of a forehand late in the fifth set tiebreaker, but it was the Greek’s mental toughness that won him the match.
2. Stefanos Tsitsipas d. Andy Murray 7-6 (3) 6-7 (2) 4-6 7-6 (5) 6-4 – second round
The Greek features again on this top 5 list, with Tsitsipas overcoming a hostile crowd, two completely disparate court conditions, and a frustrating curfew. Tsitsipas hit (90!) winners in this nearly five hour epic, swatting away any opportunity for Murray with his first serve. The Greek’s serve was untouchable, only allowing Murray to break once; Murray never saw a single break point other than the last two sets. Some of the rallies were similarly fantastic, with Murray’s defense forcing Tsitsipas into wild errors. Yet, Tsitsipas came into the match with a game plan to run around his backhand, and the Greek used his strengths to tire Murray with his cross court forehand. One could wonder if the curfew affected the outcome of this epic.
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Honorable Mentions
Andrey Rublev d. Alexander Bublik 7-5 6-3 6-7 (6) 6-7 (5) 6-4 – fourth round
This was a great match, only improving in quality towards the end. Rublev’s diving winner at 5-4 30-15 in the fifth set was arguably the shot of the tournament, and it was a testament to his resilience. Rublev withstood countless Bublik trick shots, and was able to maintain himself with his offensive game. The Russian unfortunately couldn’t break the quarterfinal gap with his loss to Djokovic, but it’s only a matter of time before Rublev makes a true Grand Slam breakthrough.
Christopher Eubanks d. Stefanos Tsitsipas 3-6 7-6 (4) 3-6 6-4 6-4 – fourth round
Tsitsipas and Eubanks both make another feature, with their fourth round match a hotly contested showdown on the Wimbledon outside courts. This match ranks a bit lower than Eubanks v Norrie, only because it was somewhat flagged as an upset alert and not a massive shock. Eubanks didn’t play as great as he did against Norrie, with the American firing 56 unforced errors. Yet, in a Djokovic-esque sense, he played fantastic when it mattered, getting some clutch breaks in the fourth and fifth set. Eubanks served beautifully to minimize any opportunity for the Greek to get back into the match.
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1. Carlos Alcaraz d. Novak Djokovic 1-6 7-6 (6) 6-1 3-6 6-4 – final
This was seemingly inevitable. This year’s Wimbledon final was a battle of warriors, featuring unbelievable grit and fortitude, with the match ultimately heralding a shift at the top of men’s tennis. It seemed unlikely that the Spaniard would win after Djokovic displayed some solid and clean tennis in the first set. Yet, Alcaraz was able to do something no player was able to do in the past years: rattle Djokovic mentally in a Grand Slam. After clinching the second set tiebreak, Alcaraz exhibited some show-boating tennis, forcing Djokovic into a sea of unforced errors. The Serb would elevate this match into a classic with his indefatigable defense, extending rallies and forcing Alcaraz to truly produce something special.
The fifth set demonstrated the difference between the two players; Alcaraz’s continued offensive and shot-making crumbled Djokovic after he broke the Serb to lead 2-1. And, to top it all off, Alcaraz played one of the most clutch games to serve out a championship in recent memory: six first serves, and multiple stunning winners. While the epic-quality portions of the match were in fragments of the match, and neither player brought their A-game for the entire showdown, the drama and stakes of this match made up for it. On top of the historic changing of the guard sealed from Alcaraz’s win, millions of fans were treated to dramatic line-call overrules, a Djokovic racket smash meltdown, numerous slips, and one of the most raucous crowds in recent Wimbledon memory. In my opinion, I doubt that any match will eclipse this thriller as the match of the year.
