Welcome to The Athletic’s Wimbledon coverage, focusing on the stories beyond the matches. Day 4 marked notable rule influences, set American hopes for the Fourth of July weekend, and saw last year’s upsets calming to expectations.
Rafael Nadal’s Rule and Tennis Letdowns
A recurring phenomenon in tennis is the aftermath of beating a great player like Rafael Nadal. Between 2012 and 2017, Nadal was ousted early at Grand Slams seven times, yet none of those players won their next match. Winners must often regroup quickly, facing little time for celebration unless their victory occurs in a Grand Slam final.
At Wimbledon on Thursday, several players fell victim to this trend. Among them was Maya Joint, who faced Serena Williams and won a significant match. Joint’s follow-up match against Alexandra Eala saw her lose 3-6, 6-2, 6-0 after a promising start.
Otto Virtanen also experienced a similar fate after defeating No. 4 seed Ben Shelton in a thrilling win. He soon lost to Britain’s Arthur Fery 5-7, 7-6(3), 6-3, 6-3, perhaps feeling the toll of earlier qualifying rounds.
American Prospects for the Fourth of July
For Americans celebrating the Fourth of July, Wimbledon offers an array of U.S. tennis matches. Eight American women and seven men continued in the tournament entering Friday.
The U.S. women, such as No. 7 seed Coco Gauff and qualifier Claire Liu, faced No. 2 seed Elena Rybakina’s half of the bracket. Amanda Anisimova and Madison Keys are also featured with their formidable serves and groundstrokes set to meet on Saturday.
Jessica Pegula and 18-year-old Iva Jovic highlighted other possible matchups. Pegula noted Jovic’s fierce, focused play, a rare sight in young players.
On the men’s side, an anticipated pairing is Taylor Fritz versus Frances Tiafoe, as both have contrasting experiences and recent clashes, noting Tiafoe’s past victory against Fritz in Halle, Germany.
Seed Stability Compared to Last Year
At last year’s Wimbledon by the third round, only 27 seeds remained, illustrating the volatile nature of the tournament. In contrast, this year, 21 women’s and 16 men’s seeds have progressed, with much of the top five in each draw intact. This stability suggests a promising lineup of top talent in later rounds.
Matches like Jannik Sinner’s near-miss against Miomir Kecmanović and Coco Gauff’s challenging runs emphasize the rigorous nature of maintaining positions, yet the standard of play remains high.
Notable Results on Day 4
Iga Świątek (3): Defeated Karolína Plíšková 6-1, 6-3.
Taylor Fritz (6): Overcame Patrick Kypson 6-2, 6-2, 7-5.
Emma Navarro (23): Winner against Oksana Selekhmeteva 3-6, 6-4, 6-1.
Alexander Zverev (2): Defeated Valentin Royer 6-1, 6-3, 7-6(3).
Grigor Dimitrov’s exciting victory over Jakub Menšík featured standout backhand shots, providing a visual highlight of day four.
Upcoming Matches
- Men’s Singles: Arthur Rinderknech (25) vs. Novak Djokovic (7) at 8:30 a.m. ET on ESPN. Djokovic seeks momentum from a dominant display against Tsitsipas.
- Women’s Singles: Aryna Sabalenka (1) vs. Jeļena Ostapenko at 11:30 a.m. ET. This match promises power battles and testing of nerves.
- Women’s Singles: Barbora Krejčíková vs. Nikola Bartůňková at 11 a.m. ET. A captivating Czech face-off showcasing technical abilities and strategic play.
Reflecting on day four, feel free to share insights observed during the matches.