The Wimbledon tennis tournament is witnessing an unprecedented scenario: 36 seed tennis players were eliminated after only the first two rounds – a record number in the history of the Grand Slam, surpassing 35 players who had fallen early at Roland Garros 2020.
Notably, up to 8 players in the Top 10 soon said goodbye to the first round, including big names such as Coco Gauff (Women's Roland Garros) and Alexander Zverev (No. 3 Single seed). This is the first time since the opening era (1968) has so many strong “horse” players.
The cause comes from many resonant factors. The first is the severe weather condition, with a temperature that exceeds 30 ° C in the opening day – the highest level in the history of the Wimbledon opening day. This heat not only affects the physical strength of the players but also makes the hay pitch, grip the ball more, making the ball speed slow down and the bounce becomes erratic.
Many players have publicly criticized the pitch quality. Denis Shapovalov, who was eliminated in the first round, was annoyed: “This is no longer the pitch, slower than the clay yard.” Meanwhile, Emma Raducanu complained Slazenger “fast feathers, becoming heavy and slow after just a few games”, making it difficult for players to fight quickly.
Besides, the seasoning season was inherently short – only less than 50 – making many players not enough time to get used to the yard. Coco Gauff admitted to only a small prize before entering Wimbledon and called this “Grand Slam most likely to happen the most unexpectedly” due to the short transition time from the ground season.
Overload and psychology are also a big problem. Alexander Zverev, who loses shock in the second round, confesses that he “feels lonely and empty” since the defeat of the Australian Open final. Meanwhile, Jasmine Paolini admitted that she was “too tired” after two months of continuous play.
The number of seeds soon leaving the tournament also creates a chain effect: the small player receives more confidence, while the big names remain more and more stressful. Madison Keys shared: “I almost lost right in the first round. The pressure doubled when others dropped the radio.”
With the open branch, the lesser -name players like Amanda Anisimova or Karen Khachanov are facing the golden opportunity to go deep. Wimbledon this year may witness a unexpected champion, in a season without anything in the prediction.