Five players that blossomed at Wimbledon 2023
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Wimbledon headline makers: 5 stars that shone brightly
The curtain has closed on Wimbledon for another year and it produced another outstanding fortnight of action.
We take a look at five stars who shone brightest over the course of the two weeks.
Chris Eubanks
Eubanks was a British headline writer’s dream given the likeness of his name to the famous boxer, but it was his tennis that delivered the knockout blows.
The 27-year-old American arrived in SW19 with just two grand slam match wins to his name but left a superstar after a brilliant run to the quarter-finals.
He had been working as a pundit on the Tennis Channel, but his groundstrokes did the talking as his 321 winners set a new tournament record.
Big things could be about to happen after enjoying a new lease of life and he is sure to be a star attraction at the forthcoming US Open.
Mirra Andreeva
Teenager Mirra Andreeva proved her run to the third round of the French Open was no fluke after she went one better at Wimbledon.
The 16-year-old Russian, who revealed she finds British hero Andy Murray “beautiful”, got to the fourth round and was a set up before eventually losing to Madison Keys.
A fine for two racket violations shows she still has some work to do on the mental side of things, but there is no doubting that her game is already there as her point-building and defence shone through.
This was a big step for a player who is undoubtedly going to become a big star in years to come.
Elina Svitolina
There has not been a more heartwarming story than Elina Svitolina’s run to the semi-finals.
The Ukrainian is playing just her second grand slam back after giving birth in October and she put on an inspired show as she beat Venus Williams, Elise Mertens, Sofia Kenin, Victoria Azarenka and Iga Swiatek on her way to the last four, where she was eventually beaten by champion Marketa Vondrousova.
The 28-year-old Svitolina was not only playing with freedom following the birth of her daughter but also fighting for a much higher cause, knowing her compatriots back in war torn Ukraine were supporting her.
Marketa Vondrousova
Vondrousova created history when she became the first unseeded player to win the women’s title at Wimbledon after her 6-4 6-4 victory over Ons Jabeur.
The Czech’s victory marks an impressive comeback after injury stalled her career having made the French Open final as a 19-year-old and she was only at Wimbledon last year to support her best friend in qualifying while wearing a cast following wrist surgery.
But now her name is on the honours board and she has a place in history, becoming just the third Czech woman to lift the title following Martina Navratilova and Petra Kvitova.
Carlos Alcaraz
The 20-year-old Spaniard was not supposed to be able to play so well on grass, having played just 11 matches on the surface before this tournament.
However, Alcaraz has proved that he has everything needed to prosper after a fine run that concluded with him ending Novak Djokovic’s 45-match unbeaten run on Centre Court and winning the title.
He is the first man in 21 years not called Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal or Andy Murray to win at Wimbledon and few can bet against him having a career similar to those four greats.
It is ominous for the rest of the world as, once Djokovic finally departs from the scene, Alcaraz is now surely going to dominate on all surfaces for years to come.
