This has been a scorching Wimbledon. In the last hundred years of recorded history, it has happened only six times that the tournament wasn't interrupted by rain in any form. It's been hot, humid, and with no breeze at all. The lush grass courts, carefully nurtured throughout the year by loving hands, had turned brown and hard, as hard as any other surface. The beauty and mystique of playing on grass courts is the slipperiness of it, caused by morning dew, creating a sense of uncertainty about the bounce, pace, and speed of the ball. At Wimbledon, it mattered who comes out early in the day to play. They have to adjust the game according to the time of the day. But all that wasn't necessary this year. It was hot and dry conditions throughout the tournament. The hottest day was 34°C on the second Monday of the tournament. Yet, despite the heat, the humidity in the air, it was a glorious tournament, as always. So much talent, so many emotions, and as always, the steady and august aura of Wimbledon in the background of it all.
The Royal Box was full. Not many know that there are only 74 seats in the Royal Box, and they are never for sale. They're only by invitation. Today, the Royal Box was filled with some great champions of yesteryears. Stefan Edberg was there; the handsome Swede hasn't aged at all. The 1971 champion, Stan Smith, was there. I still remember from my younger days his syndicated tennis coaching columns in the Sunday edition of The Hindu newspaper. A few Hollywood stars were there too. The ones I could spot were Nicole Kidman and Ben Stiller. And, of course, the Princess of Wales, along with her husband Prince William and the children, arrived as always full of grace. The princess was today in a green dress that matched the hue of the green grass.
On Centre Court, the men's singles championship final between Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev was an intense affair. Both men over 6 ft tall: Zverev 6'6", Yannick 6'3", both brilliant servers and having an all-round game. It was a well-played final. Though the final scorecard may read as though Yannick Sinner won it pretty easily in four sets, that's not the truth. Every single point had an unbelievable intensity to it. The serve dominated the game, as it usually does at Wimbledon, but then, as the players warmed up, their stroke-making opened up, the nervous tension that grips the first few games quickly dissipated, and what unfolded after was tennis at its very best. Some power hitting, some breathtaking angles, some deft volleys that even John McEnroe—the grand master of volleys—acknowledged.
It was obvious that if Zverev had to get past Sinner to claim a second Grand Slam title in one month, he had to play three sets of extraordinary tennis. Nothing less would do. In the first set, Zverev produced that quality of tennis: beautiful serves that consistently hit the chalk, bold forehands that exploded at angles that left Sinner stranded. The first set was decided on a single point during the tiebreak, when Zverev was able to convert a set point on Sinner's serve with a brilliant forehand to the left corner of the court, an exquisite shot that Sinner couldn't do anything about but watch it go by. The jinx was broken.
The quality of the first set set the stage for the level of tennis that Zverev had to play for another two sets to get past the champion. That was always going to be a tall order against a man in supreme form. Sinner quickly got back into the second set with an early break of serve and took the second 6–3. The match was evenly placed, but it did seem that Sinner was beginning to subtly dictate the flow of the match. Zverev did continue to produce great tennis, but the momentum had shifted, and Sinner had begun to read Zverev's serve really well. His movement and anticipation adjusted to the tempo of Zverev's play. Once the champion started seeing the ball well, the Zverev conundrum was solved: he knew how to take the game clinically to its conclusion.
There is absolutely no embarrassment in this loss for Zverev. Zverev himself would have to be happy with what he has achieved in the last two months, during which he's played some of the best tennis of his career. He is 29 years of age, has been on the circuit for 13 years, and has reached the quarterfinals of Grand Slams nearly three dozen times. Now, with a French Open under his belt and reaching the final of Wimbledon, it indicates that he is now ready to challenge the very best. It is great for the game, and for him personally.
On the other hand, for the current champion, world number one Jannik Sinner, the triumphant roll continues. We saw him as a young man a few years ago and how he has matured into a great champion. One can only imagine what more he will achieve in the years of active tennis ahead of him. Who knows? He's got the grace, the power, the finesse, that superior tennis instinct that separates champions from others, and above all, he is a crowd favorite. That golden hair, the sweet baby face, unassuming smile—crowds just love him.
If you think of tennis as just a sport, then tennis played at Wimbledon is no different from the tennis played in other great venues. But that is not the case; there is something about this old club, with its queer traditions and rituals, its royalty, its royal boxes, the strawberries and cream, the creeping vines, its mandatory white costumes, the unusual setting in the middle of a small town, that makes this championship qualitatively different from any other tournament in the world. It is the citadel of tennis, and doing well here at Wimbledon is the dream of every tennis player entering the professional circuit. Even a loss on Centre Court is acceptable as long as you get to play there at least once. Even better if you are playing in front of the patrons in the Royal Box.
Such aura is not the result of carefully curated promotion. No. Wimbledon doesn't need any of that. In its simplicity, decorum, and traditions, it surpasses everything else that depends on ostentation, and anchors the game of tennis in grace and beauty.