A historic tournament
Strawberries, cream, white clothes, and tennis fans – what could it be other than Wimbledon? The oldest tennis tournament in the world has returned for another thrilling edition. Over the next week and a half, the competition will see the best tennis players from across the globe duke it out in the UK.
This year looks set to be another spectacle. Many believe 2021 men’s winner Novak Djokovic can lift the trophy again, and his chances just increased tenfold after one of his main competitors Matteo Berrettini caught COVID. Meanwhile, women’s favorite Iga Swiatek stands undefeated in 36 matches, but Ons Jabeur and Simona Halep could prove hard to beat.
a dive into the history books
With this year’s competition well underway, VegasSlotsOnline News has taken a dive into the history books. In 1968, the tournament saw its first edition open to professional tennis players, a period known as the Open Era. Utilizing data on the nationality and age of winners since then, VSO has assessed which attributes make the perfect Wimbledon competitor.
Federer against the world
Since 1968, there have been a total of 52 champions each in both the men’s and women’s singles tournaments – a COVID-19 infested 2020 the only Wimbledonless year. In that time, men’s champions have averaged around 25.5 years of age. The youngest winner, an 18-year-old Boris Becker, came in 1985. Meanwhile, Roger Federer took the oldest win in 2017 at 36.
Federer has secured eight total Wimbledon titles
In regards to nationality, the competition for the top spot really consists of Switzerland-born Federer against the world. Considered by many as the tennis GOAT, Federer has secured eight total Wimbledon titles including his first at 21 in 2003. It’s an all-time record, but it looks like that could be all she wrote for the 40-year-old with injuries increasingly keeping him off the court.
Although he did put in a sterling effort in 2019, only just losing out to Djokovic in the final despite some intense rallies:
Despite his best efforts, Federer hasn’t secured the top spot for Switzerland. US players have won the men’s singles tournament a record 15 times, although these wins are spread between six players. Stan Smith, Jimmy Connors, Arthur Ashe, John McEnroe, Andre Agassi, and Pete Sampras have all raised the trophy. Sampras has seven wins to his name between 1993 and 2000, the most of any American.
Other notable mentions include Sweden and Australia. Thanks mainly to five wins from Bjorn Borg and two from Stefan Edberg, the Swiss stand third in the rankings. They are followed by Australians who have had four different Wimbledon champions in the Open Era.
Williams sisters take it for the US
Over the past 53 years, the average age of women Wimbledon champions is just slightly higher than men at around 26.1 years of age. The oldest of those champions was a 35-year-old Serena Williams, while the youngest title is split between Swiss Martina Hingis and Russian Maria Sharapova, both 17 when they first lifted the trophy seven years apart.
The Williams sisters have dominated Wimbledon in the 21st century
As for the supreme nationality, the women’s competition is far more clear-cut than the men’s. The Williams sisters have dominated Wimbledon in the 21st century for the US, clocking up 12 wins between them. The majority of these went to Serena, who has seven to her name. Victories from Chris Evert, Billie Jean King, and Lindsay Davenport mean the US is the clear winner with 20 titles.
The last of those wins came in 2016 courtesy of a then 35-year-old Serena Williams:
That said, the Czechs put up a decent fight thanks to Martina Navratilova (if we consider her based on her Czech citizenship regained in 2008). The tennis star has won Wimbledon more than any other woman, racking up nine titles between 1978 and 1990. Two wins from Petra Kvitova and one from Jana Novotna have boosted the Czech tally to 12 in total.
Meanwhile, Germany came third with eight wins thanks mainly to the efforts of Steffi Graf.
Who stands a chance?
Based on this historic data for the men’s and women’s competitions, the ultimate Wimbledon champion is an American at the age of 26. If we take a look at the favorites for this year’s edition of Wimbledon, we can see who might stand the most chance of victory based on these attributes.
Fritz has a +3300 chance of taking victory
In the men’s tournament, the only Americans seen as major competitors are Taylor Fritz and John Isner, aged 24 and 37, respectively. According to Paddy Power, Fritz has a +3300 chance of taking victory in the competition, while the older Isner is a clear outsider at +27500. British Cameron Norrie is the only 26-year-old favorite still in the competition. He is a +5500 shot.
Meanwhile, in the women’s competition, only Serena Williams and Coco Gauff were flying the flag for America among the favorites. Williams, now in the twilight of her career at 40, has already suffered a first-round knockout. However, at just 18 years of age Gauff is still in the mix and at odds of +1400 to take the title with FanDuel. Greek Maria Sakkari is the only 26-year-old favorite still left in the competition. FanDuel has her at odds of +2600