The Championships, as they are known in Great Britain, have ended. Wimbledon is in the books for another year. Several players disappointed in both the women’s and men’s events, but which two players disappointed the most? The answers can be found below. Two calls (one for the women, one for the men) are obvious. The other two are much more debatable.
Garbine Muguruza
There is no question that Muguruza was the most disappointing WTA player at the All-England Club. She was the defending French Open champion, a player who had newly made a name for herself and came to Wimbledon with real expectations – maybe not of winning, but certainly getting into the second week with a chance to go far. Muguruza and Venus Williams could have met in a fourth-round match. A lot of people were hoping to see that matchup when the draw was revealed and announced. However, Muguruza bowed out in round one to Jana Cepelova. It is no source of shame that Muguruza didn’t win back-to-back Grand Slam events, or that she didn’t go all the way at Wimbledon. Losing in the first round, though? That’s pretty tough to swallow. Muguruza’s quick loss will reinforce the thought that she is inconsistent and not to be trusted on most occasions. She will remain a player bettors have to approach with caution.
Johanna Konta
The British player who worked her way into the top 20 with a strong close to the 2015 season and a very good start to the 2016 season entered Wimbledon as the bearer of history. Konta was the first female British player to be seeded at Wimbledon since Jo Durie in 1984. She was not expected to win or even make the semifinals, but a reasonable expectation was that she would make the second week, getting into the fourth round. That would have been an entirely reasonable result for her. Instead, she seized up in her second-round match against Eugenie Bouchard.
Playing in a home-nation tournament sometimes helps a player to be energetic and inspired. Other times, it creates stage fright and an intense feeling of nervousness. Konta felt nervous and played like it against Bouchard, losing in three sets. She needs to rebound at the U.S. Open and in the fall to preserve her rankings points. On one hand, losing to Bouchard – a player who used to be in the Top 10 – is not that much of an embarrassment. However, Bouchard has been extremely inconsistent this season and shouldn’t have stopped her – not with the crowd behind her.
Stan Wawrinka
The story of Wawrinka is still as erratic and confusing as it’s always been. It’s true that Juan Martin del Potro has a strong forehand and serve, but he is still operating without a two-handed drive backhand, at least one which can rip through the court. There’s really no excuse for Wawrinka to lose to del Potro, but he did. He made almost 50 unforced errors and never played well in that second-round match. Wawrinka has never done well on grass, and it’s clear that he still can’t overcome his limitations on this surface.
What’s worse is that he really had an opening here at this event. Novak Djokovic was bounced early and Rafael Nadal was not playing. All that was in his way was an aging Roger Federer and Andy Murray, who would have been a challenge for Wawrinka but not unbeatable. Wawrinka could have gone further in this tournament but he’s yet again been a disappointment.
Ivo Karlovic
The big-serving Croatian was supposed to be a threat to make the fourth round and maybe even the quarterfinals, but he flamed out against Lukas Lacko, a clearly inferior player, in the second round. Karlovic should be so much better at Wimbledon than he is… and better than what he has historically been as well. Instead, he again failed. This was a real opportunity for him to get to the last few days of the tournament but instead, he’s still in the third tier of players and doesn’t look like he’ll ever really challenge for a grand slam title.
