Why Wimbledon Loves The Spanish!
Wimbledon
April 5, 2019
Wimbledon has many reasons to love the Spanish.
For a start, you helped to create our own champion, Andy Murray, who went to Barcelona’s Sanchez-Casal Academy aged 15 – and left 18 months later, ready to take on the world.
Thank you, Spain!
Then of course there is arguably the greatest player of all time, Rafael Nadal. What glorious Wimbledon memories he has created in recent decades!
In 2008 Nadal won the most dramatic final Wimbledon has ever seen. He beat the great Roger Federer 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-7 (8-10), 9-7 in near darkness after seven hours of mounting tension. Further success in 2010 made Nadal one of the most adored sportsmen in London – and that hasn’t changed.
Even in 2022, Rafa was still producing unforgettable moments on Centre Court at Wimbledon. Spectators love his warrior spirit and they were on their feet as he beat the much younger Taylor Fritz 3-6, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (10-4) in their epic quarter-final.
Wimbledon will always love Nadal and treasure every last moment of greatness he can give us.
But there is a new Spanish kid on the block who is surely going to be a Wimbledon champion too!
Carlos Alcaraz will keep Spain at the top of tennis for many years to come. In 2022 he won his first Masters 1000 title in Miami. Later that year, he became the first man to beat Nadal and Novak Djokovic back-to-back on clay, as he stormed to more glory in Madrid.
A deep Wimbledon run and the biggest Grand Slam title of them all is surely just around the corner for the young sensation, Carlos Alcaraz.
Meanwhile Garbine Muguruza, the brilliant Spanish-Venezualan, already knows that winning Wimbledon feeling.
She displayed awesome power to defeat the great Venus Williams 7-5, 6-0 in the 2017 Wimbledon final, her second showpiece.
In 2022 Muguruza also clocked up her 300th WTA win and she is still a top-ten player. There’s no reason why she couldn’t reach a third Wimbledon singles final in the future.
Another statuesque Spanish lady, Paula Badosa might have even more chance of Wimbledon success going forward. She is ranked number four in the world at the time of writing, and only lost to the former Wimbledon champion Simona Halep at the 2022 Championships.
Badosa started the year by winning Sydney and later reached the semi-finals of Indian Wells and the quarters in Miami. A Wimbledon triumph in 2023 is a distinct possibility!
The late, great Manolo Santana once said: “Grass is just for cows.” He changed his mind when he won Wimbledon in 1966. Spanish players have been loving the Wimbledon grass ever since. And Wimbledon has loved the Spanish even more in return.
Thank you Spain, for all that you bring us each year!
This love affair doesn’t look like ending any time soon. You’ll feel the magic the moment you arrive at Wimbledon.
We look forward to welcoming you.