In the first set, Alcaraz had a hard time and lost two service games to Djokovic, leading to a 6-1 set win for Djokovic. However, the second set showcased a different dynamic. Both players managed to break each other's serves early, resulting in a tie break at the end of the set. The third set brought the longest break game of the entire tournament. Lasting 26 minutes this game proved to be a defining turning point and and made it impossible for Djokovic to come back from a 2 break disadvantage. Alcaraz won the set 6-1. Djokovic was strong in the fourth set, breaking serve twice and making the match go to a fifth set. The fifth and final set began with Alcaraz's early break. He used this advantage to win the set, match and the whole tournament. This win marked his first time as the Wimbledon men's singles title holder.
Wimbledon Recap
Relive Wimbledon's Gentlemen's Singles matches through data visualization
by Krisztina Szucs
Jul 21, 2023
From July 3rd to July 16th 2023, the famous Wimbledon tennis tournament took place. To help you relive the best moments, I've put together a gallery of short animations to capture the spirit of the Men's Singles matches. Why did I choose to focus on the Gentlemen's Singles matches? The answer lies in the format itself. Unlike other events in tennis, Grand Slam Men's Singles matches are played over the best of five sets. This means that players need to win three sets to secure victory, even when trailing by two sets, the possibility is there for a remarkable turnaround. My aim was to spotlight these incredible comebacks.
Visualizing the intensity of a three-hour match in a short, concise animation is not easy. While details such as the length of rallies, aces, and unforced errors play a significant role, I kept the animations simple, concentrating on the critical moments that form the direction of the match. A pivotal point in any match is when one player wins a game while their opponent is serving. This game-changer is called a "break." Because serving provides an advantage (the server has the opportunity to control the point by hitting the first shot), just one break can decide who wins the set. In the animations, these game-changing moments are highlighted with black shapes.
Colors help explaining the match's story. Every set gets a color based on the set winner's hue. This makes it easy to spot when someone wins in 3 straight sets or if the match was really close. The different shades of color in the animation show how the match unfolds – from one player's strong dominance to the other player making a comeback.
Let's look at what happened in the final. Carlos Alcaraz played against Novak Djokovic in an incredible match.
Explore the draw (from 3rd rounds to the final):
Data source: wimbledon.com
I close this chapter of Wimbledon. I'm excited to see what happens next year – new stories, players, and of course: new match data. Until then see you at the next Gram Slam. If you are interested in other tennis data visualizations check out these older versions from previous grand slams:
