First and foremost
More than a century of history and Centre Court has possibly never felt fresher. There’s going to be a lot of newness on this rectangle of emerald green – this ancient but modern generator of storylines, colour and emotion - when Iga Swiatek plays Amanda Anisimova in the ladies’ singles final on Saturday. Perhaps more than any other Wimbledon final in recent years.
Whatever happens on the Centre Court grass, there will be a first time winner of the Venus Rosewater Dish, with all the emotions that will flow from that moment.
No one should be suggesting that the ladies’ singles is getting samey as this is the eighth successive edition in which a new name will be added to the honours board.
There are plenty of other firsts as well, which is why you might say that this summer’s final is fresher than the last seven.
A step into the unknown for Swiatek and Anisimova
For the first time, the final will start at 4pm, creating a new tradition. Swiatek and Anisimova are playing each other for the first time as professionals (though they did meet once as juniors, in 2016, a match won by the Pole).
They’re both appearing in the Wimbledon final for the first time. One of these women is going to win a first title on grass, and there’s no better place to do it.
Anisimova, who took a mental health break from tennis in 2023 and who lost in Qualifying last summer, is appearing in her first Grand Slam final.
Putting Anisimova back together
For the first time this summer, after years of feeling a touch awkward at Wimbledon, Swiatek has been feeling comfortable on a grass court: that's very new for her.
There’s one first that the former world No.1 will be trying to dodge here: she is yet to lose a Grand Slam final, having won four on the clay of Roland-Garros and one on the hard courts of the US Open.
There’s a strong story on either side of the net, which is what you want from any Wimbledon final, and it promises to be a day that once again demonstrates the appeal of playing or spectating on Centre Court, a place that elegantly blends the classic and the modern.
Anisimova vs Swiatek is scheduled second on Centre Court
Love 30s
They’re talking about 1936 on the Hill again.
For a long time, that year was of huge significance to people in British tennis. Andy Murray would come here every summer trying to become the first British gentlemen’s singles champion since Fred Perry in 1936. And then Murray had his golden summer in 2013 and finally everyone could stop going on about the 1930s.
But now tennis’ chattering classes are at it again, and that’s because Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool are in the final of the gentlemen’s doubles, where they could become the first all-British champions since, yes, 1936.
They’ve already made some history, as the first all-British team to make the final since 1960, but they won’t be satisfied with that.
Cash and Glasspool, who have won grass court titles at the Queen’s Club and Eastbourne this summer, play Australian Rinky Hijikata and Dutchman David Pel.
Hijikata/Pel vs Cash/Glasspool is scheduled first on Centre Court
Kamiji on for Career Slam
Until this summer, only Dutch women had won the ladies’ Wheelchair singles title at the All England Club. But, in a break from tradition, this year’s final features Japan’s Yui Kamiji against Ziying Wang of China.
If Kamiji is successful, she would become only the fourth Wheelchair player to complete the Career Golden Slam – winning all four majors and a gold medal at the Paralympics.
Renewed De Groot ‘feeling good’
The other three are Dylan Alcott in gentlemen’s quad Wheelchair singles, Diede de Groot in ladies’ Wheelchair singles, and Shingo Kunieda in gentlemen’s Wheelchair singles.
Red-letter day for the USA?
Saturday could be a very happy day for the United States if Amanda Anisimova becomes the ladies’ singles champion and an American also takes one of the junior titles.
In the girls’ singles final, Julieta Pareja of the United States faces Slovakian Mia Pohankova.
Pareja would be the third American winner in four years, after Liv Hovde in 2022 and Clervie Ngounoue in 2023.
Striving for seven
Can Britain’s Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid win the gentlemen’s Wheelchair doubles for a seventh time?
They play Spain’s Martin De La Puente and Ruben Spaargaren of the Netherlands in the final.