On the women\u2019s side, Linda Noskov\u00e1<\/a> won an all-Czech contest against Karol\u00edna Muchov\u00e1<\/a>. The 21-year-old surged toward victory, but then faltered as the Venus Rosewater Dish swam into view. Just as it seemed Muchov\u00e1, 29, would produce an unlikely and devastating comeback, Noskov\u00e1 reset, beating back the demons she had met just an hour or so before to win the title 6-2, 5-7, 6-3<\/a>.<\/p>\n In the men\u2019s final, defending champion Jannik Sinner<\/a> had to accept a secondary role against French Open winner Alexander Zverev<\/a>. The 24-year-old Italian hung in with his serve and his scrambling as Zverev unleashed wave after wave of unreturned serves and laser forehands, before clicking into gear to come from a set down and lift the trophy again, 6-7(7), 7-6(2), 6-3, 6-4<\/a>.<\/p>\n Here, Ava Wallace, Charlie Eccleshare, Charlotte Harpur and Matthew Futterman present their takeaways from the third Grand Slam of 2026, from the best matches and biggest upsets to their abiding memories.<\/p>\n If you\u2019d like to follow our fantastic tennis coverage, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Why do players wear white at Wimbledon?<\/p>\n Ava Wallace and Madison Eades<\/p>\n Best match?<\/p>\n Ava Wallace: Karol\u00edna Muchov\u00e1 playing like she\u2019d never lost to Coco Gauff<\/a> in her life \u2014 when she in fact had a 1-6 record against the American \u2014 made for a magnificent semifinal. It was exactly the type of grueling, three-set match in which Gauff shines, but Muchov\u00e1 refused to do anything but play her game. Watching a player exhibit that level of trust in their own ability \u2014 and have it work out \u2014 was special.<\/p>\n Charlie Eccleshare: A toss-up between the Muchov\u00e1 vs. Gauff thriller, and Novak Djokovic outlasting F\u00e9lix Auger-Aliassime<\/a> in five sets, and five hours and 15 minutes, at the quarterfinal stage.<\/p>\n The former wins, because the ending was so tense and spectacular. It felt inevitable from the start of the deciding tiebreak that Djokovic would ultimately get the better of Auger-Aliassime.<\/p>\n There was nothing inevitable about the conclusion to Muchov\u00e1 vs. Gauff, as both players missed match points in unbelievably dramatic ways. Gauff netted a forehand sitter (below), before Muchov\u00e1 slipped as a Gauff passing shot whizzed past her.<\/p>\n Like any truly great match, the outcome was in the balance until the final point was over.<\/p>\n Charlotte Harpur: Djokovic beating Auger-Aliassime. It was approaching 11 p.m. local time. Both players were panting, keeled over, leaning on their rackets after a gruelling rally to set up match point in the fifth-set tiebreak.<\/p>\n Momentum had swung back and forth throughout the five-hour-plus thriller, the quality of tennis had remained high and the sense of jeopardy never dissipated. The roar of the crowd hit me to my core in those final moments. Djokovic\u2019s performance at 39 was superhuman.<\/p>\n Matthew Futterman: Gauff vs. Muchov\u00e1. There was nothing like that accelerated tension of a match-deciding tiebreak with a spot in the final on the line.<\/p>\n Favorite match?<\/p>\n Wallace: Naomi Osaka and Aryna Sabalenka\u2019s match at the French Open<\/a> was a teaser. It was played at such high quality, but it was also over far too quickly as Sabalenka started overwhelming Osaka with her power. Expectations were tempered since Sabalenka had won their three meetings in 2026,\u00a0but Osaka pulled out a vintage performance, thumping groundstrokes and bounding around the court like she was in the heyday of her Grand Slam-winning years.<\/p>\n After years of wondering whether she could, or even wanted to<\/a>, win major tournaments again, it was cool to watch what felt like a turning point in the second half of her career.<\/p>\n Eccleshare: Being on Centre Court for Serena Williams\u2019 singles return against Maya Joint<\/a> after four years out was always going to be special, but it might have felt like a testimonial, even a letdown, if Williams was not competitive.<\/p>\n Watching her fight back to win the second set after trailing by a break is something that will stay with me. She may have ended up losing, but the noise and atmosphere on Centre Court when Williams claimed that second set was as if she had just won a final.<\/p>\n Harpur: Osaka defeating Sabalenka.<\/p>\n Osaka had not beaten the world No.1 since 2018, and said her run against Sabalenka \u201csucked.\u201d But the prospect of a more comfortable and confident-looking Osaka on grass set up an intriguing contest.<\/p>\n The world No. 14 bullied Sabalenka from the back of the court in the first set before counterpunching her power to great effect in the second, and serving formidably throughout. Sabalenka\u2019s grunting was so visceral, as she put all of the fight within her into coming back, but Osaka nullified her weapons.<\/p>\n Futterman: I loved watching the Grigor Dimitrov wins. He was so thrilled to be there after his horrible injury last year. Seeing him in the semifinal against Zverev would have been great, but even Dimitrov\u2019s loss to Arthur F\u00e9ry was magic.<\/p>\n Favorite quote?<\/p>\n Wallace: \u201cIt\u2019s really tough to find any words, but I\u2019ll start with Linda. My ex-friend.\u201d<\/p>\n Karol\u00edna Muchov\u00e1\u2019s ability to find humor through her tears after losing the Wimbledon final<\/a> to friend and fellow Czech Linda Noskov\u00e1 was impressive \u2014 and the line was perfectly delivered.<\/p>\n Eccleshare: \u201c10 years ago maybe.\u201d<\/p>\n A quote that came not in an interview or news conference, but on Centre Court as Novak Djokovic watched another Jannik Sinner ace fly past him. Djokovic summed up the challenge he has at 39 of trying to live with the outstanding world No. 1 who is 15 years his junior.<\/p>\n Harpur: Muchov\u00e1\u2019s quote to Noskov\u00e1, followed by: \u201cI\u2019m kidding, obviously. \u2026 Kind of. You\u2019re so young. This was your first final of a Slam. The way you handled it and how you played were really unbelievable. Beyond all this, you\u2019re a very kind person and human being.\u201d<\/p>\n When Muchov\u00e1 was hurting so much, the kind of hurt that has your heart in a vise, she showed a sense of humour and humility. A class act.<\/p>\n Futterman: \u201cI think thousands of people would love to lose the semifinals at Wimbledon on match point,\u201d Gauff said after her loss to Muchov\u00e1.<\/p>\n Best moment?<\/p>\n Wallace: During the break after the second set of Williams\u2019 and Joint\u2019s first-round match<\/a>, one woman in the crowd stood and screamed, \u201cYES, SERENA!\u201d Then immediately turned to everyone sitting around her and very calmly apologized for being so excited. All her neighbors laughed. Only at Wimbledon.<\/p>\n Eccleshare: Only a tennis fan with a heart of stone could not have felt devastated for Dimitrov last year, when he tore his right pectoral muscle playing the match of his life against Sinner<\/a> and leading two sets to love.<\/p>\n So to see Dimitrov back this year and beating the No. 15 seed Jakub Men\u0161\u00edk in the second round was hugely uplifting. Especially as Dimitrov celebrated the win with a sort of jig on No. 1 Court, genuinely giddy with joy at what he\u2019d just achieved.\u00a0<\/p>\n Dimitrov then beat Matteo Berrettini in the third round, before ultimately falling to F\u00e9ry, the British breakout star, in the last 16.<\/p>\n \n Grigor Dimitrov\u2019s return to Wimbledon was one of the best storylines of the tournament. (James Fearn \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n Harpur: \u201cPlease do not climb on the bins,\u201d warned a Wimbledon steward. On Court 18, the home crowd was trying to find a way to catch a glimpse of the last Brit standing, F\u00e9ry. I\u2019ll never forget the image of bodies poking through the surrounding hedges to cheer on the world No. 114. The fans\u2019 fervent energy seeped into the wild card\u2019s weary legs as he came back from 4-1 down in the fifth set to beat Zizou Bergs 2-6, 7-5, 2-6, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (5).<\/p>\n Futterman: Noskov\u00e1 walking to the bench with her fingers in her ears after she had spurned championship points in the second set of the final. Never saw that before.<\/p>\n Worst prediction?<\/p>\n Wallace: I thought the heat wave was only going to last for a week. I did not pack as well as I could have for this Grand Slam.<\/p>\n Eccleshare: I thought that after the disappointment of the French Open, Ben Shelton would rebound and play with a renewed focus and purpose at Wimbledon. 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