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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Sport
Pa Sport Staff

Wimbledon’s remarkable run of first-time champions continues

Ashleigh Barty is one of eight different winners of the women’s singles in the last eight Championships (Adam Davy/PA) - (PA Archive)

Iga Swiatek’s 6-0 6-0 defeat of Amanda Anisimova made her the eighth different women’s singles champion at Wimbledon since Serena Williams claimed her second consecutive victory and seventh in total in 2016.

Here, the PA news agency looks back at the previous seven champions.

2017 – Garbine Muguruza

Garbine Muguruza beat Venus Williams (Steven Paston/PA) (PA Archive)

Spaniard Muguruza avenged her 2015 final defeat by Serena Williams and won her second grand slam title with a straight-sets win over 37-year-old five-time champion Venus Williams.

Muguruza, 23, saved two set points in the first set and won the last nine games in a 7-5 6-0 victory under the Centre Court roof.

2018 – Angelique Kerber

German 11th seed Kerber spoiled Serena Williams’ comeback as a new mother with a 6-3 6-3 success.

Williams had been the favourite despite competing in only her fourth tournament since giving birth to her daughter Olympia the previous September but Kerber, 30, added Wimbledon to her 2016 Australian Open and US Open crowns.

2019 – Simona Halep

Simona Halep saw off Serena Williams in 2019 (Victoria Jones/PA) (PA Archive)

Williams reached the final again, her 11th appearance, but this time ran into 2018 French Open champion Halep.

The Romanian, 27, won 6-2 6-2 in only 56 minutes in front of a stunned Centre Court crowd and afterwards admitted it was her “best match”.

2021 – Ashleigh Barty

With no Championships held in 2020 due to Covid, Australia’s Barty took the next title by edging out Karolina Pliskova 6–3 6–7 (4) 6–3.

Barty never played at Wimbledon again, announcing her retirement from the sport the following March, as world number one, aged 25.

2022 – Elena Rybakina

Elena Rybakina is presented with the the Venus Rosewater dish (Zac Goodwin/PA) (PA Archive)

Wimbledon had banned Russians from the Championships due to the Ukraine invasion but Moscow-born 17th seed Rybakina claimed the title under the flag of Kazakhstan.

The 23-year-old hit back from dropping the first set to beat third seed Ons Jabeur 3-6 6-2 6-2, becoming the youngest winner since Petra Kvitova in 2011.

2023 – Marketa Vondrousova

Jabeur reached the final again but the popular Tunisian was left heartbroken after 24-year-old Vondrousova became the first unseeded player to win the women’s title.

The Czech won 6-4 6-4 to leave sixth seed Jabeur, 28, in tears after her third defeat in a grand slam final.

2024 – Barbora Krejcikova

Barbora Krejcikova was the second surprise Czech winner in as many years (John Walton/PA) (PA Archive)

Another surprise Czech champion, 31st seed Krejcikova won a gripping final against Italian Jasmine Paolini 6–2 2–6 6–4.

An emotional victory meant Krejcikova, 28, emulated her late friend and coach Jana Novotna, who won the title in 1998.

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