Ubitennis’ second part of the 32 most emotional moments of 2017 covers events that occurred during and after the Wimbledon Championships. The second half of the year saw Bethanie Mattek-Sands suffer injury agony, Rafael Nadal losing a Wimbledon Thriller and France finally ending their Davis Cup drought.
Here is what happened over the last six months.
1) Wimbledon: Venus Williams’ first press conference
This would be the first time Venus spoke publicly after a traffic accident she was involved in resulted in the death of a passenger in another car. At the time, the police had stated Venus was at fault for the accident, but she has since been cleared of the charges. When asked about the incident by the press, Venus understandably struggled to describe her feelings.
2) Wimbledon: Bethanie Mattek-Sands’ gruesome knee injury
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This was the hardest moment to watch in 2017. During her second round match with Sorana Cirstea, Mattek-Sands’ knee buckled as she approached the net. Looking down to see her leg bent in a direction it doesn’t normally bend, Bethanie screamed out in pain, shouting “Someone help me, please!” Officials, fans, her husband, and even her opponent were panicked as they tried to get help and console Bethanie. Many people present were in tears, including her doubles teammate Lucie Safarova who came to the court upon hearing the news. This scene went on for about half an hour before Mattek-Sands was taken off the court on a stretcher. She suffered a dislocated kneecap and ruptured patellar ligament which required surgery. Thankfully, Bethanie was recently back on the practice court, and plans to return to the tour in 2018.
3) Wimbledon: Gilles Muller upsets Rafael Nadal
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It was a year of career highs for Muller, and this may just be the highlight of them all. Muller pulled off the upset over the all-time great in a nearly five-hour, five set match that ended 16-14 in the fifth. Gilles himself seemed to be the most surprised of anyone that he was able to pull off this feat.
4) Wimbledon: Muguruza wins her second major
With fellow Spaniard and Wimbledon Champion Conchita Martinez as her coach, Muguruza won her first title since the previous year’s French Open, re-affirming belief that she will be a champion many times over in years to come.
5) Wimbledon: Cilic breaks down during the gentlemen’s final
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Hampered by a blister during the biggest match of his life, Cilic was unable to control his emotions and began sobbing during a changeover in the second set.
6) Wimbledon: Federer wins his eighth title
Much like Nadal had done in Paris a month earlier, Federer re-wrote the history books without dropping a set. While his initial reaction was muted after an easy win in the final, Federer broke down while sitting in his chair and watching his children arrive on Centre Court.
