Unseeded Veteran Laura Siegemund Surprises Wimbledon
Wimbledon always finds ways to surprise tennis fans, and this year, it was Laura Siegemund who delivered one of the biggest jolts. The 37-year-old German, overlooked by most as the world number 104, swept past No. 29 seed Leylah Fernandez in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3. From the opening game, Siegemund looked like the more seasoned player, never rattled, while Fernandez struggled to find her rhythm.
Fernandez simply couldn't get her first serve going, putting only 55% of her first serves in play. On top of that, she coughed up four double faults—just as the pressure was mounting. Every time the Canadian carved out a break-point opportunity, Siegemund locked down and played her best tennis, saving all three chances against her serve. That’s how you close the door on a rising seed.
Siegemund’s Run: What Sets Her Apart?
This is not Siegemund’s first deep run at a major, but for a player now closer to 40 than 30, the way she moves around the court really stands out. She plays with a cool head and controls rallies from the baseline, moving her opponent corner to corner. Against Peyton Stearns in the first round, Siegemund put on a similar show, dispatching the American 6-4, 6-2 with few errors.
For Fernandez, Wimbledon keeps proving elusive. Despite reaching the US Open final a few years back, she’s now crashed out in the second round of the All England Club three years in a row. Her serve, especially under pressure, still needs work. It showed during those double faults and missed break points.
Siegemund now faces a massive challenge: Madison Keys, the No. 6 seed. Keys, coming off a solid 6-4, 6-2 win over Olga Danilovic, is hitting her stride, looking aggressive and fresh. It's a big jump in competition, but Siegemund has already shown she shouldn't be written off.
The day also brought other drama around the grounds. Ashlyn Krueger had to dig deep in her win over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, while Aryna Sabalenka—always a contender—managed a routine advance. Over in doubles, there was good news for Canada: Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe combined to topple the Chinese pair Xinyu Wang and Xiaodi You in convincing fashion, 6-1, 6-4.
The Canadians in singles action kept the home crowd buzzing. Felix Auger-Aliassime lined up against Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff, and Gabriel Diallo took on Taylor Fritz of the U.S. Every year, Wimbledon serves up unlikely heroes and gut-wrenching exits. This time, Siegemund’s veteran poise is stealing the headlines.
