When Novak Djokovic defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the semifinals, the Serbian was guaranteed to move to No. 1 in the world rankings irrespective of what happened in his championship match against Rafael Nadal. Djokovic cemented his standing as the best player in men's tennis with his convincing win over the defending champion to capture Wimbledon for the first time. Djokovic had never beaten the Spaniard in a Grand Slam match or in any best-of-five-set encounter before he prevailed on the historic grass of the All-England Club. It was Djokovic's fifth win over Nadal this year, improving his record to a stellar 48-1 in 2011. Djokovic has won three major championships and will try to maintain that momentum as the sport shifts to the summer hardcourt season leading up to the US Open.
 

Oddsmakers in London installed Maria Sharapova as a heavy favorite when she took on Petra Kvitova in the singles final. But the 21-year-old Czech overcame long odds to defeat the 2004 Wimbledon champion in straight sets and win her first Grand Slam tournament. Trivia buffs will note that Kvitova became the first left-handed woman to win Wimbledon since Martina Navratilova in 1990, and just the third lefty to win in the women's draw at the All-England Club in the tournament's 125-year history.
 

Roger Federer has been remarkably consistent in his brilliant career. The Swiss star was 178-0 in Grand Slam matches after winning the first two sets — until he ran into Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarterfinals. The Frenchman rallied to beat Federer in a dramatic five-set win. It was just the third time in his career that Federer dropped a match after leading by a pair of sets. Federer was hoping to tie Pete Sampras' mark of seven Wimbledon titles, but instead was left out of the winner's circle in London for the second straight year. While the former world No. 1 has captured 16 Grand Slam titles, it's reasonable to wonder if the 29-year-old's championship window at major tournaments has started to close.
 

Bob (left) and Mike Bryan continued their dominance in men's doubles beating Robert Lindstedt and Horia Tecau to win the doubles championship. It was the 11th Grand Slam victory for the Americans, tying the record held by Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde of Australia. While the Bryans have crafted a Hall of Fame résumé, success in London has been more elusive compared to their brilliant play at other tournaments; their only other Wimbledon title came in 2006. But the Bryans can't rest on their achievement. They'll be representing the United States in Davis Cup competition against Spain later this week.
 

Tradition dictates that no matches are played on the middle Sunday of Wimbledon. Some of the biggest names in women's tennis weren't able to do much with that additional day of rest when they returned to the court the following day. Both Williams sisters and top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki (left) were knocked out during a wild Monday at the All-England Club. Serena and Venus Williams had combined to win nine of the past 11 Wimbledon championships, but failed to survive the round of 16 as they returned from injuries. Wozniacki endured yet another disappointing performance at a major event. The world's top-ranked player still is looking for her first Grand Slam championship.
 

Tennis fans in the Czech Republic had plenty to cheer about. In addition to Petra Kvitova's unlikely win over Maria Sharapova in the singles final, Czech players were outstanding in doubles competition. Kveta Peschke (left) of the Czech Republic teamed with Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia in defeating Samantha Stosur and Sabine Lisicki to win the women's doubles championship. Another Czech player, Iveta Benesova, partnered with Jurgen Melzer to win the mixed doubles crown. The Czech Republic will try to continue its success in women's tennis later this year when they face Russia for the Fed Cup championship.
 

What were you doing when you were 18? Well, Bernard Tomic had an outstanding run at the All-England Club, becoming the youngest player in 25 years to reach the quarterfinals. Tomic posted wins over established players like Robin Soderling and Xavier Malisse before falling to the eventual champion, Novak Djokovic. The feat was even more impressive considering the Australian almost didn't make it into the main draw. Tomic nearly was knocked out in the first round of qualifying and then rallied from two sets down to win in the second round. With his powerful serve and court savvy, Tomic's big game may be solid enough to ensure that he's more than a "one-slam wonder."
 

Tennis has a plethora of names that are challenging to pronounce. Wimbledon chair umpire Graeme Jones tried a phonetic approach with Julia Goerges in her match against Mathilde Johansson and had little success. He repeatedly referred to the German as "Miss Gorgeous;" despite its spelling, Julia pronounces her last name "gur-giss" and wasn't pleased the official couldn't come close to the proper pronunciation. Goerges corrected the chair umpire in a testy exchange during the match and offered this explanation to reporters: "'Honestly, I don't really like it. You can make the joke once but you don't have to do it two or three or four times in a row. It's getting to really annoy me."
 

The men’s draw produced an improbable first-round pairing: John Isner taking on Nicolas Mahut in a rematch of their epic 2010 Wimbledon match, in which Isner outlasted Mahut 70-68 in the fifth set of their 11- hour clash, the longest in the history of tennis. That match took three days to complete. The sequel lasted only two hours and four minutes. Isner (left) used his huge serve to defeat the Frenchman in straight sets. After the match the players shared a hearty hug. Even though they could not match the drama of a year ago, Isner and Mahut will be linked forever in the annals of tennis history.
 

American Bethanie Mattek-Sands has made some memorable fashion statements on the WTA Tour; she once famously wore a cowboy hat during a match. Mattek-Sands apparently has been getting in touch with the musical side of her personality — she's teamed with Alex Noble, who has designed many of the outrageous outfits worn by the pop star Gaga. Mattek-Sands was able to adhere to the All-England Club rules mandating that a player can wear only white, while displaying an outfit that might be better suited for Lollapalooza: a warm-up jacket covered with tennis balls on both sleeves. But the splashy ensemble didn't do much for Mattek-Sands' game; she lost her opening match to Misaki Doi, a Japanese qualifier. — Brian Webber