The year the tennis elite vanished from the grass of Wimbledon

History · Published 6 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In 2002, the hierarchy of professional tennis collapsed in a single fortnight. While the world expected a clash of titans, the tournament became a graveyard for legends, producing some of the most shocking upsets in the sport's history and paving the way for a new era of dominance.

The 2002 Wimbledon Championships are remembered primarily for the unprecedented failure of the established elite. With the exception of Lleyton Hewitt and world No. 4 Tim Henman, nearly the entire top 17 seed list was eliminated before reaching the fourth round. This vacuum of power allowed for a series of historic upsets that redefined the tournament's narrative. Most notably, seven-time champion Pete Sampras was ousted in the second round by George Bastl, who entered the tournament ranked No. 145. This match served as Sampras' final appearance at the championships.

The tournament also saw the early exit of other icons. 1992 champion Andre Agassi was defeated in the second round by unseeded Paradorn Srichaphan. Perhaps most significant for the future of the sport was the first-round loss of Roger Federer to qualifier Mario Ančić. While Federer would go on to secure a record five consecutive titles between 2003 and 2007, this 2002 defeat marked his only loss at the venue until the 2008 final.

Amidst this chaos, Lleyton Hewitt secured his second major title by defeating David Nalbandian in the final with a score of 6–1, 6–3, 6–2. Hewitt's victory was a milestone for Australian tennis, as he was the first countryman to win the title since Pat Cash in 1987. The tournament was further shaped by absences: reigning champion Goran Ivanišević withdrew for shoulder surgery, and Tommy Haas withdrew before the draw was even finalized, forcing a reshuffling of the entire seeding structure.

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