Goran Ivanisevic wins as a wildcard
Croatia's Goran Ivanisevic was a powerful player. He had made the finals at Wimbledon on three prior occasions – in 1992, 1994 and 1998 – but never been able to win the title. By 2001, his ranking had dropped low enough that the Croat entered Wimbledon as a wildcard.
That did not stop him. The then-30-year-old pulled off a series of stunning upsets – over three top 10 players in quick succesion, begining with Marat Safin, Tim Henman and in the finals, Patrick Rafter. Ivanisevic would fight Rafter in a closely contested five-setter to take the first and only Grand Slam title of his career, and cried at the venue.
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