The 3rd, and most prestigious Grand Slam of the season has begun. With Aryna Sabalenka out of the women's draw, and an injured Djokovic and Murray on the men's side, the trophy could go to anyone at the end of these two weeks. Here are my top favorites to win the tournament.
The Men's Draw:
Novak Djokovic: In my opinion, even an injured Djokovic will always be a contender for Grand Slam titles. Although he isn't having the best season, the Serb always seems to turn it around in time for Wimbledon. He has said that his practices have been "pain free" having won against Frances Tiafoe and Daniil Medvedev in practice sets. He will face Vit Kopriva in the first round to kick off his campaign to tie Roger Federer's record 8 titles.
Jannik Sinner: Sinner is having the best season of his career, having won his first Grand Slam title and becoming the new No. 1 in the world. The Italian was given a tough draw, as he will face Matteo Berrettini in the second round. The blockbuster match will be up in the air as Berrettini seems to find his best form on grass, having reached the final of the 2021 Wimbledon Championships. Sinner will play his second round match on Wednesday as he looks to extend his lead as No. 1 in the world.
Carlos Alcaraz: Alcaraz is coming in as the defending champion, and after having won his third Grand Slam title at Roland Garros, he will be very confident. Knowing that he doesn't have to play his absolute best to get the results, he will be able to play much more freely. Since he is defending 2000 points from last years title, he has dropped to No. 4 in the ATP Live rankings, giving even more incentive to go deeper into the tournament. The Spaniard will face Alexander Vukic in the second round.
The Women's Draw:
Iga Swiatek: It's pretty hard to bet against Iga at any tournament, she is coming off of her fourth French Open titles, and will be determined to win her first Wimbledon. The Pole had her best result at the Championships last year, reaching the quarterfinals before bowing out to Svitolina, saying that she is finding it "easier and easier" to adapt on grass. The No. 1 in the world world is currently on a 19 match winning streak, and will be looking to extend that in her first round match against Sofia Kenin.
Ons Jabeur: Ons Jabeur has been painfully close to winning her first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, she reached the final two times in a row, losing to Rybakina in 2022 and Vondrousova last year. The dubbed "Minister of Happiness" will be looking to be third time lucky this year, especially with Sabalenka withdrawing, and Swiatek being handed a brutal draw. The 29 year-old will start her campaign at Wimbledon against Japan's Moyuko Uchijima in the first round.
Elena Rybakina: So long as she stays healthy, Rybakina can really do some damage and go deep into the tournament. She won here in 2022, and will look to find that form again coming into her first round match against Elena-Gabriela Ruse.
I'm very excited for these next two weeks, Wimbledon has always been my favorite tournament to watch. We may see some up and coming players go deep this year, or some veterans like Andy Murray have a fairytale tournament. I don't know about you guys, but my eyes will definitely be glued to the screen until the end of play every day.
Commenti