There are very few sporting events that just tap into the collective consciousness, evoking memories in people who don’t even have a particular affinity for sport.
2025 ATP Tour
Grand Slam Tennis
Men’s Wimbledon Championships
All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, England (Outdoor Grass)
30th June- 13th July
There are very few sporting events that just tap into the collective consciousness, evoking memories in people who don’t even have a particular affinity for sport. The FIFA World Cup and Olympic Games tap into some universal desire for connectivity. The rugged links of the Open Championship appeal to those who yearn for a simpler time, away from the frantic hustle and bustle of contemporary life. Wimbledon just evokes summer (regardless of where you live in the world). The event’s dedication to maintaining tradition- in the face of overwhelming modernization- is quietly reassuring (especially living in a world as crazy as this). Who can forget the clashes of McEnroe and Borg, or when Goran Ivanisevic won the tournament as a wildcard? This year’s renewal will provide the latest chapter in the sport’s grand new rivalry: Alcaraz vs Sinner.
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are redefining the men’s game. The ‘Big Three’ narrative was so dominant- and compelling- that anything that followed was bound to be a letdown. And it felt that way for a few years, with NextGen stars just unable to seize their moment (Zverev and Tsitsipas are still yet to win their maiden slams). Enter Alcaraz and Sinner. The two dynamos of the modern game have shared the last six Slams between them (Sinner has won the hardcourt events while Alcaraz has dominated the natural surfaces). World No,2 Alcaraz is probably the favourite following that herculean French Open final win against Sinner. The Spaniard is also the two-time defending champion. Novak Djokovic is running out of time to become the sole owner of 25 Grand Slam singles titles. Jack Draper’s meteoric rise adds a certain frisson to proceedings: Wimbledon always has an added charge when you have a plausible British contender. This promises to be an exhilarating fortnight, with many overlapping narratives to savour.
Past Champions
2024: Carlos Alcaraz bt Novak Djokovic (6-2, 6-2, 7-6)
2023: Carlos Alcaraz bt Novak Djokovic (1-6, 7-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-4)
2022: Novak Djokovic bt Nick Kyrgios (4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6)
2021: Novak Djokovic bt: Matteo Berrettini (6-7, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3)
2020: no event
2019: Novak Djokovic bt Roger Federer (7-6, 1-6, 7-6, 4-6, 13-12)
Grass-court precursors this season
Stuttgart Open: Taylor Fritz bt Alex Zverev (6-3, 7-6)
Libema Open: Gabriel Diallo bt Zizou Bergs (7-5, 7-6)
Halle Open: Alexander Bublik bt Daniil Medvedev (6-3, 7-6)
Queen’s Club Championships (HSBC Championships): Carlos Alcaraz bt Jiri Lehecka (7-5, 6-7, 6-2)
Mallorca Championships and Eastbourne Open: in progress
The Big-Three- Jannik Sinner (1), Carlos Alcaraz (2) and Novak Djokovic (6)
Jannik Sinner’s recent aura of invincibility has been slightly dented in recent weeks. Sinner is yet to win a title since returning from his three-month doping suspension. He lost to Alcaraz in the Rome and Roland Garros finals (memorably squandering a two-set lead in Paris). He also suffered a shock defeat in his only grass-court precursor event, going down to Alexander Bublik in their Halle round of 16 clash. I personally think that these recent disappointments could be a blessing in disguise for Sinner. His nigh-on unbeatable form over the last six months just never jibed well with the whole doping scandal (regardless of where you stand on the matter). The recent setbacks help in ‘humanizing’ him (people are less inclined to see an unbeatable doper if he can be beaten). Sinner- who reached the semis here in 2023 and won in Halle last year- will certainly be a factor this year (I don’t see him falling prior to the semifinal stage). But Alcaraz now leads their rivalry 8-4, winning their last five successive matches. That is a significant mental edge that he will struggle to overcome.
Carlos Alcaraz must be the favourite. The two-time defending champion has dominated the natural surfaces and is the only man who truly intimidates World No.1 Sinner. His biggest test is going to come when he looks to dethrone Sinner on hard surfaces. In any event, Alcaraz will bring a career-best 18-match winning streak into this year’s championships. (he won in Rome, Paris and Queens). The 22-year-old currently has a 91% career record on grass, owning more grass-court titles (4) than grass-court defeats (3)! One thing I will say- Alcaraz doesn’t come out and dominate with the type of ruthless efficiency of Sampras or Sinner. His flamboyant, instinctive style tends to result in a few breathless back-and-forth encounters. But he somehow manages to ride the lightning, using his remarkable athleticism and preternatural hand-eye coordination to dominate long, convoluted rallies. The Spaniard is the one to beat this fortnight.
It’s hard what to make of Novak Djokovic’s chances. It feels like he has been marooned on 24 slams for a lifetime (even though his most recent slam came as recently as the 2023 US Open). The Alcaraz-Sinner phenomenon feels like the final nail in the coffin of the so-called ‘Big Three’. Djokovic hasn’t played since his comprehensive French Open semifinal defeat to Sinner. But I would argue that the surface probably presents Djokovic with his best chance of sneaking one last slam. Djokovic has quietly dominated this event in recent years, reaching the final in each of the last six editions, winning four successive titles from 2018-2022 (the 2020 edition was cancelled due to Covid). He is just one title away from matching Federer’s Open Era record of eight titles. I think his courtcraft and defensive nous could give him a fighting chance against the power-hitting of Sinner. Djokovic- at this stage of his career- may struggle with the more wildly unpredictable Alcaraz.
My Top-ten Contenders- Jack Draper (4) and Taylor Fritz (5)
Let me start by eliminating the guys I don’t particularly fancy this year. Lorenzo Musetti was on the cusp of a selection. The gifted Italian shot-maker reached the semifinals last year and is fresh off another magnificent semifinal run at Roland Garros. But he was forced to retire midway through his French Open semifinal clash with Alcaraz with an upper left leg issue. He hasn’t played a single grass-court warmup match, and it just feels like too much of a risk. Holger Rune reminds me of Forrest Gump’s box of chocolates speech: you never know what you are going to get. He has produced some eye-catching results this year, reaching the Indian Wells final while winning a maiden ATP 500 title in Barcelona. But he went 1-4 in the other four Masters 1000 events. A Wimbledon quarterfinalist back in 2023, Rune is yet to compete in a grass-court final. He reached the Queen’s quarters, but he hasn’t quite done enough to earn my selection.
Daniil Medvedev has grown immeasurably as a grass-court player these past few years, reaching back-to-back Wimbledon semifinals in 2023 and 2024. He has also looked sharp during this year’s grass-court swing, reaching the Rosmalen quarterfinals before going down to Alexander Bublik in the Halle final. I just think that his chances of being a credible Grand Slam contender have been snuffed out by the emergence of the Alcaraz-Sinner rivalry. Ben Shelton has already shown undeniable Grand Slam pedigree in his young career, reaching the US Open semis in 2023 and the Aussie Open semis earlier this season. His form dipped after that Melbourne odyssey, but he did pick up a runner-up finish on the Munich clay. The big-serving American started his grass-court season in fine fashion, pushing Alex Zverev in two keenly fought tiebreaks in their Stuttgart semifinal clash. He has waned since then, facing picking up back-to-back first-round defeats at Queens and Mallorca. Saying that, Shelton’s power-based game makes him a dark horse candidate for success here. Still, there are two alternative top-ten options that stand out this year.
Jack Draper is my first bet. It feels like the universe created Draper to fill the void left by Andy Murray’s retirement (in much the same way that the truculent Scot inherited Tim Henman’s role). Henman Hill gave way to Murray Mania: what will we get this year? Draper delirium? Draper has managed to nick the No.4 seeding, meaning he won’t meet Alcaraz or Sinner until the semifinal stage (a massive plus). Draper has come on in leaps and bounds this year, reaching his first two Masters 1000 finals (winning at Indian Wells and finishing runner-up in Madrid). The 2024 US Open semifinalist has hinted at a deep Grand Slam run this season, falling in the 4th round of the Aussie and French Opens. While he hasn’t shone at SW19 in his young career, he clearly has the type of power-based game to compete. He won his maiden grass-court title in Stuttgart last year and is fresh off a solid semifinal run at Queens. His hot-headedness is a bit of a concern when you consider the pressure he will be under this fortnight. I just think he is built for success in this arena.
American Taylor Fritz is my next selection. Runner-up at last year’s US open, the 5th seeded American has had a bit of a rollercoaster campaign. He battled to find his rhythm in the early stages of the season (though he helped guide USA to another United Cup triumph). He reached the semifinals in Miami but struggled during the clay-court swing. The American rose like the Undertaker as the tour switched to grass, winning his 9th ATP Tour title in Stuttgart. He was dumped out of Queens by the notoriously unorthodox Corentine Moutet. The American is currently embroiled in a tight Round of 16 Eastbourne clash with Joao Fonesca (the match was suspended overnight due to darkness). A quarterfinalist here in two of the last three seasons, I think that Fritz’s experience at Flushing Meadows could give him the chance to go one step further here (draw permitting).
My Mid-tier Choices (11-20)- Tommy Paul (13) and Ugo Humbert (18)
Tommy Paul has been a bastion of consistency this season, with semifinal runs in Dallas, Houston and Rome. More importantly, he has been on the cusp of some elite Grand Slam results, reaching back-to-back quarterfinals at the Aussie and French Opens (he has reached three Grand Slam quarterfinals in his last four appearances). The 2023 Aussie Open semifinalist clearly understands how to go deep in these events. The American has a versatile game that combines excellent power with all-court cunning. He has been a rock-solid grass-court exponent throughout his career, finishing runner-up at the 2023 Eastbourne International before claiming last year’s Queen’s title. A quarterfinalist here last year, Paul just feels like he is on the precipice of another deep Grand Slam run (despite losing to Dan Evans in Eastbourne yesterday). Paul doesn’t lose that match over five sets.
Big-serving lefty Ugo Humbert hasn’t looked as destructive as he did during last year’s campaign (he reached four finals last year, finishing runner-up at the Masters 1000 event in Paris). He started the season encouragingly, reaching the 4th round of the Aussie Open before defending his Marseille title. He struggled on the clay and immediately enjoyed success when the tour switched to grass, reaching the semifinals at the Libema Open. The enigmatic Frenchman went out early in Halle but looked impressive in his Eastbourne opener, beating Sonego in straight sets despite serving just four aces. The 2021 Halle champion reached the Wimbledon 4th round last year and could be a bit of dangerous dark horse option.
My Longshot Options (seeded 21 and higher)- Felix Auger-Aliassime (25) and Alexander Bublik (28)
Once touted as a future World No.1, Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime has struggled with unrealistic expectations throughout his career. The former World No.6 is having a solid campaign thus far, improving to 24-15 for the season with his straight-sets Mallorca win over Arthur Rinderknech. Auger-Aliassime looked brilliant during the early portion of the season, winning titles in Adelaide and Montpelier. He is a proven grass-court operator, reaching the 2021 Wimbledon quarters and twice finishing runner-up in Stuttgart. He is 4-2 on grass this season, reaching the Stuttgart semis while qualifying for today’s Mallroca quarterfinals.
This is going to be a popular choice. The mercurial Alexander Bublik is enjoying a golden spell in his career, winning nine of his last ten tour-level matches. The unconventional Kazakh surprisingly burst into life during the clay-court swing, winning a Turin Challenger before an unheralded quarterfinal run at Roland Garros. He seems to have finally fallen in love with the game, claiming his 2nd ATP 500 title in Halle (seeing off Jannik Sinner in three sets in the process). He has looked threatening at SW19 these past few years, reaching the 3rd round or better in each of his last four appearances. His brand of first-strike tennis is ideally suited to these surfaces. He withdrew from Eastbourne and should feel reinvigorated going into this fortnight.
