Sports fanatics are going to be eating good these upcoming weeks, with Wimbledon swooping in to offer a lovely alternative to the FIFA World Cup action.
Yes, it’s that time of year again, when the Victorian staple of strawberries and cream becomes the de facto diet of the British populace (fans are said to consume between 190,000 and 280,000 portions of it during the two-week championships). The men’s draw looked set to be a bit of a damp squib up until a few weeks ago. The injury-enforced absence of Carlos Alcaraz had robbed us of the most charismatic, electrifying talent in the sports. And the relentless automaton that is Jannik Siner was wreaking havoc in his great rivals’ absence, seemingly destined to turn the calendar into a bit of a joke. But the French Open descended into one of the most chaotic slams in recent memory, as a suffocating heatwave created turmoil in the men’s draw. Sinner collapsed in historic fashion against Cerundolo, while perennial Grand Slam bridesmaid Alex Zverev finally conquered his jitters to win that elusive first slam.
Was that just a momentary blip in Sinner’s otherwise upward trajectory? Or could it have offered a ray of hope to other Wimbledon contenders? Sinner has taken a leaf out of Rory McIlroy’s Masters playbook, skipping the grass-court precursors while training at SW19. Sinner steamrolled his way to last year’s title, dropping just one set all fortnight (in the final against Alcaraz). He will be under a bit of pressure knowing that arch-nemesis Alcaraz is likely to return to the Grand Slam fray in New York. With Alcaraz absent, seven-time Wimbledon champ Novak Djokovic should feel emboldened in his quest to pull clear of Margaret Court and win a 25th Grand Slam singles title. Perhaps Alex Zverev’s Parisian triumph will diminish that burden of expectation (though grass appears to be his kryptonite). Jack Draper- the current poster child of British tennis- will be carrying British hopes after what has been another injury-riddled campaign. Elsewhere, clinical grass-court operators such as Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz will look to capitalize on their obvious advantages.
Wimbledon Precursors
Stuttgart Open: Ben Shelton bt Taylor Fritz (6-4, 2-6, 6-4)
Rosmalen Championships: Kamil Majchrzak bt Alex de Minaur (6-3, 2-6, 7-6)
Halle Open: Frances Tiafoe bt Taylor Fritz (6-4, 6-4)
Queen’s Club Championships: Francesco Cerundolo bt Tommy Paul (6-7, 6-4, 6-3)
Mallorca Open and Eastbourne Open: in progress
Past Winners
2025: Jannik Sinner bt Carlos Alcaraz (4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4)
2024: Carlos Alcaraz bt Novak Djokovic (6-2, 6-2, 7-5)
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 due to Covid
The Top Three- Jannik Sinner (1), Alex Zverev (2) and Novak Djokovic (7)
Sinner’s French Open capitulation against Cerundolo was the stuff of nightmares. He said he ‘hit the wall’ during that heatwave, feeling the weight of all the tennis he had played leading into Roland Garros (he was on a 30-match winning streak). So, perhaps a 2nd round French Open defeat was what he needed to be physically ready for his Wimbledon title defence. Sinner was magnificent during last year’s championships, but defending the crown brings its own kind of pressure. Alcaraz’s absence is almost a bad thing for Sinner in that it could lead to complacency. Personally, I think he could saunter to this year’s title. He has become a servebot this season and should be able to dominate on the quick, skiddy SW19 grass-courts.
I thought that Alex Zverev had run out of lives in search of that elusive slam. It just felt that there was too much scar-tissue there (not to mention the fact that Jannik Sinner has turned him into his personal whipping boy these past eight months or so). But the controversial German took advantage of all the Parisian chaos, avoiding banana peels en route to a maiden Grand Slam title. Will that give him the impetus for a solid Wimbledon run? I mean, he did just reach the semifinals in Halle. The truth of the matter is that Zverev isn’t really cut out for SW19 success. His talk, lanky frame isn’t really conducive to picking up the low, skiddy counce. His movement has also never looked right on these occasionally slippery surfaces. Zverev is yet to win a grass-court title and has never gone beyond the final 16 here. Who knows, maybe his new status as a Grand Slam winner could propel him forward a round (maybe two). But no further.
Which leads me to Sinner’s true competition this fortnight: Novak Djokovic. The seven-time champ- who recently turned 39- knows that this may represent his last realistic chance of reaching that coveted 25th Grand Slam title. The soft, cushioned Wimbledon surfaces put less pressure on the joints, opening themselves up for the more experienced operators. Still, Djokovic would become the oldest Wimbledon singles champ of the Open Era were he to triumph this coming fortnight. Carlos Alcaraz’s absence means that he won’t have to deal with the man who beat him in successive finals in 2024 and 2025. And he has a bit of a mental edge over Sinner after beating him in this year’s Aussie Open semifinals. I still worry about the fact that he has only played 14 matches this entire season. He could be a bit rusty in the early stages and drop some unnecessary sets. Also, that 7th seeding means he is going to encounter some potentially heavy traffic in the early stages. Still, write Djokovic off at your peril.
My Other Top-Ten Picks- Ben Shelton (4) and Taylor Fritz (6)
Now it’s time for me to talk about those the top-ten players who I don’t have too much faith in. Felix Auger-Aliassime is in the weird position of being the 3rd seed despite not going beyond a quarterfinal since Dubai. Sure, he did reach the final eight at Roland Garros. But I just don’t think his form is good enough now. Moreover, his Wimbledon form has been awful since his 2021 quarterfinal run (he has won just one match in his last four appearances). I also think it will be too much to expect ‘Speed Demon’ Alex de Minaur to go far this coming fortnight. I admire the Aussie’s grit and the way he relentlessly improves his game. I just think his lack of explosive weaponry caps him at the Grand Slam quarterfinal level (he has reached the quarterfinals in six of his last nine Grand Slam appearances). Alexander Bublik is an accomplished grass-court exponent and has shown more Grand Slam grit of late. I still think he lacks the discipline and consistency to threaten the quarterfinal or semifinal stages.
Daniil Medvedev is a slightly more compelling figure. The cantankerous Russian used to hate the surface, frequently falling on it during the early portion of his career. But he changed his shoes and his mindset, slowly morphing into very effective grass-court practitioner. He has reached four grass-court finals since 2021 and reached back-to-back Wimbledon semis in 2023 and 2024. I just think that Medvedev has perhaps played a bit too much tennis this season. Flavio Cobolli is the last guy I truly considered. The hard-hitting Italian will be a very in-vogue pick this year following his unheralded runner-up finish at Roland Garros. He also overperformed at last year’s Wimbledon championships, beating several more fancied opponents en route to a quarterfinal finish. I just have a feeling that Cobolli- like many younger players fresh off a career-altering performance- will struggle to replicate that form so soon.
There is going to be a strong American theme amongst my selections (perhaps World Cup fever has something to do with it). Ben Shelton feels like a complete no-brainer to me. The American has been a serial winner this year, becoming the first man to win titles on all three surfaces: the Dallas hardcourts; the Munich clay and the Stuttgart grass. He also reached the quarterfinals in Melbourne to augment his burgeoning Grand Slam rep. His recent Stuttgart win marked his first title on grass, and he followed that up with a tight quarterfinal defeat to Fritz in Halle. The big-serving lefty reached the quarterfinals here last year and should be even better placed for a deep run this time around. He is now a grass-court winner, and his net-play is continually evolving.
Fellow American Taylor Fritz is the ultimate ‘horses for courses’ pick. The towering American has struggled with injuries this campaign, forced to miss much of the clay-court season due to persistent problems with his right-knee and oblique area. But he has roared back to relevance on his beloved grass, reaching back-to-back finals in Stuttgart and Halle. The American can really lean on his humongous serve in these quick, skiddy conditions (nobody has served more aces on this year’s tour). Fritz has been very consistent at SW19 in recent seasons, reaching the quarterfinal stage or better in three of his last four outings. That included a career-best semifinal run last year, where he lost to eventual champ Carlos Alcaraz in a hotly contested four-set clash.
Mid-range Options (11-20)- Jiri Lehecka (13) and Frances Tiafoe (17)
I think that Czech Jiri Lehecka could pull off a surprise or two this year. He has disappointed terribly at Grand Slam level this season, eliminated in the first round at both the Aussie and French Opens. This coming fortnight presents him with the ideal opportunity to correct that worrying pattern. The Czech reached his maiden Masters final at this year’s Miami Open, going down to a practically unbeatable Jannik Sinner. He looked comfortable on the Stuttgart grass, pushing Ben Shelton to his breaking point in an epic semifinal clash. He underwhelmed at Queens but will still feel confident that he can replicate the form he found in Stuttgart. He reached the Queen’s final last season and made it to the 4th round at SW19 in 2023.
Continuing my Stars and Stripes theme, Frances Tiafoe is a wonderful dark horse pick who could light up the hallowed Wimbledon turf. The charismatic shot-maker reached the final in Acapulco earlier this year but otherwise struggled to make much of an impression leading into the grass-court campaign. He can cut a frustrating figure at times, too eager to hit his way out of problems than to solve them. But the inconsistent American appears to have found his feet on the grass, reaching the quarterfinals in Stuttgart before a triumphant title-winning run in Halle (where he accounted for 2nd seed Auger-Aliassime and 5th seed Taylor Fritz). While he has never been beyond the 4th round at SW19, he did win the Stuttgart title back in 2023. He could be peaking at just the right time for a meaningful Wimbledon run.
Longshot Options (21 and over)- Cameron Norrie (26) and Matteo Berrettini
Cameron Norrie comes into this this year’s championships in dreadful form, losing his last five competitive matches. Despite that, Jack Drapers recent inactivity has seen Norrie reclaim the title of British No.1. So, mixed blessings. The usually energetic Norrie just hasn’t quite looked himself this year, perhaps worn down by the sheer volume of tennis he has played over the past few years. But I still think he could put together a string of results in these unique conditions. He reached his lone Grand Slam semifinal here during the 2022 championships and beat a host of seeded players en route to last year’s quarterfinals. He feeds off the energy of the fanatical home support and can tactically outmanoeuvre opponents with superior footwork and vicious topspin.
The unseeded Matteo Berrettini is someone that the top seeds will want to avoid at any cost. The injury-prone Italian produced a stellar showing at the recent French Open, making it all the way to the quarterfinals before withdrawing midway through his clash with Arnaldi due to a hip issue. Subsequent scans have revealed no serious issue, but he had declined to participate in any of the grass-court precursors. Simply put, Berrettini is one of the most dangerous grass-court players in the world. The big-serving Italian is a former Wimbledon finalist and has won four of his six grass-court finals.
