A look at the 8 players best positioned for a deep run at Wimbledon.
- Carlos Alcaraz
- Jannik Sinner
- Novak Djokovic
- Jack Draper
- Taylor Fritz
- Daniil Medvedev
- Sacha Bublik
- Alexander Zverev
- Alcaraz is defending another Major title at Wimbledon and is looking to make it three straight. He comes from winning the French open three weeks ago and winning the Queens title last week. I don’t think he put much pressure on himself at the Queens Club, but that allowed him to go at his own pace. He didn’t draw many high level grass courters compared to the draw that Bublik had to go through in Halle. Most of his preparation came this past week on the Wimbledon grounds playing practice sets against Djokovic and Fonseca to name a few. Definitely the favorite yet again, but should face a name or two that pose some sort of threat (FAA, Lehecka, Taifoe, Rune, Griekspoor). Random, but still crazy that Alcaraz was down 2 sets to 1 serving at 4-4 0-30 vs Tiafoe last year. Got out of trouble thanks to some huge serving, won the breaker, and cruised in the fifth.
- Sinner has an opportunity at Wimbledon that he’s already checked off at the other majors; getting to the final. The last three Wimbledon’s he lost to Djokovic (twice) and Medvedev. While he’s only lost to two players this season, he’s set up extremely well to go far here. His only grass leadup event was Halle where he lost in R2 to eventual champion Sascha Bublik. It’s by no means his best surface, but he should simply be penciled in right behind Alcaraz. The big storyline that came out this week was Sinner parting ways with his physio and trainer. He’s downplayed it in pressers, but it’s definitely an unusual situation days before a Major.
- Djokovic has a bit of a sour taste in his mouth coming back to Wimbledon this year after losing in the finals to Alcaraz the past two seasons, but he’s still playing because he believes he can win these types of events. Wimbledon is his best shot, clear cut 3rd favorite, but I would entertain the conversation at #2 because of the surface and his recent performance at Roland Garros. Last year he had come off of a meniscus injury which forced him to pull out of Roland Garros, but despite that he cruised to the finals. He has an easy draw and should make the quarters with ease where I think he will face Jack Draper.
- Jack Draper has had an impressive few months, earning himself the No. 4 seed at Wimbledon and securing his own quarter of the draw. Unfortunately for him, it’s a tough section packed with high-level grass-court threats, including potential matchups against Marin Cilic, Alexander Bublik, Jakub Mensik, and Novak Djokovic—no easy path. That said, Draper’s game translates beautifully to grass. He plays with an aggressive mindset, uses his lefty slider effectively, has a flat backhand that stays low, and shows solid instincts at the net. After an early exit last year to fellow Brit Cam Norrie, Draper will be eager to make a deeper run this time around. It’ll be exciting to see how he handles the pressure of playing his home Slam as the top-ranked British man.
- Fritz earns himself this spot with his draw and his recent grass court success. He made it to the quarterfinals here last year where he lost to Lorenzo Musetti. After an early exit at Roland Garros, Fritz took home the title in Stuttgart and Eastbourne, a place where he’s won quite often. He should get himself to the Round of 16 where he would likely play Medvedev and then face Zverev if he does his job. He has dominated the matchup against Zverev, making it 5 out of the last 5.
- Medvedev takes the 6th spot due to his performance last year making it to the semis and his recent performance at Halle. He looked a bit like the Medvedev of old with the skippier surface, backing his serve well and winning the extended rallies. Medvedev shouldn’t have too much trouble getting to the Round of 16, where he will likely take on Taylor Fritz. Let’s see how he handles the pressure of defending a large chunk of his points at Wimbledon.
- It feels both fair and realistic to put Sascha Bublik at the 7 slot. After dropping to as low as 82nd in the world in March, Bublik flipped a switch, taking the 175 title in Turin and earning himself a Quarterfinal appearance at Roland Garros. He followed that up with a 500 title in Halle, his favorite tournament on the calendar. In his path, he took down Sinner, Khachanov and Medvedev, where he had 1 win combined amongst the three going into the tournament. His Wimbledon draw isn’t easy, but he proved he’s capable after recent victories over top players in the sport.
- While Zverev hasn’t had deep success at Wimbledon, he lands at the 8 spot because of his Draw. His big serving and tolerance from the ground should get him through to the Quarterfinals without much trouble. That’s the first time he would face a high level grass court player and be tested, so I feel that he deserves this spot. Zverev is going into this slam without many expectations so if he can gain confidence throughout the early rounds he makes this a true conversation.
