The world’s most prestigious tennis tournament, Wimbledon, will play out at the All-England Club for two weeks this summer starting July 2. There is already fevered anticipation about who will be able to make history on the hallowed Centre Court during the final weekend.
Roger Federer will again be a strong favorite on the men’s side of the draw after he secured a record eighth Wimbledon title last year. The Swiss added a sixth Australian Open title to his incredible resume in January, and despite being 36 years old he is showing no signs of slowing down in Grand Slams. Federer has made the decision to once again skip the French Open—and the entire clay-court swing—to focus his efforts on the grass season, so he should be in excellent shape when Wimbledon rolls around.
Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic have both won the tournament multiple times, but both are struggling with fitness issues so they are unlikely to be among the favorites. Their experience, though, will always be a positive factor if they are fit enough to play. This leaves the final player of the “Big Four,” Rafael Nadal, who recently regained the No. 1 world ranking. The Spaniard has two Wimbledon titles but hasn’t advanced past the fourth round since 2011.
In terms of dark horses, the big-serving Sam Querrey will carry America’s hopes along with Jack Sock and perhaps Miami Open champion John Isner. Querrey lost to Marin Cilic in the semifinals last year and has traditionally performed well on grass, so expect him to shine again. Kevin Anderson, Tomas Berdych, and Juan Martin Del Potro have also been to the latter stages of Wimbledon before, so they could make a deep run again.
Del Potro is arguably the hottest player on tour right now after defeating Federer in a thriller in the Indian Wells final and reaching the semifinals in Miami. The Argentine is currently No. 6 in the world, and it would be no surprise if he carried his impressive form into the grass-court season. Meanwhile, the third-ranked Cilic—who lost to Federer in last summer’s Wimbledon final—could also do well again.
In terms of young players ready to make a big impact, Germany’s Alexander Zverev is the pick of the bunch. The 20-year-old advanced to the fourth round of Wimbledon last year and has continued to show excellent form on the ATP Tour in the early months of 2018. Both he and Grigor Dimitrov, plus Federer, Cilic, Querrey, and Del Potro will arguably offer the best value for those who place a wager with Stakers.com for the competitions leading up to the event and Wimbledon.
On the women’s side, the tournament is tipped to be wide open as Serena Williams continues her comeback from maternity leave. The 36-year-old could equal Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slams at Wimbledon, but Simona Halep, Caroline Wozniacki, and Garbine Muguruza will be among the big names who will be aiming to upset the odds and lift the famous Venus Rosewater Dish.
The grass-court season will begin in earnest with the traditional events at Queen’s Club, Halle, and Eastbourne before Wimbledon takes center stage for a fortnight in early July.
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