A year after winning his second Wimbledon title, Djokovic is the favorite to win a third. Though he has lost six of the last nine Grand Slam finals in which he has played, it’s worth noting that he has made it to at least the semifinals in 19 of his last 20 Grand Slams and his last five Wimbledons.
Despite Djokovic’s absence from competition since the French Open, it would be a shock if the Serbian fails to make another run to the semifinals.
Petra Kvitova withdrew from the Aegon International earlier this week due to illness, saying she didn’t feel well upon arrival at Eastbourne and ultimately couldn’t finish the tournament.
It’s impossible to determine how much her illness will affect her preparation and fitness ahead of the Wimbledon, but if the Czech is healthy she is a good bet to make another deep run. Kvitova has fared well at the All England Club, winning in both 2011 and 2014, her only two Grand Slam titles, and may be among Serena’s top challengers this year.
It’s been 11 years since Maria Sharapova broke through and turned the tennis world upside down by upsetting Serena Williams and winning Wimbledon.
And, even more strangely, it’s been a full four years since Sharapova even made it to the quarterfinals of the All England Club.
It’s no surprise that odds favours Novak Djokovic as the man to beat at Wimbledon.
After suffering from a shock defeat in the French Open final to Stan Wawrinka, Djokovic should be eager to bounce back.
Djokovic has been freakishly consistent at majors over the past few years: He hasn’t lost before the quarterfinals of a major since the 2009 French Open.
Since making the final back in 2011 where she lost to Petra Kvitova, Sharapova has lost in the fourth round to Sabine Lisicki in 2012, the second round to Michelle Larcher de Brito in 2013 and the fourth round to Angelique Kerber last year.
The grass is no longer Sharapova’s best surface, but that doesn’t mean she’s not dangerous. Now fully fit after struggling with nagging illnesses and injuries all season, Sharapova is likely to live up to her No. 4 seed and make a huge impact on the tournament.
Serena Williams is tipped, as the favorite to win the Wimbledon and it’s hard to make a case for anyone but Serena right now. The 33-year-old star is 32-1 on the year with three titles, including the French Open and the Australian Open.
For the first time in her career she has a shot to win the Calendar Slam, and although she’s trying to downplay how much that achievement would mean to her, it’s hard to believe that’s not a motivating factor.
“I don’t know how this sounds, but it’s not on top of my list,” she said.
“My list right now is to do well at Wimbledon. And then my list is to do well at the U.S. Open. And then Australia.”
Serena has lost before the quarterfinals at Wimbledon the last two years, but it’s easy to see her bouncing back this year and keeping the best season of her illustrious career going.
Andy Murray and Roger Federer are in top form, and Rafael Nadal might exit very early. Murray, in particular, looks primed to win again after taking the Queens title. Federer has one deeper Wimbledon run in him and it comes this year.
Can Serena Williams take the third leg of the Grand Slam? If no one could upend her on her worst surface when she was unhealthy, can anyone disrupt her progress on grass? How will Djokovic recover from the sting of Paris? Can Roger Federer fire up one for the memory banks? Can Rafael Nadal reverse his slide? Who will Stan Wawrinka play, and what will he wear since the all-white policy will, mercifully, necessitate a costume outfit change.
All these questions will be answered during the tournament that runs from 29th June to 12th July, with champions Novak Djokovic and Petra Kvitova defending their titles.
Anthony Nlebem
@AnthonyNlebem
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