Roger Federer will be aiming for a ninth Wimbledon title when the Championships roll around on June 28, but the Swiss maestro is unlikely to have it all his own way in SW19. Federer will always be one of the favourites at the All England Club, yet there are plenty of others capable of preventing him achieving a 21st Grand Slam title.
The 39-year-old has not been at his best recently and has been struggling to find form since undergoing knee surgery.
He has not had the best preparation for his favourite major, having been beaten by Felix Auger Aliassime in the last 16 at the Halle Open this week.
However, it is never wise to rule the Swiss great out – especially at Wimbledon where he has produced some of the best performances of his storied career.
Former world number one Mats Wilander is certainly confident of his chances, telling Punto de Break his prediction recently.
“People have to remember that there are not too many grass specialists,” the six-time major winner said.
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The Serb came from behind to beat clay court specialist Rafael Nadal in the semi-final before producing another staggering comeback to prevail against Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final.
He now has 19 Grand Slam titles, just one short of Federer and Nadal’s total and could use his momentum to draw level with the two modern greats in the coming weeks.
You would not bet against Djokovic’s success and the 34-year-old is in with a chance of becoming the first man to win a Golden Slam by winning all four Majors and the Olympic gold medal in the same year.
Stefanos Tsitsipas
The second favourite with the bookies is Tsitsipas, who now looks more than capable of challenging the big three for titles.
The Russian beat Djokovic, Nadal and Dominic Thiem on his way to scooping the ATP Finals trophy last year and will be confident of performing well at Wimbledon.
Nadal and Thiem have both withdrawn from Wimbledon, increasing Medvedev’s chances of picking up a first Grand Slam title.
The 25-year-old was comfortably beaten by Djokovic in the Australian Open final but could learn from his mistakes at Wimbledon.
Matteo Berrettini
If you’re looking for an in-form outside bet for Wimbledon, then Berrettini is your man.
The Italian beat Andy Murray on his way to the final at Queen’s Club recently and also dispatched Dan Evans and Australian Alex De Minaur on the grass in London.
The 25-year-old is currently ranked ninth in the world, one place behind Federer and could compete for the title – although Murray isn’t convinced.
“I don’t know if Berrettini can be a contender for the title,” he said this week.
“He has a great serve and we know how important he is on grass, but the Championships courts are slower than the Queen’s.
“It will depend on how he plays in response and I have the impression that he is still missing something to be able to win a Grand Slam.”
Andrey Rublev
Another long shot, but another man in form on the grass.
Rublev is ranked seventh in the world and has an impressive record since the return of tennis after lockdown.
He reached the final at the Halle Open and believes he has the game to succeed in the grass court season.
“I have adapted to the grass, but there are so many things I can still improve on the grass. For example, with the slice, the volley, and moving better,” he said after beating Philipp Kohlschreiber in the quarter-final at Halle.
“In general, though, because my game is to play aggressively. If you play aggressive, this helps you a lot on grass, so I think my game for this surface is ok.”
