I suppose it’s only fair we pay some attention to the men. Whilst some are convinced this is solely a two-horse race between the only true duo Sincaraz, sorry Raducaraz nation. (For more Emma, please see Women's Edition)
My Champion – Jannik Sinner. It’s time guys, Jannik Sinner is going to win his first grand slam on a natural surface. Despite his average showing in Halle to an inspired Bublik, I fully expect the Italian to return to SW19 with a renewed sense of vigour following that heartbreaking defeat at RG. I think it also gives him a boost this year that he definitely is not the favourite heading in, especially given the fact Carlitos had a pit stop to party in Ibiza and still came back and won Queens! You must be wondering why I’m not going with Carlos given his latest pedigree, it’s simply down to the fact that I can’t see his body holding up for another 7 matches. Whilst he’s proven us wrong time and time again, he has been on a big run injury-free, so if he manages to stay fit – I do think we’re going to see him in that final yet again. Britain has been hot hot hot of late though, and the speed of the court I think will really favour Jannik this time.
First Flight Home – Lorenzo Musetti. We’ve seen this story before, a beautiful one-handed backhand on the hallowed lawns of SW19. This time it’s an Italian one & although he is great to watch, admire and a real athlete, I can’t see him recovering sufficiently enough from RG to cause much havoc on these slick, grass courts. His strokes need a lot of time, and given the aforementioned heat, I think we’re looking at some difficulties for some of the best hair in tennis.
The Arrival Of… - Gabriel Diallo. A winner in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, this Canadian has taken the grass season by storm. Amassing 8 wins over 3 tournaments, Diallo has begun to cause a shake up in the rankings, recently hopping into the top 50. Don’t be surprised if you see him pushing top players with his big serve and firepower off both sides.
The Lurker – Ben Shelton. Despite looking like he’s forgotten how to play tennis following his arrival in the top 10, you’d be silly to look past Bennyshels. As we know, grass courts love to see a leftie coming, and if Ben can get some rhythm going, there is not one player in that 128-man draw that wants to see him coming.
The Dark Horse – Alexander Bublik. Halle Champion, unorthodox king. Similar to Shelton, there are few men in this draw that will enjoy playing this Kazakh. His variety is off the charts and was even too much for the world #1 to handle in Germany, so I’m looking forward to seeing if he can replicate this with even more pressure over the upcoming fortnight. Having pulled out of Eastbourne, Bublik will arrived buoyant and most importantly, mentally fresh and ready to plough his way through the draw.
Home Hope – Jack Draper. Still under the radar enough to catch the tube to the exclusive Racquet event last week, Draper comes in as the world #4, after an astonishing improvement over the past 12 months. Whilst I’m not entirely convinced grass will be his best service, he should really look to use his big leftie serve and BH slice to cause some chaos on the grass. Given the increased awareness of his game, I’d say a par performance from Draper would be reaching R4 & with another year in the spotlight under his belt, I think 2026 Wimbledon could really be where we see some Draper Delight!
I know you’re thinking – wow, no Novak? If he gets some momentum, he really is in the running. I think this is potentially his last big hurrah, so let’s not totally turn Novak off yet.
If you’ve made it to the end of this and you’re screaming out about Player X or Y, it’s really hard OK?! There’s 256 players in the draw who have the potential to rewrite history on Monday 30th June and I’m hoping we’re going to see the emergence of some new megastars in the sport. Whilst some argue the grass swing is lessening in its’ importance, don’t say that to us Brits. Record crowds are expected, the sun is meant to be out (predominantly!) and I, for one, can’t wait to watch the next fortnight at the most prestigious tournament in the world.
Peter Clegg is a former world-class badminton player (and a less-than-world-class tennis player) who most appreciates the relentless weekly grind, the one-on-one battles, and the global footprint that makes tennis truly unique.
