Wimbledon: Carlos Alcaraz eager to mark his era with third consecutive title
However, Sinner, Djokovic and Draper stand in his way as leading men take the stage with epic battles on the cards
F Fognini (It) v C Alcaraz (Sp, 2)
P Badosa (Sp, 9) v K Boulter (GB)
A Rinderknech (Fr) v A Zverev (Ger, 3)
No.1 Court (1pm BST start)
A Sabalenka (Blr, 1) v C Branstine (Can)
J Fearnley (GB) v J Fonseca (Bra)
E Raducanu (GB) v M Xu (GB)
No.2 Court (11am BST start)
B Bonzi (Fr) v D Medvedev (Rus, 9)
E Ruse (Rom) v M Keys (US, 6)
J Paolini (It, 4) v A Sevastova (Lat)
T Fritz (US, 5) v G Mpetshi-Perricard (Fr)
No.3 Court (11am BST start)
S Kartal (GB) v J Ostapenko (Lat, 20)
H Rune (Den, 8) v N Jarry (Chi)
M Berrettini (It, 32) v K Majchrzak (Pol)
K Siniakova (Cz) v Q Zheng (Chn, 5)
Court 12 (11am BST start)
E Moller (Den) v F Tiafoe (US, 12)
V Royer (Fr) v S Tsitsipas (Gr, 24)
L Fernandez (Can, 29) v H Klugman (GB)
M Vondrousova (Cz) v M Kessler (US, 32)
Court 18
A Bondar (Hun) v E Svitolina (Ukr, 14)
C Norrie (GB) v R Bautista Agut (Sp)
M McDonald (US) v K Khachanov (Rus, 17)
N Osaka (Jpn) v T Gibson (Aus)
In the days after his victory at Queen’s Club a week ago, a win that had maintained perfectly the momentum he had built with his French Open triumph, Carlos Alcaraz enjoyed his well-deserved two days of rest to the fullest. He spent his time away from the court wisely, playing golf with Andy Murray, strolling through central London and seeking out good food and good vibes. Then, on Wednesday, he returned to work with his sights on a singular goal.
F Fognini (It) v C Alcaraz (Sp, 2)
P Badosa (Sp, 9) v K Boulter (GB)
A Rinderknech (Fr) v A Zverev (Ger, 3)
No.1 Court (1pm BST start)
A Sabalenka (Blr, 1) v C Branstine (Can)
J Fearnley (GB) v J Fonseca (Bra)
E Raducanu (GB) v M Xu (GB)
No.2 Court (11am BST start)
B Bonzi (Fr) v D Medvedev (Rus, 9)
E Ruse (Rom) v M Keys (US, 6)
J Paolini (It, 4) v A Sevastova (Lat)
T Fritz (US, 5) v G Mpetshi-Perricard (Fr)
No.3 Court (11am BST start)
S Kartal (GB) v J Ostapenko (Lat, 20)
H Rune (Den, 8) v N Jarry (Chi)
M Berrettini (It, 32) v K Majchrzak (Pol)
K Siniakova (Cz) v Q Zheng (Chn, 5)
Court 12 (11am BST start)
E Moller (Den) v F Tiafoe (US, 12)
V Royer (Fr) v S Tsitsipas (Gr, 24)
L Fernandez (Can, 29) v H Klugman (GB)
M Vondrousova (Cz) v M Kessler (US, 32)
Court 18
A Bondar (Hun) v E Svitolina (Ukr, 14)
C Norrie (GB) v R Bautista Agut (Sp)
M McDonald (US) v K Khachanov (Rus, 17)
N Osaka (Jpn) v T Gibson (Aus)
A year that had started off for Alcaraz with such turbulent, challenging results now seemingly positions him at the height of his powers. After struggling initially with the elevated pressure and scrutiny during Jannik Sinner’s doping ban, along with the weight that comes with his immense achievements, Alcaraz will begin his title defence at Wimbledon against Fabio Fognini on Monday playing great tennis, enjoying himself and content with life on and off the court.
F Fognini (It) v C Alcaraz (Sp, 2)
P Badosa (Sp, 9) v K Boulter (GB)
A Rinderknech (Fr) v A Zverev (Ger, 3)
No.1 Court (1pm BST start)
A Sabalenka (Blr, 1) v C Branstine (Can)
J Fearnley (GB) v J Fonseca (Bra)
E Raducanu (GB) v M Xu (GB)
No.2 Court (11am BST start)
B Bonzi (Fr) v D Medvedev (Rus, 9)
E Ruse (Rom) v M Keys (US, 6)
J Paolini (It, 4) v A Sevastova (Lat)
T Fritz (US, 5) v G Mpetshi-Perricard (Fr)
No.3 Court (11am BST start)
S Kartal (GB) v J Ostapenko (Lat, 20)
H Rune (Den, 8) v N Jarry (Chi)
M Berrettini (It, 32) v K Majchrzak (Pol)
K Siniakova (Cz) v Q Zheng (Chn, 5)
Court 12 (11am BST start)
E Moller (Den) v F Tiafoe (US, 12)
V Royer (Fr) v S Tsitsipas (Gr, 24)
L Fernandez (Can, 29) v H Klugman (GB)
M Vondrousova (Cz) v M Kessler (US, 32)
Court 18
A Bondar (Hun) v E Svitolina (Ukr, 14)
C Norrie (GB) v R Bautista Agut (Sp)
M McDonald (US) v K Khachanov (Rus, 17)
N Osaka (Jpn) v T Gibson (Aus)
F Fognini (It) v C Alcaraz (Sp, 2)
P Badosa (Sp, 9) v K Boulter (GB)
A Rinderknech (Fr) v A Zverev (Ger, 3)
No.1 Court (1pm BST start)
A Sabalenka (Blr, 1) v C Branstine (Can)
J Fearnley (GB) v J Fonseca (Bra)
E Raducanu (GB) v M Xu (GB)
No.2 Court (11am BST start)
B Bonzi (Fr) v D Medvedev (Rus, 9)
E Ruse (Rom) v M Keys (US, 6)
J Paolini (It, 4) v A Sevastova (Lat)
T Fritz (US, 5) v G Mpetshi-Perricard (Fr)
No.3 Court (11am BST start)
S Kartal (GB) v J Ostapenko (Lat, 20)
H Rune (Den, 8) v N Jarry (Chi)
M Berrettini (It, 32) v K Majchrzak (Pol)
K Siniakova (Cz) v Q Zheng (Chn, 5)
Court 12 (11am BST start)
E Moller (Den) v F Tiafoe (US, 12)
V Royer (Fr) v S Tsitsipas (Gr, 24)
L Fernandez (Can, 29) v H Klugman (GB)
M Vondrousova (Cz) v M Kessler (US, 32)
Court 18
A Bondar (Hun) v E Svitolina (Ukr, 14)
C Norrie (GB) v R Bautista Agut (Sp)
M McDonald (US) v K Khachanov (Rus, 17)
N Osaka (Jpn) v T Gibson (Aus)
Should he convert his ascendant form into another triumph at Wimbledon, Alcaraz would elevate his status to even greater heights. At just 22, he is seeking to become only the fifth man in the open era to win three consecutive Wimbledon titles, which would mark the start of a true era at the All England Club. He would also become the fourth man to win the French Open and Wimbledon back‑to-back on multiple occasions in the open era, after Rod Laver, Björn Borg and Rafael Nadal.
F Fognini (It) v C Alcaraz (Sp, 2)
P Badosa (Sp, 9) v K Boulter (GB)
A Rinderknech (Fr) v A Zverev (Ger, 3)
No.1 Court (1pm BST start)
A Sabalenka (Blr, 1) v C Branstine (Can)
J Fearnley (GB) v J Fonseca (Bra)
E Raducanu (GB) v M Xu (GB)
No.2 Court (11am BST start)
B Bonzi (Fr) v D Medvedev (Rus, 9)
E Ruse (Rom) v M Keys (US, 6)
J Paolini (It, 4) v A Sevastova (Lat)
T Fritz (US, 5) v G Mpetshi-Perricard (Fr)
No.3 Court (11am BST start)
S Kartal (GB) v J Ostapenko (Lat, 20)
H Rune (Den, 8) v N Jarry (Chi)
M Berrettini (It, 32) v K Majchrzak (Pol)
K Siniakova (Cz) v Q Zheng (Chn, 5)
Court 12 (11am BST start)
E Moller (Den) v F Tiafoe (US, 12)
V Royer (Fr) v S Tsitsipas (Gr, 24)
L Fernandez (Can, 29) v H Klugman (GB)
M Vondrousova (Cz) v M Kessler (US, 32)
Court 18
A Bondar (Hun) v E Svitolina (Ukr, 14)
C Norrie (GB) v R Bautista Agut (Sp)
M McDonald (US) v K Khachanov (Rus, 17)
N Osaka (Jpn) v T Gibson (Aus)
With a career win-loss record of 29-3, another seven wins would also underline that this is his era at Wimbledon. It is of utmost importance for Alcaraz not to think about any of this. “I’m coming here thinking that, yeah, I really want to win the title,” he said. “I really want to lift the trophy. Not thinking about how many players have done it, winning three Wimbledons in a row.”
F Fognini (It) v C Alcaraz (Sp, 2)
P Badosa (Sp, 9) v K Boulter (GB)
A Rinderknech (Fr) v A Zverev (Ger, 3)
No.1 Court (1pm BST start)
A Sabalenka (Blr, 1) v C Branstine (Can)
J Fearnley (GB) v J Fonseca (Bra)
E Raducanu (GB) v M Xu (GB)
No.2 Court (11am BST start)
B Bonzi (Fr) v D Medvedev (Rus, 9)
E Ruse (Rom) v M Keys (US, 6)
J Paolini (It, 4) v A Sevastova (Lat)
T Fritz (US, 5) v G Mpetshi-Perricard (Fr)
No.3 Court (11am BST start)
S Kartal (GB) v J Ostapenko (Lat, 20)
H Rune (Den, 8) v N Jarry (Chi)
M Berrettini (It, 32) v K Majchrzak (Pol)
K Siniakova (Cz) v Q Zheng (Chn, 5)
Court 12 (11am BST start)
E Moller (Den) v F Tiafoe (US, 12)
V Royer (Fr) v S Tsitsipas (Gr, 24)
L Fernandez (Can, 29) v H Klugman (GB)
M Vondrousova (Cz) v M Kessler (US, 32)
Court 18
A Bondar (Hun) v E Svitolina (Ukr, 14)
C Norrie (GB) v R Bautista Agut (Sp)
M McDonald (US) v K Khachanov (Rus, 17)
N Osaka (Jpn) v T Gibson (Aus)
Right at the top of the draw, Sinner begins his tournament in a completely different position. Despite holding three consecutive match points to achieve this feat at Roland Garros three weeks ago, the 23-year-old world No 1 continues to seek out his first grand-slam title away from hard courts. Sinner remains far superior to all challengers bar Alcaraz right now, but he will have to offer a supreme demonstration of his resilience as he tries to bounce back from his French Open final defeat by Alcaraz and compete for his first title at SW19.
F Fognini (It) v C Alcaraz (Sp, 2)
P Badosa (Sp, 9) v K Boulter (GB)
A Rinderknech (Fr) v A Zverev (Ger, 3)
No.1 Court (1pm BST start)
A Sabalenka (Blr, 1) v C Branstine (Can)
J Fearnley (GB) v J Fonseca (Bra)
E Raducanu (GB) v M Xu (GB)
No.2 Court (11am BST start)
B Bonzi (Fr) v D Medvedev (Rus, 9)
E Ruse (Rom) v M Keys (US, 6)
J Paolini (It, 4) v A Sevastova (Lat)
T Fritz (US, 5) v G Mpetshi-Perricard (Fr)
No.3 Court (11am BST start)
S Kartal (GB) v J Ostapenko (Lat, 20)
H Rune (Den, 8) v N Jarry (Chi)
M Berrettini (It, 32) v K Majchrzak (Pol)
K Siniakova (Cz) v Q Zheng (Chn, 5)
Court 12 (11am BST start)
E Moller (Den) v F Tiafoe (US, 12)
V Royer (Fr) v S Tsitsipas (Gr, 24)
L Fernandez (Can, 29) v H Klugman (GB)
M Vondrousova (Cz) v M Kessler (US, 32)
Court 18
A Bondar (Hun) v E Svitolina (Ukr, 14)
C Norrie (GB) v R Bautista Agut (Sp)
M McDonald (US) v K Khachanov (Rus, 17)
N Osaka (Jpn) v T Gibson (Aus)
For Jack Draper, handling the pressure of his first Wimbledon as a top player, and particularly the innumerable questions the British No 1 has fielded and will continue to field about said pressure, is challenging enough, but he was also handed an extremely difficult draw on Friday.
F Fognini (It) v C Alcaraz (Sp, 2)
P Badosa (Sp, 9) v K Boulter (GB)
A Rinderknech (Fr) v A Zverev (Ger, 3)
No.1 Court (1pm BST start)
A Sabalenka (Blr, 1) v C Branstine (Can)
J Fearnley (GB) v J Fonseca (Bra)
E Raducanu (GB) v M Xu (GB)
No.2 Court (11am BST start)
B Bonzi (Fr) v D Medvedev (Rus, 9)
E Ruse (Rom) v M Keys (US, 6)
J Paolini (It, 4) v A Sevastova (Lat)
T Fritz (US, 5) v G Mpetshi-Perricard (Fr)
No.3 Court (11am BST start)
S Kartal (GB) v J Ostapenko (Lat, 20)
H Rune (Den, 8) v N Jarry (Chi)
M Berrettini (It, 32) v K Majchrzak (Pol)
K Siniakova (Cz) v Q Zheng (Chn, 5)
Court 12 (11am BST start)
E Moller (Den) v F Tiafoe (US, 12)
V Royer (Fr) v S Tsitsipas (Gr, 24)
L Fernandez (Can, 29) v H Klugman (GB)
M Vondrousova (Cz) v M Kessler (US, 32)
Court 18
A Bondar (Hun) v E Svitolina (Ukr, 14)
C Norrie (GB) v R Bautista Agut (Sp)
M McDonald (US) v K Khachanov (Rus, 17)
N Osaka (Jpn) v T Gibson (Aus)
If he reaches round three, Draper could face the in-form 28th seed, Alexander Bublik, the recent Halle Open champion on grass and his vanquisher at Roland Garros. If the fourth seed manages to produce his best tennis and reach the quarter-finals, Novak Djokovic, who continues to perform at an extremely high level at the grand slam tournaments, could await. At 38, Djokovic is attempting to become the oldest winner of a slam title.
F Fognini (It) v C Alcaraz (Sp, 2)
P Badosa (Sp, 9) v K Boulter (GB)
A Rinderknech (Fr) v A Zverev (Ger, 3)
No.1 Court (1pm BST start)
A Sabalenka (Blr, 1) v C Branstine (Can)
J Fearnley (GB) v J Fonseca (Bra)
E Raducanu (GB) v M Xu (GB)
No.2 Court (11am BST start)
B Bonzi (Fr) v D Medvedev (Rus, 9)
E Ruse (Rom) v M Keys (US, 6)
J Paolini (It, 4) v A Sevastova (Lat)
T Fritz (US, 5) v G Mpetshi-Perricard (Fr)
No.3 Court (11am BST start)
S Kartal (GB) v J Ostapenko (Lat, 20)
H Rune (Den, 8) v N Jarry (Chi)
M Berrettini (It, 32) v K Majchrzak (Pol)
K Siniakova (Cz) v Q Zheng (Chn, 5)
Court 12 (11am BST start)
E Moller (Den) v F Tiafoe (US, 12)
V Royer (Fr) v S Tsitsipas (Gr, 24)
L Fernandez (Can, 29) v H Klugman (GB)
M Vondrousova (Cz) v M Kessler (US, 32)
Court 18
A Bondar (Hun) v E Svitolina (Ukr, 14)
C Norrie (GB) v R Bautista Agut (Sp)
M McDonald (US) v K Khachanov (Rus, 17)
N Osaka (Jpn) v T Gibson (Aus)
Still, Draper is an extremely ambitious player who is determined to rise even higher than his ranking and those ambitions have been backed up by his recent success. This is an opportunity for the 23-year-old to demonstrate his ability in this challenging situation. Between his destructive, well-rounded game, the grass-court conditions that suit him, and the immense support he will receive on every point he plays, there are plenty of factors in his favour over the next two weeks.
F Fognini (It) v C Alcaraz (Sp, 2)
P Badosa (Sp, 9) v K Boulter (GB)
A Rinderknech (Fr) v A Zverev (Ger, 3)
No.1 Court (1pm BST start)
A Sabalenka (Blr, 1) v C Branstine (Can)
J Fearnley (GB) v J Fonseca (Bra)
E Raducanu (GB) v M Xu (GB)
No.2 Court (11am BST start)
B Bonzi (Fr) v D Medvedev (Rus, 9)
E Ruse (Rom) v M Keys (US, 6)
J Paolini (It, 4) v A Sevastova (Lat)
T Fritz (US, 5) v G Mpetshi-Perricard (Fr)
No.3 Court (11am BST start)
S Kartal (GB) v J Ostapenko (Lat, 20)
H Rune (Den, 8) v N Jarry (Chi)
M Berrettini (It, 32) v K Majchrzak (Pol)
K Siniakova (Cz) v Q Zheng (Chn, 5)
Court 12 (11am BST start)
E Moller (Den) v F Tiafoe (US, 12)
V Royer (Fr) v S Tsitsipas (Gr, 24)
L Fernandez (Can, 29) v H Klugman (GB)
M Vondrousova (Cz) v M Kessler (US, 32)
Court 18
A Bondar (Hun) v E Svitolina (Ukr, 14)
C Norrie (GB) v R Bautista Agut (Sp)
M McDonald (US) v K Khachanov (Rus, 17)
N Osaka (Jpn) v T Gibson (Aus)
F Fognini (It) v C Alcaraz (Sp, 2)
P Badosa (Sp, 9) v K Boulter (GB)
A Rinderknech (Fr) v A Zverev (Ger, 3)
No.1 Court (1pm BST start)
A Sabalenka (Blr, 1) v C Branstine (Can)
J Fearnley (GB) v J Fonseca (Bra)
E Raducanu (GB) v M Xu (GB)
No.2 Court (11am BST start)
B Bonzi (Fr) v D Medvedev (Rus, 9)
E Ruse (Rom) v M Keys (US, 6)
J Paolini (It, 4) v A Sevastova (Lat)
T Fritz (US, 5) v G Mpetshi-Perricard (Fr)
No.3 Court (11am BST start)
S Kartal (GB) v J Ostapenko (Lat, 20)
H Rune (Den, 8) v N Jarry (Chi)
M Berrettini (It, 32) v K Majchrzak (Pol)
K Siniakova (Cz) v Q Zheng (Chn, 5)
Court 12 (11am BST start)
E Moller (Den) v F Tiafoe (US, 12)
V Royer (Fr) v S Tsitsipas (Gr, 24)
L Fernandez (Can, 29) v H Klugman (GB)
M Vondrousova (Cz) v M Kessler (US, 32)
Court 18
A Bondar (Hun) v E Svitolina (Ukr, 14)
C Norrie (GB) v R Bautista Agut (Sp)
M McDonald (US) v K Khachanov (Rus, 17)
N Osaka (Jpn) v T Gibson (Aus)
The 23 home players across the men’s and women’s singles draw are the most Britain has had since 1984. A year after taking his first steps into the world of regular professional tennis after college during the grass-court season last year, the British No 2, Jacob Fearnley, returns to Wimbledon having enjoyed an astounding rise, breaking the top 50 with his first ATP quarter-final at Queen’s Club. However, Fearnley wants more and he has a daunting challenge ahead as he tries to take a further step forward at Wimbledon: he will face the 18-year-old Brazilian João Fonseca, the most highly touted teenager in the game, in the opening round on Monday.
F Fognini (It) v C Alcaraz (Sp, 2)
P Badosa (Sp, 9) v K Boulter (GB)
A Rinderknech (Fr) v A Zverev (Ger, 3)
No.1 Court (1pm BST start)
A Sabalenka (Blr, 1) v C Branstine (Can)
J Fearnley (GB) v J Fonseca (Bra)
E Raducanu (GB) v M Xu (GB)
No.2 Court (11am BST start)
B Bonzi (Fr) v D Medvedev (Rus, 9)
E Ruse (Rom) v M Keys (US, 6)
J Paolini (It, 4) v A Sevastova (Lat)
T Fritz (US, 5) v G Mpetshi-Perricard (Fr)
No.3 Court (11am BST start)
S Kartal (GB) v J Ostapenko (Lat, 20)
H Rune (Den, 8) v N Jarry (Chi)
M Berrettini (It, 32) v K Majchrzak (Pol)
K Siniakova (Cz) v Q Zheng (Chn, 5)
Court 12 (11am BST start)
E Moller (Den) v F Tiafoe (US, 12)
V Royer (Fr) v S Tsitsipas (Gr, 24)
L Fernandez (Can, 29) v H Klugman (GB)
M Vondrousova (Cz) v M Kessler (US, 32)
Court 18
A Bondar (Hun) v E Svitolina (Ukr, 14)
C Norrie (GB) v R Bautista Agut (Sp)
M McDonald (US) v K Khachanov (Rus, 17)
N Osaka (Jpn) v T Gibson (Aus)
A few weeks on from his resurgent run to the fourth round at Roland Garros, Cameron Norrie will also try to maintain his momentum. Alongside numerous British wildcards, the rise of the 21-year‑old British qualifier Oliver Tarvet is notable. At No 719, he is the lowest-ranked player in the draw as he spends most of his time playing tennis in college for the University of San Diego. He will take his place in the Wimbledon main draw alongside legends and future superstars in a tournament with history on the line.
[Source: The Guardian]
