Like every year, beIN Sports broadcasts the entire competition. And as in 2022, Wimbledon will take place over 14 consecutive days. There is no longer a break in the middle of the tournament since the disappearance of the “Sunday closed”. The first matches will be played from 11 a.m. on the London courts (12 p.m. in London). Those of the prestigious Center Court will start at 1:30 p.m. (12:30 p.m. in London) and those of Court No. 1 will start at 1:00 p.m. (12:00 p.m. in London).
On the way to glean all the records, Novak Djokovic is more than ever in his English garden and is aiming for a 24th Grand Slam title. The Serb has triumphed at the All England Club in the last four editions, with the exception of 2020 where the grass-court Grand Slam was not held due to the covid-19 pandemic. He remains on a streak of 28 consecutive victories and could match Roger Federer with eight titles in the Temple of Tennis this year. The insatiable champion can also take a step closer to the calendar Grand Slam – winning all four majors in a year – after faltering in 2021 by losing the US Open final to Daniil Medvedev. Who can stop him from continuing his irresistible march forward? The Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, world No. 1 and winner at Queen’s, Cameron Norrie, Jannick Sinner or Alexander Zverev could surprise. But the Serb’s most serious opponent will be himself.
Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, not in the same part of the table, could end up in the final. But the Spanish prodigy was not spared. Novak Djokovic, world number two and defending champion, could find Australian Nick Kyrgios, finalist last year, in the quarter-finals. The Serb can previously cross paths with the Russian Andrey Rublev, the Norwegian Casper Ruud or the Kazakh Alexander Bublik, recent winner in Halle, in his half of the table. Not enough to scare the tournament boss who remains only four consecutive coronations at Church Road. The man with 23 Grand Slam titles could then find Jannik Sinner in the last four (who had worried him until leading two sets to zero last year). For his part, the Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, world number one, and who has just won his first title on grass at Queen’s, does not have an easy course at the top of the table. He could find Alex de Minaur, whom he beat in the final at Queen’s or Alexander Zverev in the round of 16, then Frances Tiafoe, titled in Stuttgart recently or Holger Rune in the quarter, before distrusting Daniil Medvedev or the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas in the half, who don’t really have a green thumb…
The double winner from Roland-Garros, is less comfortable on grass than on clay. But the world number one is progressing on grass, as proven by her career in Bad Homburg this week (she was in the semi-finals before forfeiting). And she still has everything to prove at Wimbledon. The 22-year-old Polish has never made it past the round of 16 in London and saw her incredible run of 37 victories last year come to an end in the third round of the Grand Slam on clay by Alize Cornet. The picture thus seems more open than it was in Paris. The Kazhake Elena Rybakina, defending champion, could well upset her. Provided that the Khazache has recovered from the mysterious virus that it has been carrying since Roland-Garros. Aryna Sabalenka (world No. 2) or even Petra Kvitova (No. 9), a surface specialist, can also dream of the title.
They will try to do better than at Roland-Garros where none of our representatives made it past the second round. They will be no less than fifteen French players in the men’s final draw. Namely: Ugo Humbert (#38), Adrian Mannarino (#43), Richard Gasquet (#49), Grégoire Barrère (#57), Arthur Fils (#58), Constant Lestienne (#73) , Quentin Halys (#76), Luca Van Assche (#79), Corentin Moutet (#80), Alexandre Muller (#82), Arthur Rinderknech (#85) and Benjamin Bonzi (#96). Harold Mayot, 180th in the world, Enzo Couacaud (158th) and Laurent Lokoli (198th) snatched their ticket during qualifying. In women, France will have only four representatives: Caroline Garcia (#5), Varvara Gracheva (#42), Alizé Cornet (#74), Diane Parry (#94). Eyes will turn in priority on Caroline Garcia. But not all lights are green. The winner of the last Masters is still looking for lost confidence. Four days before the start of Wimbledon, where she had reached the round of 16 last year, the French number 1 gave up in Eastbourne, in the quarter-finals where she wore a bandage at the top of her right arm…
Good news. There will be at least three French people guaranteed to be in the second round. in the table gentlemen. The draw thus offered three 100% French confrontations, from the first round. Rinderknech-Muller, Moutet-Gasquet and Bonzi-Mayot. Laurent Lokoli, from the qualifications and the veteran Jérémy Chardy will attempt the feat, respectively against Casper Ruud and Carlos Alcaraz. The great French hope Arthur Fils finds on his side Davidovich Fokina who had beaten him in the first round of Roland-Garros. If her body takes the shock (she gave up at Eastbourne on Thursday) and if her game finally gets back in place, Caroline Garcia can create a surprise in London. The Lyonnaise thus finds herself in the part of the table of the world number one Iga Swiatek, who is not a grass specialist and who has just withdrawn in Bad Hombourg before playing her semi-final. The two players could end up in the last four. But before this hypothetical semi-final, the French number one will begin her journey against the American Katie Volynets (123rd). A very affordable first round, before potentially challenging Veronika Kudermetova (12th) in the eighth and Jessica Pegula (4th) in the quarters.