When Carlos Met Novak

Carlos Alcaraz 🤝 Novak Djokovic #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/4HefpitnTt

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 14, 2024

If you can believe it, it's barely been two years since the first time we had the pleasure of watching Carlos Alcaraz take on Novak Djokovic on the tennis court.

The stage was the 2022 Madrid Masters semifinals -- Alcaraz had literally just turned 19, but you could already see glimpses of the star he would quickly become.

While the year before he was still playing qualifiers at the Majors, he capped that season off with a win at the Next Gen Finals and a few months later captured his first ATP 1000 title, beating Stefanos Tsitsipas, Hubert Hurkacz and Casper Ruud for the crown in Miami. After racing to his fourth career title in Barcelona, he came to Madrid ranked #9 in the world and stunned five-time champion and heretofore undisputed King of Clay Rafael Nadal in the quarters. It was the young Spaniard's first -- and so far only -- win over his compatriot in three tries.

Djokovic, meanwhile, was already well-established as a contender -- and would soon become the leader -- in the GOAT debate. He'd already won twenty Major titles -- just one less than Nadal, who'd climbed back into the lead with the unlikeliest #21 in Melbourne that January. He'd swept the first three the year before, falling just one match short of what would have been the elusive Calendar Year Slam -- something that hadn't happened since 1969. He'd been ranked #1 in the world for 328 weeks and had won 86 singles trophies so far in his career. And at 35 years of age, he showed no signs of stopping.

But somehow, Alcaraz was able to prove his foil. In a three-and-a-half-plus hour match with two tiebreaks and just three breaks of serve total, the teenager pulled out the win and go on to claim the title. Later that year he would earn his first Major at the U.S. Open and climb to the #1 spot himself.

Since that inaugural meeting, the careers of the two men have been remarkably similar. Alcaraz has picked up eleven more titles, Djokovic twelve. They've won all but two of the ten Majors that have been contested -- four apiece. Together they've spent 80 weeks at #1. And appropriately, they've split the six meetings they've had so far.

Was the Madrid semifinal the start of the next great rivalry in tennis? Probably not -- with 16 years of age separating Alcaraz and Djokovic, one has to think the number of times we'll see them square off again are limited. But it might have signaled a passing of the torch.

After all, I'm not sure anyone expected yesterday's Wimbledon final to result in the drubbing it did.

Sure, Djokovic was just a month removed from a knee surgery that I so wrongly assumed would keep him out of the All England Club altogether. Sure, it had been eight months since he last won a title -- marking the first time since 2006 he'd gone this far into a season without scoring a trophy. Sure, his first two opponents in London were ranked outside the top 120 and he benefitted from a walkover by Alex de Minaur in the quarters, so his road to the final was less than fraught with obstacles.

But he had trounced former world #4 Holger Rune in the fourth round and in the semis drubbed Lorenzo Musetti, who'd taken two sets off him in each of their previous two Grand Slam meetings. And with Major #25 and Wimbledon #8 in his sights, you'd expect to see him fight like he always does.

As it turned out, though, another marathon nail-biter was not in the cards.

Alcaraz broke his opponent right off the bat and run off to a 5-1 lead in the first set. He was similarly strong to start the second and quickly built a two-set lead. But we know better than to ever count out Djokovic, who's come back from two sets down eight times at Slams, by my count. And when he saved three championship points late in the third set to score his first break of Alcaraz's serve, it seemed like he might be able to pull off the impossible again.

But Carlos proved to be ever resilient, and after just two-and-a-half, he was the one lofting the Wimbledon trophy this year.

Sunday's victory gives Alcaraz a slew of new superlatives. He's now 4-0 in his first four Major finals -- of the Big Four, only Roger Federer has done that. After the French Open he became the youngest (male) player ever to win a Slam on all three surfaces, and now he's the youngest to win at both Roland Garros and the All England Club in the same year. If he can manage a victory in Australia, he'd have achieved the career Grand Slam before he turns 22.*

So it certainly seems like we've entered a new era of tennis greatness, with a new set of rivalries sure to emerge. It's still early in Alcaraz's career, of course, but he sure seems like he's going to be a force in this sport for some time. Will he, in ten, fifteen years' time, be rivaling Djokovic for the GOAT crown, Nadal for clay supremacy?

Who knows.

But for now, it's nice to know we were there when it all started.

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* Serena Williams, of course, did win the French and Wimbledon in 2002, a few months before she turned 21, and completed the Serena Slam the following January in Australia a few months after that birthday.

21 in '21?

The moment @DjokerNole became #Wimbledon champion for the sixth time pic.twitter.com/5xN8ogWYYT

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 11, 2021

I really didn't think we'd get here so quickly.

With Rafael Nadal edging out Novak Djokovic last year at the French Open and pulling ahead of him in the Grand Slam race by three titles at the end of last year, I thought for sure we'd have a little longer to wait before Nole would catch up.

I mean, Djokovic would probably win in Melbourne, but Rafa would surely dominate in Paris again, right? Claim a 21^st Major title there and take the lead all by himself? Force the world #1 to win Wimbledon and the U.S. Open just to get within one big trophy of the top spot? The soonest Novak could draw even would be next year. Right? Right?!

Well after Nole's stunning victory at Roland Garros, one that featured one of the most spectacular wins of his career over Nadal, all that math went out the window. And today, on Championship Sunday at Wimbledon, Novak Djokovic is writing history on his own terms.

His win over Matteo Berrettini in the final didn't come easy. The Italian seventh seed put up one hell of a fight, breaking Djokovic when he was trying to serve out the first set and taking the early lead with a win in the tiebreak. He got down two breaks in the second, but stopped Djokovic's first attempt to serve that one out, too. But ultimately it was the two-time defending champion -- the man who'd already won five titles here total -- whose experience and extreme talent won out.

The title, of course, puts him neck-and-neck(-and-neck) with Rafa and Roger Federer with twenty Grand Slam trophies each. But there's no question he's been the most dominant player over the last ten years, winning nineteen of them since 2011, compared to eleven for Nadal and "just" four for Fed. As he said after tying things up today, these two rivals have pushed him to be a better, stronger, smarter player, and they're all going to keep striving to be the first to hit blackjack.

And there's every chance in the world it could happen for one of them in New York -- very and, honestly, most likely Djokovic, who could become the first man since Rod Laver to win the calendar year Grand Slam. He said himself he could envision that happening, and the way he's playing, that's not just hubris.

After all, we've all got 20-20-20 vision now and are seeing things very clearly. This #GOAT 🐐 contender may have only just tied things up, but in the race for #21, he's got the lead all to himself.

All Grown Up

Ten years ago Ashleigh Barty won the Girls' singles title at Wimbledon, her first and only Grand Slam trophy on the Juniors circuit. And earlier today she became just the fourth woman ever to repeat the feat as a pro, claiming the Ladies' crown in a stunning display of cool and adding a second Major championship to her résumé.

🏆 #Wimbledon | @ashbarty pic.twitter.com/JC25bcZp8X

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 10, 2021

Her win was far from straightforward though. A heavy favorite in Saturday's final, she'd only dropped one set the entire tournament, taking out former Wimbledon champ Angelique Kerber and newly-crowned Barbora Krejcikova in straight sets. But she was surprisingly tested by former world #1 Karolina Pliskova, who'd reached her second Slam final with a decisive win over a frustrated Aryna Sabalenka in the semis.

After losing the first fourteen points and four games, the Czech made a match of things. She broke Barty late in the second set, when she was serving for the title, and displayed some pretty impressive play in the tiebreak to force a decider. But Barty proved stronger in the third -- she got up an early break and didn't look back, saving break point when trying to serve it out for a second time and converting on match point after just under two hours.

The win earned Barty her fourth title of the year, now at least one on every surface, and cemented her place at the top of the rankings. And a second Slam title suggests she'll be one to watch for a long time to come. After all, there are plenty of people out there who are one-and-done, but Barty's consistency over the past few years -- even in a year in which she saw virtually no play on the tennis courts -- certainly puts her in a different league.

And at a time when we're so ready to find out who among the next generation will take up the mantle of the tennis greats, Ash Barty has clearly stepped up to the plate. And she might just be the one to lead the new guard to even greater heights.

And Then There Were Eight...

Things are getting serious now.

The first Wimbledon in two years has given us plenty of storylines, from the emergence of young, sharp talents, to a couple guys chasing history at the All England Club. But the trophies are now within reach -- just two wins away for the players still standing -- and there's a lot on the line for every one of them.

The Men

2021 #Wimbledon semi-finals

🇷🇸 Djokovic v. Shapovalov 🇨🇦
🇮🇹 Berrettini v. Hurkacz 🇵🇱

Who's going all the way? 🏆

— ATP Tour (@atptour) July 7, 2021

Novak Djokovic hasn't seemed at all fazed by the high stakes that are following him into this tournament. With wins already at the Australian and French Opens this year, he's the heavy favorite to win the Grand Slam -- all four Majors in a calendar year -- something no man has done since 1969. And with the Olympics later this month, he could even match Steffi Graf's ultra-rare feat of the Golden Slam. But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, he's also just two match wins away from equalling Roger Federer's and Rafael Nadal's record twenty Major titles -- (getting ahead of myself again) a record he could very well claim all by himself by year-end. And with all that on his shoulders, he's still been super dominant, winning his last fifteen sets and extending his streak at the All England Club to 21 straight match wins. With far more experience at this stage of play than any of the other men remaining, it's hard to see anyone stopping him before the week is up.

The first man who gets to try is Denis Shapovalov, who reached his first Major semifinal with a five-set win today over Karen Khachanov. The Canadian, whose previous best run at Wimbledon was the second round back in 2018, had to skip Roland Garros with a shoulder injury, but came back fighting strong, making the semis at Queen's Club and here beating two-time champion Andy Murray and eighth seeded Roberto Bautista Agut, both in straight sets. Does he stand a chance against the world #1 and #GOAT🐐 contender? Well, with a 0-6 record against Djokovic, it's going to be hard. But here's hoping we at least get to see him put up a fight.

But the real opportunity may lie in the bottom half of the draw, where Matteo Berrettini is currently riding an impressive 10-0 record on grass -- he's 21-2 since 2019. The Queen's Club champion has had a pretty nice run to his second Slam semi, dropping sets only to Guido Pella -- who, you might have forgotten, made the final eight at Wimbledon in 2019 -- in his opener and to Felix Auger-Aliassime -- who, you probably remember, stunned Roger Federer last month in Halle -- in Wednesday's quarter. I've admitted I had doubts about his sustainability after that stellar 2019 season, but he has more than proven me wrong, and with more wins than all but four men so far this season, he may be in good position to make his first Major final.

But he still has to get past Hubert Hurkacz, who's turned his season around in a big way over the last ten days. After a breakthrough run in Miami, where he beat Stefanos Tsitsipas and Andrey Rublev -- not to mention Shapovalov -- on his way to the title, he went radio silent, losing five straight matches between Monte Carlo and Halle. I thought for sure he was heading for an early exit when he drew Lorenzo Musetti in the first round, but not only did he win, he went his first three matches without dropping a set. That streak finally ended against second seed and Mallorca titleist Daniil Medvedev, but he survived that challenge and then rallied for a stunning straight-set win over eight-time champion Roger Federer earlier today. This semi run is by far his best showing at a Slam -- his previous high bar was the third round here in 2019 -- but so far he's shown no signs of nerves. Could he keep his run going even further? Well, he does have a win in his only match against Berrettini, and something tells me these two are going to leave it all out there.

The Women

The final 4⃣!

🇦🇺 Barty vs. Kerber 🇩🇪
🇨🇿 Ka. Pliskova vs. Sabalenka 🇧🇾#Wimbledon

— wta (@WTA) July 6, 2021

The ladies' draw has had its own share of surprises, but one thing has gone according to plan -- #1 seed Ashleigh Barty continues to prove her ability on any court. Though her French Open defense was cut short due to injury, she rebounded well when she hit the grass. Dropping just one set in her first five matches to sentimental favorite Carla Suárez Navarro in the first round, she's made it to her third Major semifinal, and first here, in top form. But while she did face off against the newest Major champion in the fourth round, for the most part, she hasn't been truly tested -- the average rank of her opponents has been #76, #91 if you don't count Barbora Krejcikova, who was playing her first Wimbledon singles main draw. She's going to have to up her game now that we're really down to the wire.

After all, her next match is against 2018 Wimbledon champ Angelique Kerber who, after a title in Bad Homburg, is running a ten-match win streak on grass. At #28 in the world, she may be the lowest seed remaining, but she's by far the most accomplished on these courts, having made at least the semis three times before. She's had a couple close calls already this event, enduring a three-plus hour battle against a surprisingly spry Sara Sorribes Tormo in the second round and battling back from losing the first set to Aliaksandra Sasnovich, the woman who benefited from Serena's retirement. But she's been on point in her latest matches, beating both Coco Gauff and Karolina Muchova in straight sets. She's split her last four meetings with Barty, the most recent of which was nearly three years ago, but she might just be able to get the advantage in this one.

Meanwhile in the bottom half of the draw, second seed Aryna Sabalenka has ended her Major curse in resounding form with a ticket to her first Major semifinal. The 23-year-old, one of my favorites to win the French, had only won one main draw match here before this year, and that was back when she was a qualifier in 2017. I didn't give her much chance at changing that after a weak lead-up season, but she's been able to overcome a few challenges at the All England Club. Down a set early to wildcard Katie Boulter and pushed to a third by Paris Cinderella Elena Rybakina, she's been able to persevere, and against Ons Jabeur -- who, by the way, beat three Major champions in a row on her way to the quarters -- she was able to come out on top. You have to like her chances at making that maiden final, as long as she's able to keep keeping her cool.

But the big surprise in the women's draw has to be Karolina Pliskova, whose #8 seed -- and #13 ranking -- feels a lot higher than what she's been delivering. Though she did make the final in Rome -- which she lost in a double bagel -- she'd been otherwise pretty lackluster this year, losing more matches than she'd won on the season. I thought for sure she'd get a run for her money in the first round against surprise French semifinalist Tamara Zidansek and had my money on Berlin champ Liudmila Samsonova in the fourth. But she's gotten through her first five matches without dropping a set -- the only player left who's done that -- and is in the Wimbledon semis for the first time in her career. Like Barty, she hasn't faced the highest-ranked opponents, so playing Sabalenka could be a shock, especially as she's lost both their previous matches. But perhaps her familiarity with play on this stage will be an advantage, and maybe she'll be the one to prove us all wrong.

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We shouldn't be surprised that after such a long absence (absense?) from these courts we should get such big play from every corner of the draw. We might not have picked all these guys and gals as the last ones contending for the title, but there's no doubt that each of them deserves to come away with one more win.

And with so much history on the line, it's going to be exciting to see which ones are able to pull it off.

Golden Opportunities

Well now we're really getting down to it -- one week of Wimbledon in the books and one more to go, and as expected we've had some standout play. But as we start to get really serious in the second week, maybe it's time to reassess where we stand -- after all plenty of favorites are out of the mix and a couple of surprise standouts have really got a chance to do something big.

A breakthrough moment for 🇭🇺 Marton Fucsovics 👏

He scores a 6-3, 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-4 win over No. 9 seed Schwartzman to make his first Week 2 appearance at #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/kxDal2pR9m

— ATP Tour (@atptour) July 2, 2021

The Men

Sure most of the favorites on the men's side are alive and well -- after dropping his first set to wildcard teen Jack Draper, defending champion Novak Djokovic has been unstoppable, Roger Federer rebounded from a pretty ugly opening round and has sailed through his next two, even Daniil Medvedev, who's never made it out of the third round here, came back from two sets down to former finalist Marin Cilic yesterday to reach the final 16. But there have been other standouts.

Seeded 14^th, Hubert Hurkacz has basically done what he's supposed to so far, but for a Miami champ who'd only won one match since that breakthrough performance, it's been a good reminder of what he's capable of. The 24-year-old Pole got to his first Major fourth round with surprisingly straightforward wins over teen phenom Lorenzo Musetti, resurging Marcos Giron, and underrated Alexander Bublik, becoming the only man who hasn't lost a set yet. That may change against second seed Medvedev tomorrow, but as stated the favorite was pushed to the limit in his third round and could be vulnerable now.

And Sebastian Korda, who was ranked outside the top two-hundred at this time last year, has so far been unintimidated by the grand stage of his first Wimbledon. After a four set win over Eastbourne champ Alex de Minaur, he went on to beat hometown favorite Dan Evans in the third round. And he's got a huge opportunity to make his first Major quarterfinal -- 25^th seed Karen Khachanov has been a little quiet lately, and thanks to a stunning win by Frances Tiafoe in the first round here, hasn't been an underdog in a match yet. Korda will still be the underdog tomorrow -- on his 21^st birthday no less -- at least on paper, but something tells me he might be able to get the better of even the more experienced Russian. It sure would be a pretty nice way to celebrate.

Meanwhile Marton Fucsovics has been quietly hacking away at his part of the draw too. A fourth-rounder at two Grand Slams last year -- he took out Denis Shapovalov in Australia and then stunned Daniil Medvedev back when he was winless in Paris -- he's been ranked as high as #31 in the world, but often plays well above that level. He opened his campaign at the All England Club with a big win over wünderkind Jannik Sinner and then dispatched ninth seed Diego Schwartzman in the third round. For a spot in the quarters he'll face Andrey Rublev, certainly a hard ask, but he has won the pair's only previous five-setter, though that was four years ago. Still the Hungarian has a strong game, and I wouldn't be surprised to see his run continue.

But the real surprise has been Ilya Ivashka who, at 27, is one of the oldest first-time main drawers in the field. The Belorussian comes to Wimbledon at a career high ranking of just 79^th in the world, thanks to a run to the quarters in Eastbourne, but he also has a win over Alexander Zverev and took a set off Rafael Nadal in Barcelona this year. He's had a pretty clear path so far, with his second round opponent having taken out Aslan Karatsev and his third having dismissed Casper Ruud for him, but that still got him what's already been his best Major performance by far. He'll next face Matteo Berrettini, whose run this year has honestly been so refreshing and will certainly be no easy challenge. Still, if there were ever a year for the late bloomer to shine, it might be this one.

The Women

The ladies' side has seen a similar dichotomy. Former Major champions Ashleigh Barty, Angelique Kerber, Iga Swiatek, and even the most newly-crowned Barbora Krejcikova, playing her first singles main draw here, advancing without too much drama. And much-lauded upstarts like Coco Gauff, Ons Jabeur, Elena Rybakina, and Paula Badosa have all shown their recent successes were no fluke. But some others are making a run here and have a shot at really redefining their careers.

It may seem weird to start that conversation with a look at second seed Aryna Sabalenka, but when you realize the world #4 and ten-time WTA title holder has never made it out of the fourth round of a Major, you might see what I mean. After her stellar run on clay, I gave her a pretty good shot at taking the French Open title, but she fell in the third round. She also lost her opener in Berlin and was stunned by world #75 Camila Giorgi in Eastbourne. She's been decently strong so far, coming back from a set down to British wildcard Katie Boulter before taking out teen breakthrough Maria Camilia Osorio Serrano in her Wimbledon debut. Next up for Sabalenka is Rybakina, who's turning her year around in a big way. The favorite may have won both their previous matches, most recently in the Abu Dhabi quarters, but we'll see if she can steel her nerves enough to finally break her curse.

Meanwhile wildcard Liudmila Samsonova is quickly proving her Cinderella run in Berlin was legit. Ranked in triple digits just last month, her wins over five top-fifty players, including Victoria Azarenka and Belinda Bencic told everyone she's a force, and her wins this week over Sloane Stephens and seeded Jessica Pegula really drove it home. She'll face off Monday against eighth seed Karolina Pliskova, who's been admittedly strong in her first week of play here. Samsonova may be the underdog in this fight, but I have to say, it's as good a shot as any she might have to reach her maiden Major quarter.

Also with a shot at reaching a milestone is relative veteran Viktorija Golubic, who's been quietly having a pretty solid year. A finalist at two straight tournaments during the spring and a winner over Belinda Bencic in Eastbourne, she'd cut her ranking in half already this year and is primed to go even higher. After a marathon first round against Veronika Kudermetova which went 11-9 in the third, she had a surprisingly easy time against Danielle Collins one match later and dropped just three games to Madison Brengle on Friday. She's up against Madison Keys next, certainly a bigger threat and one who scored a big upset of her own against Elise Mertens. Still it's a winnable match for the Swiss and could really open things up for her.

Of course, the big surprise in the ladies draw comes in the top quarter of the draw. Veteran Ajla Tomljanovic, who's struggled with consistency over the years -- she beat Aga Radwanska at the French in 2014 then lost in eight straight first rounds that year, she broke the top 40 in 2019 but was 5-12 last year -- seems to have found her footing in London again. She held tough against Alizée Cornet, who'd scored a huge win over Bianca Andreescu in her opener, and came back against Eastbourne champ Jelena Ostapenko, someone I thought had the potential to go far. She'll face off against this event's clear Cinderella, British wildcard Emma Raducanu, an eighteen year old junior quarterfinalist here a few year's ago who's picked up a couple ITF trophies over her very short career. Her run in her Major debut, though, might suggest there's more to come -- she beat former French finalist Marketa Vondrousova and stunned an in-form Sorana Cirstea on Saturday. This match-up presents a huge opportunity for both women, neither of whom have even had a whiff of a quarterfinal before. Going forward, it'll only get harder of course -- the winner will meet one of the recent French Open champions -- but what a chance to put one of their names on the map.

A Curse on the Big Courts

It's been two years since we last saw play at Wimbledon, and it seems like the goblins that lurk in the shadows of Wimbledon took it upon themselves to dole out punishments for that absense. In the first 48 hours of this year's event, we've already seen plenty of favorites get quite literally tripped up on the grass, some squeaking by the seat of their pants, and others not so lucky at all.

We're heartbroken for you, Serena.

Our seven-time singles champion is forced to retire from The Championships 2021 through injury#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/vpcW1UN78s

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 29, 2021

The big shocker, of course, came late today when seven-time champion Serena Williams was forced to retire in the seventh game of her first round match. She was playing well to start, but on a Centre Court that had already caused more slips and slides than we'd ever seen, she seemed to twist her knee while up an early break and never recovered. Though she returned from a medical time out, she was in tears trying to serve out her game and could barely move to the ball when returning. Within minutes she was at the net, ceding the win to world #100 Aliaksandra Sasnovich.

Serena's exit means more than just another seed out of the Championships. While she may have only be seeded sixth, she was widely considered a favorite for the title. She had, after all, made at least the final here on her last four appearances, and with 98 match wins here, more than any woman other than Martina Navratilova, it seems clear she would add at least a little bit to her total. But instead she notched only her second first round loss at a Major and her first Slam retirement since 1998. And, of course, her four year pursuit of that record 24^th Big Title will continue at least a few more months. Did she just lose her best chance to get it? Well, it's probably too soon to say that, but you know chances are getting ever more remote these days.

As are the chances of Roger Federer, who survived his own set of trolls one match earlier on Centre Court. The eight-time champion was not playing his best against Adrian Mannarino in his opening round, getting out-served in the second and third set and finding himself in a deep hole early. But the Frenchman, who had only taken one set off the legend in their previous six meetings, also lost his footing deep in the fourth. He watched a couple balls whiz past him before retiring himself after losing the set, allowing Roger to book his ticket for the eighteenth straight time.

But the fact that he was tested suggests it's going to be a long road for the GOAT 🐐 contender to make it back to the final. Like Serena, he had good odds to win this title, but at a month away from 40, the window of opportunity to pick up Major #21 is closing quick. After a career where he saw thankfully few injuries for so long, he took more than a year off after losing in Australia in 2020 and hasn't been quite the force he traditionally was since his return. Hopefully, though, he'll be able to shake off the demons that plagued him in round one and make use of the opportunity that was given him.

Of course, for every favorite that was challenged, we have an underdog who got an opportunity. One-time U.S. Open champ Sloane Stephens, who's been mounting a nice comeback this summer, stunned two-time titleholder Petra Kvitova in straight sets on Monday. Andy Murray, playing at his first Wimbledon since 2017, shook off a seven-game losing streak in the third set to get the win over 24^th seed Nikoloz Basilashvili. And Frances Tiafoe dealt a massive blow to French Open runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets, his first win over a top five player ever.

But there's a lot of play left to go at Wimbledon, and there's no telling who the gremlins will go after next. But hopefully they've got the worst out of their system, and we'll be in store for only good surprises from now on.

Wimbledon 2021 Preview: Round By Round

Well, it's been quite a road to get to Wimbledon, this year more than usual.

With the pandemic cancelling play at the All England Club last season, it's been a full two years since the last champions were crowned, and the world is a whole lot different than it was back then for so many reasons.

Your 2019 Champions 🏆#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/saAidwQlmN

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 15, 2019

And in the last few weeks things got really interesting. First there was the withdrawal of Rafael Nadal, just days after his heartbreaking loss in the French Open semis, followed quickly by the exit of Naomi Osaka. And in the last few days we learned injury would keep both Dominic Thiem and defending champion Simona Halep out of the draws as well.

Add to that the fact that young standouts like Iga Swiatek, Jannik Sinner, and Sebastian Korda haven't really played on these courts -- Swiatek's Juniors crown notwithstanding -- and you have a lot of opportunity for underdogs to shine. The lead up tournaments, after all, have already given us a glimpse of the former champions and resurgent workhorses who've been able to up their up their games on grass. And any one of them could surprise us over the next fortnight.

Of course, it's going to be hard to stop the favorites, but if there's any year to do it, this might be it. So let's dive right in to the draws.

THE WOMEN First Round Second Round Third Round Fourth Round Quarterfinals Semifinals Championship

THE MEN First Round Second Round Third Round Fourth Round Quarterfinal Semifinals Championships

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WOMEN'S DRAW

First Round

Ashleigh Barty (1) vs. Carla Suárez Navarro: This is in part sentimental, as we know each tournament we see her at will be CSN's last, but don't forget the veteran fighter has had some good results here in the past, beating the likes of Sam Stosur, Genie Bouchard and Ekaterina Makarova over the years. It's asking a lot for her to take out the top seed, but it'll be fun to see her try. And who knows, she might just be able to take advantage if Barty isn't back in top form.

Bianca Andreescu (5) vs. Alizé Cornet: The struggles of the former U.S. Open champ have been well documented, and though she's shown glimmers of her former self, it's been hard for her to really find her footing. Cornet, meanwhile, has been pretty solid on the grass recently. She just beat Andreescu earlier this month in Berlin before taking out Garbiñe Muguruza to boot and this past week she put up one hell of a fight against Victoria Azarenka in Bad Homburg, just barely losing the three-hour battle. There's no reason to believe she won't be able to pull off another upset here.

Karolina Pliskova (8) vs. Tamara Zidansek: The former world #1 continues to confound me with her inconsistency. Though she looked strong in her return to the final in Rome, she was absolutely crushed in that match, winning exactly zero games in the course of 46 minutes. She went on to lose the second round at Roland Garros and hasn't won a match on grass yet this season. And while I don't know a lot about how Zidansek plays on the lawn, the surprise French semifinalist has nevertheless proven she's not afraid to be challenged. It's far from out of the question to think she could get a win here too.

Petra Kvitova (10) vs. Sloane Stephens: It's always fun, and a little weird, when two Grand Slam champions -- not that far removed from their peak form -- meet in the first round of a Major. Kvitova has been a consistent force in this sport for over a decade and remains a threat to pick up her third title at the All England Club, just barely missing out in a spot in the Bad Homburg final this past week. Stephens, of course, has been a little more spotty, but a solid clay court season shows she's not willing to give up on the big prizes quite yet. I'm not sure she'll be able to score a win over someone who thrives on grass, but it'll be fun to watch her try.

Johanna Konta (27) vs. Katerina Siniakova: Konta's done well at Wimbledon in the past, reaching the semis in 2017 and the quarters on her last outing, and while she's struggled a bit over the last few months, she was able to make a nice run to the title in Nottingham after an early exit at Roland Garros. But she can't ignore her first round opponent this go-round. Doubles specialist Siniakova, who stunned Serena Williams in Parma, is coming off a run to the title match in Bad Homburg, where she beat Jessica Pegula in the second round. And while it'll be quick turnaround for this match, she's seen her own doubles partner parlay one final run to a Major win, so who's to say she won't be able to do it too? Okay, that's a lot to ask, but she could certainly get a win or two under her belt first.

Second Round

Ons Jabeur (21) vs. Venus Williams: Venus played her first Wimbledon when Jabeur was just two years old. She won the first of her five titles here when she was five. And it was only four years ago that she made her most recent final here. We know better than to ever count her out. But Jabeur is making her own history these days, and after her maiden title in Birmingham, she comes to the All England Club at a career-high ranking. She hasn't played here since her career really started going, so it will be exciting to see how her new-found star power matches up against a long-time legend.

Jessica Pegula (22) vs. Liudmila Samsonova (W): Pegula has been one of the breakout stars of the year, making her first Major quarterfinal in Melbourne and scoring wins over Naomi Osaka, Elina Svitolina, and Victoria Azarenka along the way. At 27-years-old, she's now at her best ever ranking and though she's never won a match at Wimbledon, she did make the quarters in Berlin -- beating Karolina Pliskova on the way, for the fourth time this year -- and expectations are high. Samsonova, meanwhile, is coming off her own monster run in Berlin, where, as a qualifier, she beat five hugely talented and way higher ranked players on her way to the title. The win knocked 43 spots off her then sub-100 ranking and earned her a wildcard here. But she might just be able to prove she deserves even more than that.

Angelique Kerber (25) vs. Ana Konjuh (Q): Okay, first of all, Konjuh shouldn't have had to play qualies to make this main draw. Second, she shouldn't have had to play Tsvetana Pironkova in the final round of the prelims. Third, it's a shame that she'll likely have to face 2018 champ and Bad Homburg titleist so early here, and that one of the two will have to go home early. The 23-year-old Croat is still working her way back up the rankings, and it would be nice to see her make some headway. But Kerber is running a hot streak, and if the French Open taught us anything, it's that playing the week before a Major might be good luck, so she's unlikely to let it end now.

Alison Riske (28) vs. Ann Li: Young Li came out the gates swinging hard this year, stunning Jen Brady to make the final at the Grampians Trophy and reaching the third round in Australia, but we haven't seen a lot of her since then. Riske has been even more MIA, thanks to injury, winning only two matches since last year in Melbourne and pulling out of the French Open last minute. She did make the quarters here on her last outing, though, stunning Ash Barty on the way, just after picking up a title in Den Bosch, so she's clearly comfortable on this surface. Plus, she might be hungry to avenge a loss to Li last year at the U.S. Open. Still, it would be nice to see the underdog make a bigger breakthrough on a bigger stage and this could be that opportunity.

Third Round

Sofia Kenin (4) vs. Danielle Collins: Kenin has to be one of the most vulnerable top seeds in either draw, but she seems to have a way of surprising me when I start to count her out. Plus, she's one of those players who only hit her stride in the two years since we last played Wimbledon, so we don't have a lot of evidence of what she can do here. Collins, though, can't be overlooked. She had a strong start to the year and seems well recovered from the surgery that cut her spring season short. And she has a 3-1 record against Kenin, just losing their most recent battle at last year's Roland Garros in three sets, so there's no reason to believe that if they meet up again she'll have many butterflies.

Victoria Azarenka (12) vs. Anett Kontaveit (24): Vika hasn't had as many headline worthy wins this year as she did last year, but she's done decently well this season even as she copes -- again -- with injury. She's not necessarily in the clear -- after a brutal three-hour battle with Alizé Cornet last week in Bad Homburg, she had to pull out of the quarters, so it's anyone's guess where she stands now. Kontaveit, meanwhile, whose only career title to date came on the gass of Den Bosch four years ago, is coming off a trip to the final in Eastbourne, where she beat Bianca Andreescu in the second round. She opens against 2019 French finalist Marketa Vondrousova, but I like her chances to set up this match and maybe even get the win.

Elise Mertens (13) vs. Madison Keys (23): I've said before and I'll say again that Elise Mertens is underrated. She's got a solid game and she's fun to watch, and she's really beeen delivering this year. And while she may have lost the only two matches she's played on grass this year, they were both whisper-thin losses and could easily have gone another way. Keys, meanwhile, has had some big successes on the lawn, reaching the quarters here back in 2015 and earlier this month stunning Aryna Sabalenka on the surface in Berlin. She's also won both of her prior meetings with Mertens, both at Slams and both in straight sets. It'll be fun to see if the on-paper favorite can channel her momentum to turn things around now.

Barbora Krejcikova (14) vs. Marta Kostyuk: It's always interesting to see how a newly-crowned Slam champion does on her very next outing -- it often doesn't work out well for them, and working against Krejcikova is the fact that she's never even played a singles main draw at Wimbledon before, hasn't even played qualies since 2017. She has, however, had plenty of success on the doubles court, winning the title in 2018 and reaching the semis again a year later. Eighteen-year-old Marta Kostyuk is also untested in the solo sport here, but the former Australian Open Juniors champ showed she was ready for the big leagues when she made the fourth round at Roland Garros this month. She opens against 2018 quarterfinalist Kiki Bertens, who's on her farewell tour, but if she can eke out a win might be able to secure a showdown against Krejcikova. And with two players so new to this, it's hard to tell which one would be the favorite.

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (16) vs. Camila Giorgi: Pavs is also coming off the run of her careeer, having just made her first Major final in her record 52^nd try. Can she keep her own momentum going? Well, she hasn't won a match at Wimbledon since her 2016 quarterfinal run, but if she can get in a couple here, she might set up a tough round against an unseeded Giorgi. The former top-thirty player, a quarterfinalist here in 2018, is coming off a solid run to the Eastbourne semis, where she beat Karolina Pliskova and Aryna Sabalenka. She'd likely have to get past Aussie semifinalist Karolina Muchova first, but if there's any Major where she's going to pull off big upsets, this is likely it.

Fourth Round

Aryna Sabalenka (2) vs. Elena Rybakina (18): The second seed at Wimbledon has a fourth round problem -- as strong as she is, and as many top players as she's beaten, she's never advanced past that level at a Major. And you'd think this would be the year she should do it -- running a hot streak into Melbourne, she lost in three to Serena Williams, excusable, but running and even hotter streak into Paris, she dropped in the third to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, less excusable, though in hindsight, fine. Can she break the curse now, at an event where she's only won one match before, and on a surface where she's been upset twice already this year? Well, Rybakina will certainly have something to say about that -- after a stunning win over Serena at the French, she beat Elina Svitolina on her way to the Eastbourne semis. While she's lost her only two matches against Sabalenka, they both went three sets and as she gets ready to make her main draw debut at the All England Club, you can be sure she'll try to make it a big one.

Elina Svitolina (3) vs. Karolina Muchova (20): Svitolina has been consistently at the top of this sport for years, but as one of only two players in the top ten without a Major title, we keep waiting for her to have her big success. She's come close, making the semis in her last outing here, where she lost to eventual champion Simona Halep, and then again in New York that year, where she lost to Serena. Muchova, meanwhile, is still climbing her way up the rankings, taking a big step higher after her own semi showing in Melbourne at the start of this season. But she first put herself on the radar on these very courts when she made the quarters with a win over then-#3 Karolina Pliskova in 2019. She lost her next match to, you guessed it, Svitolina, but if she can set up a rematch -- she might have to get through Camila Giorgi or Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova first -- it could be a good one.

Serena Williams (6) vs. Coco Gauff (20): Now this is the one we've been waiting for. Serena had already won six Majors -- two Wimbledons -- by the time Gauff was born, but these days all eyes are on the 17-year-old phenom. She made her first Slam quarter earlier this month in Paris, showing her standout 2019 season was no fluke, and returns to the site of her first big breakthrough at a career-high ranking. She has two wins already against the elder Williams, but has yet to face Serena, who is still going for that record-breaking 24^th Big Trophy. There is no guarantee this meeting will happen, of course -- while Serena has at least made the final at the All England Club on her four outings, she is slated for a third round match against Bad Homburg champ and 2018 vanquisher Angelique Kerber. And Gauff could face Berlin finalist Belinda Bencic first, too. Still, with a little luck, we might just get this clash between generations and get a real sense of whether the torch has truly passed.

Quarterfinals

Ashleigh Barty (1) vs. Daria Kasatkina (31): Admittedly there are a lot of questions hanging over Barty. While my initial skepticism over her place at #1 has been erased, injury hampered the back half of her clay court season, so we don't know what kind of shape she's in. Kasatikina, meanwhile, is coming off a run to the Birmingham final and a win over Iga Swiatek in Eastbourne. She also won her only previous meeting with Barty, right here on these courts on her way to the quarterfinals in 2018. She'd have to get past players like Jelena Ostapenko, who beat her last week in Eastbourne, and potentially Victoria Azarenka, but if she got a rematch with Barty, there's reason to believe she could pull off the win again.

Iga Swiatek (7) vs. Maria Sakkari (15): Swiatek may have won the Junior crown at Wimbledon way back when, but she hasn't yet claimed a main draw win here, so it'll be interesting to see how she fares. She fell early in her only grass court outing this season and she has a tough draw -- one-time finalist Vera Zvonareva could be her second round opponent while 2017 champ Garbiñe Muguruza looms in the fourth. If she is able to make good on her seeding, though, she might get a rematch against Sakkari, whose victory at the French Open earned her a first Major semi. But the Greek woman would need a little luck too -- her immediate section of the draw has unseeded threats like Shelby Rogers and Sam Stosur, but to mention Eastbourne semifinalist Elena Rybakina. And if she survives that, there's also the possibility of world #4 Aryna Sabalenka in the fourth round, a woman who's won their last four meetings. Still it'd be nice to see what these recent standouts have on grass.

Belinda Bencic (9) vs. Paula Badosa (30): Badosa was my secret pick to win the French Open, and given how crazy the draws worked out, I'm a little disappointed that she didn't do it. She's much less of a known quantity on grass, though, so hoping she'll make it all the way to the quarters -- especially with players like Elina Svitolina in her section of the draw -- is kind of a pipedream. It's not much more likely to see Bencic get through either -- though she's a much higher seed, she's slated to meet Coco Gauff in the third round and Serena Williams in the fourth. But she did pull off some nice wins on her way to the Berlin final and might be turning things around. That could work to her favor against Badosa, who's already beaten her twice this year. And if she wants to get revenge, this might be the best time to do it.

Semifinals

Serena Williams (6) vs. Jelena Ostapenko: Serena may be coming up short in her attempts to win that elusive 24^th Major, but as mentioned above, she has made the final on her last four trips to the All England Club and come home with the title two of those times. And while there may be a few challenges in the first half of her draw, you have to believe she knows how to turn it on when it counts, here perhaps more than anywhere. If she makes it that far, she'll be a heavy favorite against whoever she meets, but don't count out Ostapenko immediately. The former French Open champion has made the semis here before, and she's coming off a stellar run in Eastbourne, where she beat five higher-ranked opponents on the way to her fourth career title. She did lose her only match against Serena last year in Fed Cup, but those were a tight two sets and she might be in a good place these days to turn things in her favor.

Petra Kvitova (10) vs. Garbiñe Muguruza (11): It may have been a while since these two were claiming victories here, but they're both due for another taste of big time glory. The Czech won her first Wimbledon crown with a stunning win over Maria Sharapova ten years ago and her second three years after that, but as mentioned above remains consistently strong, reaching the final at the 2019 Australian Open, the semis at last year's French, and making a deep run just this past week in Bad Homburg. Meanwhile the Spaniard picked up lone trophy at the All England Club in 2017, and while there have been ups and downs since then, her run to the Melbourne final and her stellar start to this season show she's still got the magic. She might have a little harder of a time making the finals -- Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, and Ons Jabeur are all in her quarter, but if she plays as well as she can, she has a decent shot at playing for the title.

Championship

Ashleigh Barty (1) vs. Aryna Sabalenka (2): It's so rare that the top seeds make it to the final at a Major, especially on the women's side, but since both failed to do it at the French, where they were arguably more likely to find success, let's give them a shot here. It'll be tough, of course -- Barty's best run here has been the fourth round, while Sabalenka, of course, hasn't made it even to the third. But these draws are so wide open that it's entirely possible that their biggest threats get eliminated for them, and there's no shame in being the beneficiary of that.

Garbiñe Muguruza (11) vs. Coco Gauff (20): But, because the draws are so open, it's also possible someone else entirely walks away with the title. Muguruza is certainly the more likely of these two, having played in four Major finals, two at the All England Club. But Coco might be ready for prime time now. At 17, she's by far the youngest player in the top hundred -- the top three hundred, actually -- and she's coming off a trip to her first Major quarter, losing to eventual champion Barbora Krejcikova at the French. She's a far different player than she was at her only other appearance at Wimbledon -- that breakthrough event two years ago where she stunned Venus Williams on her way to the fourth round -- and if she can get past tests from Serena and potentially Elina Svitolina, looking for her to make the final is not that long a shot.

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MEN'S DRAW

First Round

Novak Djokovic (1) vs. Jack Draper (W): Okay, Djokovic is going to win this match, but let's take a moment to appreciate the accomplishments of the 19-year-old wildcard. Ranked outside the top three hundred at Queen's Club, Draper stunned fellow teen superstar Jannik Sinner in the first round and then took out Alexander Bublik in the second. This is his first ever Major main draw -- he failed in the first round of qualifying at Wimbledon his last two tries -- and it's bad luck that he has to open against the man who is so heavily favored to win it all. But, still, it'll be fun if he can put on a show for us.

Stefanos Tsitsipas (3) vs. Frances Tiafoe: Tiafoe has really gotten screwed in the first rounds of Majors over the years, drawing the likes of Roger Federer, Daniil Medvedev, Juan Martin del Potro, to name a few. But he always puts up a fight -- seven of his opening match losses have gone five sets. The French Open runner-up is no stranger to five-setters, of course, but there's reason for hope. Tsitsipas' worst surface by far is the grass, and he's only made it out of the first round at Wimbledon once. Tiafoe, meanwhile, just picked up a title on the lawn at a Challenger event in Nottingham, the first American to do that since Sam Querrey in 2010. And while it's been a while since his last win over a top ten player, this might be the best chance he's had to do it in quite some time.

Alex de Minaur (15) vs. Sebastian Korda: Speaking of unfortunate first rounds, it's going to be a shame to see either of these guys go home early. De Minaur will be at a career high ranking on Monday after a semi run at Queen's Club and a title this weekend in Eastbourne. Those solid grass results technically make this his best surface now, and he'll want to improve on that here. Meanwhile, we don't know a lot about what Korda can do on this surface. The 20-year-old hasn't even played qualifying rounds at Wimbledon before, and while he did notch an upset Roberto Bautista Agut, a former semifinalist here, in Halle, he was tested in his two rounds after that. Still, he's had some big wins this year, reaching the quarters in Miami and picking up his first title in Parma, so he's certainly not the kind of opponent anyone should take lightly.

Ugo Humbert (21) vs. Nick Kyrgios: The multi-talented Frenchman had a bit of a slow start to the year, even losing to Kyrgios in the second round of the Australian Open in a long five sets. But he's riding a nice win streak right now, fresh off a title in Halle where he beat both Alexander Zverev and Andrey Rublev, his first top-ten wins of the season. He's had nice results at Wimbledon, too, making the fourth round in his only previous outing with wins over Gael Monfils and Felix Auger-Aliassime. Of course Kyrgios has done well here too, stunning Nadal to make the quarters back in 2014. He may be a little out of practice, though -- we haven't seen him in action since Melbourne, and he responsibly laid low -- at least on court -- during most of last year too. We'll see if that serves as an advantage for the young Humbert as he tries for another deep run here.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (30) vs. Denis Kudla (Q): ADF is coming off a monster run to the Roland Garros quarters, during which he stunned Casper Ruud in a more than four and a half hour slugfest in the third round. The win earned him a career-high ranking and his first seeding at a Major. But we have literally no idea how he'll do on the grass -- he lost the only main draw match he's ever played on the surface, failing to qualify for Wimbledon or most other events. His first round opponent, meanwhile, may be well off his best, but he's at least had a chance to get his footing on the lawn -- a one-time fourth rounder at the All England Club, he made the final at a Nottingham Challenger earlier this month, and the next week beat former Wimbledon finalist Kevin Anderson in three sets. He hasn't dropped a set in qualifying, though, and might be in a place to notch an upset early.

Taylor Fritz (31) vs. Brandon Nakashima (Q): Fritz is a fighter, man. After tearing his miniscus at Roland Garros and undergoing knee surgery, he's been rehabbibng for hours a day to get back on court, and here he is, not even a month later. Bad ass. He opens his campaign against talented 19-year-old Brandon Nakashima, who beat veterans like Ernests Gulbis and Viktor Troicki in his qualifying rounds. It's a good opportunity for Fritz, who came OHSOCLOSE to beating Novak Djokovic in Melbourne, but also a chance to see what the future of American men's tennis could look like. And the winner will make a good case to take up the mantle.

Second Round

Denis Shapovalov (10) vs. Pablo Andujar: Veteran Pablo Andujar had two of the biggest wins of his career in the last few weeks, first stunning Roger Federer on the clay of Geneva and then ousting two-time French finalist in the first round in Paris. Does he have another upset in him? Well, it'll be much harder on grass, where he has a less-than-inspiring 2-15 record, but those two wins did come on these courts, in five sets each, so you never know. Shapovalov can't be discounted, of course -- he did make the semis at Queen's Club -- but he's certainly a less intimidating opponent than the Spaniard has faced in the past. If they get to this match -- no sure thing, as Andujar would have to get through former doubles champ Pierre-Hugues Herbert first -- it could be a good one.

Casper Ruud (12) vs. Kei Nishikori: Ruud has not disappointed in his follow-up to that breakout 2020 season, making his first Major first round in Melbourne and putting together a solid run on clay. He's never won a match at Wimbledon, though, losing his first round to John Isner in 2019 and in qualifying the year before. Fan favorite Nishikori, on the other hand, has made the quarters here on his last two outings and just reclaimed his spot as Japan's top player. He'll open against a very talented Alexei Popyrin, but if he's able to get that win he might be able to use his experience to his advantage over the rising star.

Lorenzo Musetti vs. Marcos Giron: The teen phenom has had a splashy introduction to the tour, and while he may not have scored that maiden title like some of his contemporaries, he has notched some nice wins and is slowly climbing his way up the rankings. He scored his first top ten victory over Diego Schwartzman in Acapulco and then took out David Goffin in his first round in Paris before a slightly ignominious meltdown in the fourth round against Novak Djokovic. He's never played at Wimbledon before, but opens against a recently struggling Hubert Hurkacz, who he beat in the first round in Rome. Meanwhile Giron who, at 27, is suddenly at his highest career ranking at #65 in the world. He hasn't won a main draw match at Wimbledon yet, but he is coming off a run to the quarters in Halle, and if he gets a shot, he might be able to get the better of Musetti too.

Felix Auger-Aliassime (16) vs. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga: Here's another one you want to see just for senitmental reasons. Former world #5 and two-time Wimbledon semifinalist Tsonga has been dealing with a chronic back injury for the last several years and has only won one match since 2019. Though he has to get past a talented young Mikael Ymer first, the match I'll be watching is his next one against the young gun, who's put together a nice run on grass this year. FAA may still have trouble closing the deal, but he did make the final in Stuttgart and stunned Roger Federer in Halle a week ago. His 14-5 recod on lawn makes it by far his best surface. It'll be interesting to see what Tsonga can bring against the relative upstart, but it might be even more interesting to see what Felix can do with the opportunity.

Third Round

Daniil Medvedev (2) vs. Marin Cilic (32): Well this could be interesting. The second seed has done a lot to put distance between himself and current #3 (😢) Rafael Nadal, upending his prior record at the French to make the quarterfinals and this week winning his first title on grass in Mallorca. He also had one of his first big wins on these courts, beating then-#3 Stan Wawrinka in the first round in 2017. Cilic, meanwhile, a finalist at Wimbledon that year, has been up and down this season, but won his first title since 2018 on the grass in Stuttgart and kept his run going until the quarters at Queen's Club. Medvedev does have an early date with young Carlos Alcaraz, but the teen phenom is probably more of a threat on clay, and if the on-paper favorite plays his best he has the added advantage of the win in his only previous meeting with Cilic. Still, it'll be fun to see how they do when they're both riding such hot streaks.

Roger Federer (6) vs. Cameron Norrie (29): Roger has said the priority of his comeback was to do well at Wimbledon, and despite everything he's been through over the last year-plus, the eight-time champion (and four-time finalist) remains a favorite to win the whole thing. But it will be a slog -- he was, after all, stunned in the second round at Halle, an event he'd won ten times. Norrie, on the other hand, put up a nice fight in the final of Queen's Club, where he scored three upsets on his run. It's hard to know if he'll have the hometown crowd on his side against a legend like Federer, but for him to power through the pressure is certainly not out of the question.

Hubert Hurkacz (14) vs. Grigor Dimitrov (18): Hurkacz has been super quiet since that breakout run in Miami, where he stunned both Stefanos Tsitsipas and Andrey Rublev on his way to the title. He's only won one match since, with two losses to players outside the top 150, and he opens here against Lorenzo Musetti, the man he retired to in Rome. All that to say it's no sure thing he makes it to the third round, but if the seeds play out as expected -- when does that ever happen? -- he could meet former semifinalist Grigor Dimitrov. The veteran Bulgarian may not be at his best right now, but he did make the quarters in Melbourne, stunning Dominic Thiem on the way. If he's recovered from the injury that forced him out of the French, he might be able to make another deep run here.

Lorenzo Sonego (23) vs. Sam Querrey: Here's another one where a recently struggling star seems to have found his footing again. Querrey, once a semifinalist here and twice a quarterfinalist, has beaten Novak Djokovic, Dominic Thiem, and Andy Murray on these courts. And after a 2-6 start to the year, he reached the semis in Stuttgart and the final in Mallorca. Sonego, meanwhile, also made a final this week, coming up just short of his second grass title in Eastbourne with a three set loss to Alex de Minaur. Querrey will have to get past a tough Pablo Carreño Busta in the first round, so a meeting with Sonego is no sure thing, but if he can find the magic he's had here before, he might just be able to make a play for the second week.

Fourth Round

Andrey Rublev (5) vs. Jannik Sinner (19): The higher-ranked Russian has made the quarters of three different Majors over the last year and hopes to round out the pack doing at least that well here. He hasn't had a lot of experience at Wimbledon, though, but did make a trip to the final in Halle just a week ago. Sinner's even less experienced, losing his only qualifying match back in 2019, and getting stunned by fellow teen Jack Draper in his first round at Queen's Club. But both guys come to the All England Club at the top of their games and will be excited to test out these grounds. Sinner may have the harder road, opening against a very talented Marton Fucsovics and slated to meet Diego Schwartzman in the third, but those matches are both winnable for him, and if he gets to meet Rublev, he has the benefit of the only full match win in the pair's head-to-head.

Roberto Bautista Agut (8) vs. Andy Murray: It has been a long road back for Murray, but it sure is nice to see him back on the courts of his hometown Slam again. The two-time champion got a wildcard to play here and, while it's a lot to ask him to play multiple best-of-five matches, he's got a pretty nice draw to do it in. While he opens against Nikoloz Basilashvili and could face Denis Shapovalov, his biggest threat is RBA, the surprise semifinalist here back in 2019. The veteran Spaniard lost his opening round in Halle to Sebastian Korda, but he has scored wins over Daniil Medvedev, Dominic Thiem, and Andrey Rublev this season. If makes good on his seeding, he could arrange for another big blockbuster between the two.

Aslan Karatsev (20) vs. John Isner (28): This is another one that might be a little unlikely, but both these guys know how to surprise us. Isner may be best-known for that Wimbledon match against Nicolas Mahut eleven years ago, but he played another epic against Kevin Anderson in the 2018 semis, just barely missing what would have been his first Major final. Karatsev, meanwhile, is playing his first Wimbledon main draw and barely has any record to speak of on grass so far. But he came from out of nowhere with that semi run in Melbourne, picked up his first title at the age of 27 in Dubai, and scored wins on clay over Daniil Medvedev, Diego Schwartzman, and Novak Djokovic in the spring. In order for this match to happen he'll likely have to get past Casper Ruud, and Isner is slated to face Queen's Club champ Matteo Berrettini, but as we know, stranger things have happened here before.

Feliciano Lopez vs. Mackenzie McDonald (Q): Even more of a long shot would be this match up, but hear me out. Feli has made the quarters here three times before, and though his failure to defend the title at Queen's Club knocked him percipitously close to a triple-digit ranking, a win over Karen Khachanov in Mallorca earned him a milestone 500^th career win. He opens against Dan Evans and may face Eastbourne champ Alex de Minaur too, but if he's in top shape, he might be able to do it. McDonald had to qualify for this main draw, but made the fourth round the last time he played here, so just maybe he can do it again. Sure that might be something of a pipe dream, but every tournament has to have a Cinderella, right? Why not one of these two?

Quarterfinals

Stefanos Tsitsipas (6) vs. Reilly Opelka (27): It'll be interesting to see how Tsitsipas picks himself up after that narrow loss in the French Open final, and while this has by far been his worst Major, nothing would prove his all-court potential -- not to mention his resilience -- better than a deep run right off the bat. As mentioned, he's got a tough first round, and he's in the same section as Eastbourne champ Alex de Minaur, so it won't be easy, though. Opelka, on the other hand, has a relatively easier draw, with his biggest threat being 2019 semifinalist Roberto Bautista Agut in the third round. But the suddenly top-ranked American is looking to raise the mantle for the U.S., and though he pulled out of Eastbourne last week with a hip injury, he might just be able to do it.

Alexander Zverev (4) vs. Matteo Berrettini (7): Not that long ago, I would've been surprised if you'd told me Berrettini would still be in the top ten now. But the 24-year-old Italian who had his breakthrough on the New York hardcourts in 2019 has followed through with a clay court title in Belgrade and one on grass at Queen's Club. Zverev, meanwhile, has been frustratingly strong too, nearly pulling off a win in the Roland Garros semis, which would have earned him a second Major final. A meeting between these two would be a rematch of their Madrid Masters final, which Zverev won in three tight sets. But on a court where neiter has made it out of the fourth round, we might just see a different outcome.

Semifinals

Novak Djokovic (1) vs. Dan Evans (22): There are lots of big name threats in Nole's half of the draw, but there are also plenty of potential spoilers. And while it's hard to imagine anyone but him making it out of his quarter -- he's made the semis all but two times since 2010 -- maybe the hometown crowd will help lift Evans out of the bottom one. The world #26 lifted his first career title at the Murray River Open made the quarters at Queen's Club. He even dealt Djokovic one of his only three losses this year. It's a whole different animal at the Majors of course, but it'll be interesting to see if Evans can finally make a breakthrough there.

Roger Federer (6) vs. Casper Ruud (12): In the bottom half of the draw, Medvedev and Zverev may be the on-paper favorites, but Roger's eight titles here certainly carries some weight, and while he faces some threats early, he could very well make a play for his fourteenth semi here. Ruud, too, at 22 and at a career-high ranking, may be ready to break in to the second week of a Major for the first time in his career. He met Roger once, in the third round of Roland Garros back in 2019, but he hadn't yet truly found his game at that point. And the next meeting between the two, wherever and whenever it may come, will surely be much closer.

Championship

Novak Djokovic (1) vs. Daniil Medvedev (2): Okay, I usually try not to do this, but Nole is just so far and away the favorite for this title, that I have to put him in both my final picks. He truly has a real shot at winning the first three Slams of the year -- something that hasn't happened since Rod Laver won his Golden Slam in 1962. Of course saying that all but guarantees he'll lose early, but still. A showdown with the #2 seed would give us a rematch of that surprisingly one-sided Aussie final which Djokovic won while barely breaking a sweat. Still, Medvedev is running a nice win streak after that title in Mallorca, and we know that winning right before a Major worked for both French Open champs this year. And with a decent record against the world #1, he's one of the few players who could potentially stop him in the final.

Novak Djokovic (1) vs. Roger Federer (6): The other, of course, is Roger Federer, who's won more matches on these courts than anyone ever. A 51^st meeting between these two GOAT 🐐 contenders no doubt favors the top seed, who currently has a 27-23 edge, head-to-head. But it really could go either way -- their nearly 5-hour marathon in the 2019 final is haled as one of the best matches ever, and if any players know how to bring the heat when the pressure is highest, it's these two. But of course, it's a long way to Championship Sunday, and who knows what could happen in the meantime.

---

Well there you have it, my very long lookahead to what could be a very strange, but super exciting Wimbledon fortnight. And as much as we think the last few weeks and months has informed us on what we can expect, the one thing we know for certain is that nothing is certain.

But since we've been waiting so long for this return, let's just hope we get a chance to see the very best, from the very best.

Wimbledon Serves Up Some Relief

In another world, we would have crowned the 2020 Wimbledon champions this weekend.

A different finals weekend for Centre#WimbledonRecreated pic.twitter.com/K7d8DeviLw

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 11, 2020

But instead we are now in month five of the COVID-induced lockdown, and while there are certainly signs that things are starting to get back to normal, for better or worse, for most people it will be a long time before usual routines -- and paychecks -- are restored.

And that's what makes Wimbledon's announcement yesterday so extraordinary.

In an unprecedented move, the All England Lawn Tennis Club announced it would award more than £10 million in "prize money" to the players who would have competed in the event -- including qualifying tournaments and doubles draws.

"We know these months of uncertainty have been very worrying for [the players], many of whom have faced financial difficulty during this period and who would have quite rightly anticipated the opportunity to earn prize money at Wimbledon based on their world ranking," AELTC CEO Richard Lewis said in a statement.

"We are now in a position to offer this payment as a reward for the hard work they have invested in building their ranking to a point where they would have gained direct entry into The Championships 2020."

It bares noting that Wimbledon had the foresight to take out pandemic insurance, something organizations of all stripes now wish they had done, and was reportedly paid out some £110 million on the policy.

Still it's a solid gesture for the players who would otherwise have missed out on any payment. Of course, it's a far cry from what players could have made -- the highest payout of £25,000 for main draw singles is about half of what players who lost in the first round last year took home -- but certainly better than the alternative.

And it comes at a time when the future of professional tennis remains uncertain.

After the debacle that was the Adria Tour, an exhibition in Atlanta became the new beacon of ill-advised tournaments, with John Isner this time serving as villain after Frances Tiafoe tested positive for the virus.

While the U.S. Open is still planning to go on as planned at the end of the summer, what the field will look like is entirely up in the air. Simona Halep, Rafael Nadal, and even the much-maligned Novak Djokovic have all expressed doubts about coming.

And logistically, travel from parts of Europe, including Spain, the Czech Republic, Germany and more countries home to many of the top names in the sport, is still banned, and New York State specifically is requiring two weeks of quarantine for anyone who's been to high-risk regions in the U.S., like Florida where so many players train. That doesn't make for the easiest of planning.

The frustrating thing is that tennis is one of the lowest-risk activities you can do in these very strange times -- no physical contact, far apart from your opponent, outdoors. So it's unfortunate that we can't figure out a way to hold these events safely.

But as much as we pine for a day when we can again see shots that defy all comprehension and legendary champions crowned on Centre Court, we must first make sure we can do so without threat.

And hopefully Wimbledon's latest move bought us a little time to do that.

Goodbye, Maria

It may not have been the most surprising of headlines to cross this morning, but the news of Maria Sharapova's retirement from tennis nonetheless hit hard across the sports world.

The five time Grand Slam champion and former world #1 took to Vanity Fair to announce the news, penning an essay that began: "How do you leave behind the only life you’ve ever known? How do you walk away from the courts you’ve trained on since you were a little girl, the game that you love—one which brought you untold tears and unspeakable joys—a sport where you found a family, along with fans who rallied behind you for more than 28 years? I’m new to this, so please forgive me. Tennis -- I’m saying goodbye."

Her departure from the professional game evokes mixed feelings for many. The Russian stormed on the scene in 2004 when, at 17 she stunned Serena Williams to capture the Wimbledon title. She climbed to the top spot in the rankings a year later and picked up Majors two and three in 2006 and 2008 respectively. And when she completed the career Grand Slam in 2012 with the unlikeliest of victories in Paris -- and, against all odds, repeated there of all places -- she cemented her place in history.

Still, there was something about Maria's years in the spotlight that didn't always sit well. Yes, she picked up 36 titles through her professional career and spent 441 weeks in the top ten over nearly two decades. But competing in an era so dominated by the Williams sisters and even veterans like Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin, she just didn't seem to be in the same league. She, by far, earned more money from sponsorships and business ventures than she did on the court. And while we'd always get so excited for a rematch between her and Serena, truth was she only won two of their 22 matches, none since 2004, and just a handful of sets in those meetings.

There were injuries too, of course -- a lot of them. Shoulder surgery in 2008 took her out of the game for several months, and she's been in and out of physical therapy throughout her career. In describing her U.S. Open first round loss last year -- which she, surprise, lost to Williams -- she said, "Just stepping onto the court that day felt like a final victory, when of course it should have been merely the first step toward victory. I share this not to garner pity, but to paint my new reality: My body had become a distraction."

And then, of course, there's that thing looming in the background.

It's the one topic Sharapova didn't address in her VF piece, but which is still in the back of everyone's mind.

The incident certainly lost her some fans, and as for her career, we knew back in 2016 that Maria wouldn't be the same force she was when -- and we knew, even at that time, if -- she returned. Sure, she wasn't rehabbing off the courts, but the lack of match play, and the fact that she'd be in her thirties by the time she could compete again just compounded the belief that she was not the kind of player who would be dominant for the long haul.

I don't say that to diminish her accomplishments, but sometimes even when she was the higher seed she felt like the underdog -- she should, after all, have won that Wimbledon final against Petra Kvitova in 2011. Still, I was long a fan and almost always rooted for her to win. The fact that she captured two Major titles on the surface that once made her feel like a cow on ice, just shows what she's capable of.

But as she acknowledges, her biggest asset was her ability to fight, no matter what the odds and even if she didn't come out on top. Her drive and focus provides a lesson that can certainly instruct the next generation:

"I believed that if I kept grinding and grinding, I could push myself to an incredible place. But there is no mastering tennis -- you must simply keep heeding the demands of the court while trying to quiet those incessant thoughts in the back of your mind...I want anyone who dreams of excelling in anything to know that doubt and judgment are inevitable: You will fail hundreds of times, and the world will watch you. Accept it. Trust yourself. I promise that you will prevail."

We might not have seen a lot of Maria over the last few years, especially not in the later rounds of tournaments, but the game certainly will feel different without her -- it'll sound different too. Maria Sharapova ushered in a new generation for tennis, and it's hopefully one that not only brings more young talent (and fans) to the sport, but also shows the importance of grit and determination.

And we can be sure we'll see more of it from her, whatever there is to come.

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Tennis showed me the world—and it showed me what I was made of. It’s how I tested myself and how I measured my growth. And so in whatever I might choose for my next chapter, my next mountain, I’ll still be pushing. I’ll still be climbing. I’ll still be growing. Tennis—I’m saying goodbye.

A post shared by Maria Sharapova (@mariasharapova) on Feb 26, 2020 at 5:19am PST