WORLD NUMBER 1. World No. 1 is missing for the first time since 2009 when Rafael Nadal was injured. And for the first time the reason is the exclusion by the tournament officials. For this reason, there are no ATP or WTA points to be won. Ironically, this is exactly what keeps Medvedev at the top. Novak Djokovic will lose another 2000 points that he cannot replace. In addition to the Russian, his compatriot Andrej Rublew and last year’s semi-finalist Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus are also missing from the top ten.
RECORD PRIZE MONEY. In order to remain attractive, Wimbledon is paying out record prize money of £40.35 million (a good CHF 47.5 million). No significant players voluntarily waive participation.
TITLE DEFENDER. Novak Djokovic has been unbeaten on grass since 2017 (loss to Tomas Berdych in the quarterfinals). In 2018, 2019 and 2021 the Serb won titles four to six (the tournament was canceled in 2020 due to the corona virus). Djokovic is only two wins behind record champion Roger Federer.
HIGH FLYER. Ashleigh Barty is not defending her title from last year after her surprise retirement. Her successor as world number 1, Iga Swiatek, travels to London with a winning streak of 35 matches. In Wimbledon, however, the 21-year-old Pole has never made it past the round of 16 in only two attempts. The women’s tableau is therefore far more open than in Paris.
RETURN. Rafael Nadal could take the third of four steps to the annual Grand Slam in Wimbledon and extend his lead as the most successful tennis player in history to 23 titles and further distance Federer and especially Djokovic (20 each). However, the injured foot and the generally difficult surface make the undertaking difficult. Nadal is number 2 and at least has a gentle start to the tournament. Andy Murray, Nick Kyrgios and Serena Williams are among the unseeded players whose path no one will want to cross early on. Seven-time winner Williams is making another attempt at the age of 40 to tie with record holder Margaret Court with a 24th Grand Slam title.
NEW. For the first time, the middle Sunday is no longer fundamentally free of games. Matches took place four times this Sunday, each time the large deficit was to blame due to rain. This means that there is no longer a “Manic Monday” with all men’s and women’s rounds of 16, but these are spread over Sunday and Monday. In addition, there is a new match tie-break to ten points in the fifth set at 6: 6.
–
