Wimbledon fortnight runs this year from July 1 to July 14 and promises much excitement on and off the court. There will be fancy footwork and rows with the umpire. There will be Pimms and strawberries aplenty. And, with her brave and honest message to the nation and recent attendance at Trooping the Colour, there is scope to hope that the Princess of Wales might make an appearance.
Here, we round up the players to keep your eye on this year.
The Final Farewell:
Andy Murray (GB)
Age: 37
@andymurray
This is likely to be Andy Murray’s final foray onto Centre Court. Murray, who debuted at Wimbledon in 2005 and won the tournament in 2013 and again in 2016, said recently that he isn’t planning to play professional tennis beyond this summer.
‘Probably, if I was going to finish my career, I would rather finish at Wimbledon or an Olympic Games. To me that would be more fitting. I’ve had amazing experiences and memories from Wimbledon,’ he mused.
The Great British Hope:
Katie Boulter (GB)
Age: 27
@katiecboulter
The current British No 1 in women’s singles tennis, Boulter won the Nottingham Open in June. She is a darling of the tennis scene and – true to time-honoured tennis form – goes out with the hot Australian player, Alex De Minaur.
In 2018, she told Vogue: ‘[Wimbledon] is the moment I look forward to all year. It’s always exciting to test myself against the best players in the game.
‘Stepping out on to the courts at SW19 is a moment that every tennis player dreams of. From a young age we watched our idols play here and it’s an incredible feeling to be back.’
The Lightning Bolt:
Carlos Alcaraz (Spain)
Age: 21
@carlitosalcarazz
Alcaraz is worth watching because he is so damn fast. He became world No. 1 when he was just 19, though Jannik Sinner has since knocked him off that perch. No teenager in men’s tennis has been ranked that high since the computer ranking system began in 1973. As The New York Times recently said: ‘Men’s tennis will go on without the Big Three of Djokovic, Nadal, and Roger Federer. And (all the) young players – among them Ruud, Sinner and Tiafoe – are going to be chasing Carlos Alcaraz.’
The Queen Bee:
Iga Swiatek (Poland)
Age: 23
@iga.swiatek
With five grand slams under her belt, Swiatek is the world women’s No. 1. Often dubbed the Queen of Clay, word is that there is room for improvement in Swiatek’s grass game. She has said as much herself. But most people believe it is only a matter of time until she takes Wimbledon. Could this be her year?
The Brown-Eyed British Boy:
Jack Draper (GB)
Age: 22
@jackdraper
Dishy Jack Draper may be the new British No. 1 in men’s singles and ‘making noise at the top of the game’ but he is also a six-foot-four-inch model. Carlos Alcaraz, whom Draper recently beat at Queen’s, graciously endorses him thus: ‘I think he’s gonna reach wherever he wants.’
