Wimbledon 2024 Preview

Wimbledon , one of the most prestigious events in the world of sports, is set to commence next week. This annual Grand Slam tournament, held in London, England, is renowned for its rich history, tradition, and grass courts. As we approach the 2024 edition, anticipation is high for what promises to be an exciting and competitive tournament. Here we provide an overview of Wimbledon, previews the men’s and women’s tournaments, and examines the top contenders likely to vie for the title this year.

Wimbledon is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, with its inception dating back to 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tournaments, alongside the Australian Open, French Open, and US Open. What sets Wimbledon apart is its adherence to tradition: players are required to wear all-white attire, matches are played on grass courts, and the tournament maintains a unique charm with its strict observance of royal protocol and classic British customs.

The All England Club is the iconic venue for Wimbledon. Its meticulously maintained grass courts are considered the finest in the world, providing a unique challenge for players. The Centre Court and No. 1 Court are the main stages where the most anticipated matches unfold. The pristine condition of these courts, combined with the unpredictable British weather, often influences the style of play and outcomes of matches.

The tournament spans two weeks, starting on a Monday and culminating on a Sunday with the men’s singles final. It features five main events: men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles. Additionally, there are junior and wheelchair events. Wimbledon 2024 is scheduled to run from July 1st  to July 14th, and the excitement is building as tennis enthusiasts eagerly await the action.

Last year we saw Carlos Alcaraz win his first Wimbledon championship, defeating Novak Djokovic in an epic final. The match went to five sets with the young Spaniard eventually getting the better of serial champion Djokovic, much to the delight of the crowds. For the first time since 2002, the top seed and the winner was not a member of the traditional big four. On the women’s side of the draw, we saw a surprise winner in Czech player Marketa Vondrousova, who got the better of Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur. It was her first major title in over six years and she became the first unseeded female player to win the Wimbledon title and she was also the lowest ranked player to reach any final, at number 42.

Men’s Singles

This year the top seed going into the tournament is Italian Jannik Sinner, he is the first Italian player to become a world number 1 following his win at the French Open earlier this month. The 22 year old continued to build on his number 1 ranking by winning his first grass court title in Halle last week. Second on the list is a player who needs no introduction, Novak Djokovic. He lost last year’s final to Carlos Alacaraz and will be hoping to reclaim his title this year, although he is struggling with an injury that he picked up earlier this month. Next on the list is last year’s winner, Carlos Alcaraz, who was second until his loss in the second round at Queens Club last week. German Alex Zverev is fourth seed whereas Jack Draper is the only British men’s player who will be seeded for this tournament, number 28 on the list. The USA is the country with the most seeded players in the draw, with five. 

The top five seedings are as follows:

1. Jannik Sinner

2. Novak Djokovic

3. Carlos Alcaraz

4. Alexander Zverev

5. Daniil Medvedev

Women’s Singles

Iga Swiatek will once again lead the seeds heading into a Grand Slam and she is followed by American Coco Gauff, who is in the top two for the first time. The American’s successful clay court season has propelled her above Aryna Sabalenka, after making it into the semi finals in Madrid, Rome and Paris. She has one title this season, Auckland, but has a 32-10 match record so far in 2024. Top seed Swiatek, who won the French Open a few weeks back, has not played any warm up matches on grass, so that might work against her coming into this tournament. She is 45-4 this season and has already won five titles. Aryna Sabalenka is next on the list and started the season in excellent form by winning the Australian Open. Since then though she hasn’t picked up any titles and had an injury scare recently. 2022 winner Elena Rybakina is fourth on the list whereas last year’s surprise winner Marketa Vondrousova is seeded sixth. Katie Boulter is the only British woman to be seeded and she has been in very good form on grass recently, winning the title in Nottingham and she will be hoping for another good run in front of her home fans. Another player that fans will be hoping to catch a glimpse of is Emma Raducanu, who has stated she feels far more like herself recently and has rekindled her love for the game. 

The top five seedings are as follows:

1. Iga Swiatek

2. Coco Gauff

3. Aryna Sabalenka

4. Elena Rybakina

5. Jessica Pegula

Predictions

Jannick Sinner looks like a worthy favourite in the odds at 2.75. Since reaching the semi-finals last year he has won the Australian Open and excelled on the ATP Tour, winning on grass at the Halle Open in the build up to these championships. Last year’s winner won the most recent Grand Slam at the French Open. Alcaraz is also priced at 2.75, but he was knocked out of Queen’s in the second round by Jack Draper, which is a concern for anyone backing him at those odds. Draper himself is someone worth keeping an eye on, the 22 year old has already reached the round of 16 in a grand slam and has looked very impressive on grass this season. Djokovic at 5.00 is the third favourite, but may not even be fit enough to compete. If he does, you would be wise to watch him in action before committing to backing the legend, as his recent knee surgery could well have an impact on his performance.

The lack of preparation for Iga Swiatek is certainly a worry and only one of the top four seeds has ever tasted success at Wimbledon, that being Rybakina. As we saw last year, it is possible that we might get another surprise this time around and with question marks over Swiatek and Sabalenka it might be worth looking further down the list, perhaps at last year’s finalist Ons Jabeur or someone like Ekaterina Alexandrova, who made the fourth round of Wimbledon last year and thrives on grass. A new star to keep an eye on is Mirra Andreeva, who made her Wimbledon debut last year and reached the semi final of the French Open a few weeks ago. 

The 2024 Wimbledon Tennis Championships are set to be an exhilarating event, filled with high-stakes matches, dramatic moments, and the crowning of new champions. The rich history and tradition of Wimbledon, combined with the unique challenges of grass-court play, make this tournament a highlight of the sporting calendar. As the world’s best tennis players converge on the All England Club, fans can look forward to two weeks of unforgettable tennis action. Whether it will be a familiar face lifting the trophy or a new champion emerging, Wimbledon 2024 promises to deliver excitement, excellence, and plenty of surprises.

Last updated: 26.06.24