In just under three weeks, what is arguably the most iconic event in the tennis calendar, will be under way. Winning Wimbledon is almost every aspiring tennis players dream, yet just four players have managed to dominate the final for the last 10 years. In the last decade, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray have been the only players to reach the final of the men's singles, with the exception of Andy Roddick in 2007 and Tomas Berdych in 2008, neither of which secured the title.
It goes without saying that every single player participating in this year’s Championship will be thirsty to get their name on the trophy and their hands on the hefty prize money that comes with it. However, can we somewhat predict who are the predominant contenders?
In what seems to be the most popular event of the tournament, Novak Djokovic will be returning to defend his men’s singles title. With his recent win at Roland Garros and a success rate of 93.6% in the last year, the Serb looks in good stead to be victorious again.
However, can he combat Federer’s determination to make history with “greatest number of Wimbledon titles”? Time is running out for the Swiss, and he will undoubtedly want to break the current record held by himself and Sampras sooner rather than later.
Something that Federer mentioned earlier this year was the importance of support from the stands. Fortunately for Andy Murray, he will have the home crowds to spur him on in his mission for a second Wimbledon title at the home of tennis.
One contender that perhaps doesn’t look so strong however, is Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard has not made it past the 4th round since 2011, and pulled out of his most recent grand slam in Paris due to injury. On withdrawing from the tournament he said he would use the time to recover and prepare himself for Championships. Nevertheless, many have been skeptical as to whether the king of clay should take this risk with the Olympic Games fast approaching. The five time finalist has not failed to surprise us in the past, so maybe he can still pull it out of the bag?
The draw will not be released until just three days before the tournament kicks off, revealing only at the last minute some of the obstacles the big four may face on their road to the final.
