An Intriguing Wimbledon 2025 Awaits
Djokovic chases history, Alcaraz, Sinner renew battle while the women's competitions remains as open as ever despite Sabalenka's towering presence.
Photo Credit: Carine06
It’s time for Wimbledon 2025 — and perhaps one last chance for Novak Djokovic to equal Roger Federer’s record of eight grass-court majors.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion came tantalizingly close over the past two years, but on both occasions, he was outclassed by the dynamic Carlos Alcaraz. The Spaniard needed five sets to beat him in the 2023 final, but claimed a far easier straight-sets victory in 2024.
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This year, the 22-year-old Alcaraz will be aiming for a third consecutive Wimbledon crown.
However, he may once again run into the Serb in the final — and who knows, this could be the year Djokovic exacts his revenge and finally equals Federer’s record at the All England Club.
Aside from Djokovic and Alcaraz, all eyes will also be on top seed Jannik Sinner.
The Italian reached his maiden French Open final this year and now hopes to make his first Wimbledon final. The two-time Australian Open champion is chasing a fourth major title and may enjoy a relatively smooth path in the early rounds.
But a potential quarterfinal clash with last year’s semifinalist Lorenzo Musetti, followed by a possible semifinal against Djokovic, could derail the world No. 1’s campaign.
In the women’s section, it’s notable that none of the top 10 seeds has ever won a Wimbledon title.
The only two women in the top 20 who have lifted the trophy are 11th seed Elena Rybakina and defending champion Barbora Krejcikova, seeded 17th this year.
Can either of them repeat their exploits, or will one of the top 10 finally break through? It promises to be an intriguing women’s tournament.
Here are our observations and top predictions from the first week.
Sinner, Alcaraz and Djokovic’s Route to Quarters
These three are widely expected to reach the semifinals in the men’s draw this year. So let’s take a closer look at their projected paths to the final four.
Top seed Jannik Sinner opens his campaign against fellow Italian Luca Nardi, followed by a likely second-round clash with Aleksandar Vukic.
His third and fourth-round opponents are expected to be Denis Shapovalov and Tommy Paul, respectively. In the quarterfinals, Sinner is projected to face another Italian — seventh seed Lorenzo Musetti, a semifinalist here last year.
Second seed and defending champion Carlos Alcaraz begins his title defense against veteran Fabio Fognini.
He is expected to meet a qualifier — most likely Leandro Riedi — in the second round, followed by potential encounters with Felix Auger-Aliassime in the third round and Andrey Rublev in the fourth.
That section of the draw, however, appears slightly open. Given Rublev’s recent dip in form, ‘s-Hertogenbosch finalist Zizou Bergs could make a deep run, while Stefanos Tsitsipas, though inconsistent, has an outside shot at reaching the fourth round.
Regardless of who emerges from that cluster, Alcaraz is tipped to dominate and move through to the quarterfinals, where he could face eighth seed Holger Rune — or perhaps a surprise name (more on that shortly).
Djokovic begins his campaign against Alexandre Muller. Dan Evans is a likely second-round opponent, followed by possible third and fourth-round matchups against 30th seed Alex Michelsen and 11th seed Alex de Minaur.
In the quarterfinals, Djokovic could run into fourth seed Jack Draper, provided both players hold their nerve and form through the early rounds.
Tennis Quiz Question of the Day (answer at the end!):
What unique feat did Martina Navratilova narrowly miss at the 1985 Wimbledon?
She had a chance to double-bagel her singles final opponent
She was a win away from grabbing eight Grand Slam titles in a row
She was a win away from winning the singles, doubles & mixed doubles titles
She was a win away from making it five Wimbledon singles titles in a row
(Get more such tennis quiz questions here!)
Cerundolo May Fall Early, Khachanov Likely to Make Fourth Round
Fresh off a semifinal run in Halle, 17th seed Karen Khachanov looks well placed to reach the fourth round — likely at the expense of 16th seed Francisco Cerundolo.
The Argentine, despite winning Eastbourne in 2023, hasn’t won a grass-court match since his opening-round victory at Wimbledon that same year.
Since then, he holds a disappointing 0–5 record on grass, making him vulnerable to an early exit — possibly as early as the first round against Nuno Borges.
Should Cerundolo survive that opener, he’ll likely meet Khachanov in the third round, where the Russian’s greater experience on grass gives him the clear edge.
Rune Handed a Tough Draw
Eighth seed Holger Rune is projected to reach the quarterfinals, but the Dane hasn’t been handed an easy path.
Although a Wimbledon quarterfinalist two years ago, his grass-court form since then has been patchy. This year, he played just one lead-up tournament, losing in the Queen’s Club quarterfinals to Roberto Bautista Agut — who also finds himself in the same section of the draw.
Adding to the challenge, this section includes 12th seed Frances Tiafoe, 23rd seed Jiri Lehecka and 31st seed Tallon Griekspoor.
Eastbourne finalist Jenson Brooksby, an unseeded threat, also features here, making it a minefield of both experience and form players.
Here’s our prediction:
Brooksby could upset Griekspoor in the first round and set up a potential third-round showdown with Rune.
On the other side of this cluster, Tiafoe could face Bautista Agut in the second round — a tough ask for the American, given the Spaniard’s superior grass-court credentials, solid form, and 2–0 head-to-head lead.
We expect Bautista Agut to prevail and meet Queen’s finalist Lehecka in the third round.
We’re backing Lehecka to come through and face either Rune or Brooksby in the fourth round — and potentially pull off a shock to make the last eight.
There are many permutations here, but we’ve got a hunch: one of Lehecka, Bautista Agut, or Brooksby could deny Rune a place in the quarterfinals.
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Men’s Singles Predicted R16
Sinner v Paul
Musetti v Shelton
Draper v Mensik
Djokovic v De Minaur
Fritz v Medvedev
Zverev v Khachanov
Rune / Broooksby v Lehecka / Bautista Agut
Alcaraz v Rublev
Vondrousova Can Deliver the Tournament’s Biggest Shock Early
Top seed Aryna Sabalenka enters Wimbledon 2025 on the back of consecutive final appearances at the year’s first two majors.
Yet, despite her consistent deep runs, the Belarusian has been unable to add to her tally of three Grand Slam titles. Remarkably, Wimbledon — where she has made two semifinals — remains her least successful major.
Could this year finally be different?
On current form, Sabalenka certainly remains a top contender. However, she finds herself in a tricky section of the draw — one that includes 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova, setting up a potential third-round showdown that could spell trouble for the world No. 1.
Vondrousova has already demonstrated her threat on grass this year, defeating Sabalenka in the semifinals at Berlin before going on to win the title.
The Czech lefty also triumphed in their previous encounter in Stuttgart last year, and the pair share a balanced 4–4 head-to-head record.
If both make it through their early matches — Vondrousova past Nottingham champion McCartney Kessler and a potential second-round clash with Emma Raducanu, and Sabalenka past Carson Branstine and potentially Marie Bouzkova — then their third-round meeting could deliver the upset of the tournament.
Given Vondrousova’s recent edge, surface comfort, and past success at SW19, she holds a slight advantage.
And if things align, we wouldn’t be surprised to see her send the top seed packing early.
Tennis Quiz Answer: She was a win away from winning the singles, doubles & mixed doubles titles! (Get more such tennis trivia questions here)
Can Eala Take Down the Defending Champion?
Barbora Krejcikova, the defending Wimbledon champion, has had a disrupted season due to a lingering back injury.
While she recently made her return on clay, the Czech was unable to make much of an impact.
At Eastbourne, just prior to Wimbledon, she won her first two matches in three sets before withdrawing from the tournament with a thigh injury — raising further concerns about her fitness ahead of the year’s third major.
The big question now: will she be fit enough to compete — and compete well — at Wimbledon?
Even if she does take the court, Krejcikova has been handed a difficult opener against the in-form Alexandra Eala.
The young Filipino sensation reached the final of the Eastbourne International with a strong 10–3 grass-court record this season (across all levels).
Earlier this year, Eala also made headlines by reaching the semifinals of the Miami Open, where she took out world No. 1 Iga Swiatek — proof that she can take down the very best.
With Eala’s sharp form and Krejcikova’s lack of match play and injury concerns, this first-round clash could be ripe for an upset. Don’t be surprised if the defending champion makes an early exit.
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Can Swiatek Finally Crack Wimbledon?
With just one quarterfinal appearance in five previous attempts, Wimbledon has long been the most elusive Slam for Iga Swiatek.
Her struggles on grass have been well-documented, and given her form earlier in the season — where she hadn’t won a single title — expectations were understandably muted.
But things may finally be shifting.
The world No. 8 surprised many with a run to the final in Bad Homburg, marking her first-ever singles final on grass and her first final of the 2025 season.
That breakthrough suggests the tide is turning for the five-time Grand Slam champion, and it will be fascinating to see if she can carry that momentum into Wimbledon.
Swiatek opens her campaign against Polina Kudermetova and is projected to face Jodie Burrage in the second round, followed by Marta Kostyuk in the third.
A potential fourth-round blockbuster looms against 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina — a match that could be one of the highlights of the tournament.
Given Swiatek’s recent form and improved confidence on grass, we expect her to edge past Rybakina.
Her projected quarterfinal opponent is French Open champion Coco Gauff — but the American’s Wimbledon record remains underwhelming.
Gauff has yet to reach a quarterfinal at the All England Club in five previous attempts and lost her only grass-court match of the season in Berlin.
With the draw and recent momentum on her side, we believe Swiatek is poised to go as deep as the semifinals — and possibly beyond.
It looks like she may have finally found her rhythm on grass. Even if it’s against all odds, we think she can go very deep this year.
Women’s Singles Predicted R16
Vondrousova / Sabalenka v Svitolina
Keys v Badosa
Paolini v Anisimova / Haddad Maia
Zheng v Shnaider
Andreeva v Navarro
Pegula v Alexandrova / Muchova
Swiatek v Rybakina
Gauff v Samsonova
'The lawns of Wimbledon somehow bring back the supple skills of tennis that for a time was but baseline bashing. The Jokers inscrutable defence, dashing drops and drives were a marriage made in heaven when matched against the heavenly backhanded ballet of Federer.' https://trkingston.substack.com/p/the-grass-is-greener