Wimbledon men’s singles: Three talking points

LONDON – Can anyone stop two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz or world No. 1 Jannik Sinner lifting the Wimbledon men’s title?

The two have dominated the sport recently, sharing five of the past six Grand Slam titles, including a thrilling French Open final in June.

Novak Djokovic is the last of the “Big Three” still standing, refusing to give up on his dream of a record 25th Grand Slam singles title, while Jack Draper shoulders British hopes.

Here are three talking points ahead of the tournament, which starts on June 30.

1. Alcaraz-Sinner show

Alcaraz is aiming to become just the fifth man in the Open Era to win three consecutive Wimbledon titles, after Björn Borg, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

The Spaniard, who has beaten Djokovic in the past two Wimbledon finals, arrives at the All England Club fresh from winning Queen’s for a second time, taking his grass-court title tally to four.

The 22-year-old had said that “grass-court mode is activated”, a message that will send a shiver down the spines of his opponents.

Sinner, 23, remains the world No. 1 and has impressed since returning from a three-month doping ban, reaching the final of the Italian Open and the French Open, both of which he lost to Alcaraz.

Alcaraz stormed back from two sets down to beat Sinner in an epic Roland Garros final, securing a fifth successive victory against his Italian rival.

Sinner then lost early at the Halle grass-court tournament but does have a strong track record at Wimbledon, reaching the semi-finals in 2023 and the quarter-finals last season.

2. Djokovic eyes history

Djokovic remains driven to end his remarkable career as the most successful singles player of all time, across both the men’s and women’s games.

The Serb is tied with long-retired Margaret Court at 24 Grand Slams and hasn’t won a Major since the 2023 US Open.

He came up short against Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final in 2023 and 2024, though he beat his young rival in a captivating Olympic final on clay last year.

Djokovic also has the added incentive of drawing level on a record eight men’s Wimbledon singles titles with the retired Federer, the king of Centre Court.

The 38-year-old, who won his 100th tour-level title in May in Geneva, first lifted the Wimbledon trophy in 2011, with his most recent triumph coming in 2022.

The question is whether Djokovic, now ranked sixth in the world, can get past Alcaraz or Sinner at their best – he lost to Sinner in straight sets in the semi-finals at Roland Garros.

3. Draper takes on Murray’s mantle

Wimbledon announced this week that it will honour retired Scottish tennis player Andy Murray, a two-time Wimbledon champion, with a statue – a gesture that demonstrates the high regard in which he is held.

The British men’s No. 1 is Draper, who has enjoyed a breakthrough season, winning his first ATP Masters 1000 event at Indian Wells and reaching the final in Madrid.

The 23-year-old world No. 4 has beaten both Alcaraz and Sinner, but his Wimbledon record is modest – never past the second round – with just one Grand Slam semi-final appearance at last year’s US Open.

Draper enters Wimbledon with confidence, despite his semi-final loss to Jiri Lehecka at Queen’s Club.

“I’ve really felt the home support all week, it’s a real advantage, and it helps drive me on,” he said. “But at the same time, I’ve got a job to do, and I’m not thinking about pressures like that.

“I’m going to go into Wimbledon feeling great about myself, and I’ll go in at a position I’ve been dreaming of since I was a little kid.” AFP