The last time none of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic or Andy Murray finished in the top two spots, the current residents were seven and six years old respectively.
It would have been reasonable to assume that such a scenario would portend a significant shift at the top of the sport, but Djokovic and Nadal are the mainstays at Wimbledon for another year. Regardless of where they are in the rankings, they are also somehow the top two seeds in the absence of a suspended world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev and an injured Alexander Zverev.
Almost every Grand Slam tournament in recent years has been an important moment in tennis history as the greatest men’s players spend their final years trying to elevate their Grand Slam titles as much as possible. But this moment feels even more urgent than the others.
A year ago, Djokovic sauntered to a Wimbledon title that tied him with 20 Grand Slam titles with Nadal and Federer and marked his third Grand Slam championship of the year. To many it seemed inevitable that he would overtake his major rivals as the sole record holder. Instead, Djokovic lost the US Open final in September, was expelled from Australia in January and failed to handle Nadal’s stratospheric level in the quarterfinals in Paris. Now Nadal has 22 major titles with some daylight in between.
With vaccination still required to enter the US, Djokovic made it clear on Saturday that any change that will allow him to compete in the US Open will not be from his end. As things stand, the next two weeks could define his season. Should he lose at Wimbledon and then stay at home at the US Open, that year would go down in history as the low point of his career. Or he could force himself back to the level he showed a year ago.
The urgency for Nadal is inversely based on the opportunity presented to him. He never imagined that under these circumstances at 36 he would win the first majors of the year and be halfway to the Grand Slam, and regardless of how far he goes, the most important news is that he is relatively healthy . He gave himself a chance to see where he ends up.
With the seeding ensuring that the all-too-early French Open quarter-finals are not repeated, the men’s draw is fairly even. Both ATP 500 grass champions, seventh-seeded Hubert Hurkacz and eighth-seeded Matteo Berrettini, avoided a possible quarterfinal with Nadal or Djokovic. As they look to continue their excellent form on grass, the question is whether other notable players can join them.
Nick Kyrgios plays some of the best and most consistent tennis of his career, apart from those close matches against top players where he inevitably loses his head. And then there’s Andy Murray, who started the grass season with his best tennis in six years, and he’ll see if he can pick up where he left off.
As long as the winning streak of 35 wins continues to increase, Iga Swiatek’s draw against the field in women’s singles remains. But while few have been able to even come close to beating her on hardcourts and claycourts, how she will adapt to the grass remains to be seen. Choosing to prioritize her physical and mental health over further surface experience, the Pole opted to take a week off after winning her second French Open title.
One of the obvious top contenders in the women’s draw with so many options still open is Ons Jabeur, the winner in Berlin who, alongside enjoying life with her new friend and doubles partner Serena Williams in four of her last five events, has done the reached the final. The catch is that the one final they missed happened to be a first-round loss at the French Open. Also of note are Coco Gauff, Belinda Bencic, Bianca Andreescu and the fascinating resurgence of two-time winner Petra Kvitova, who won Eastbourne over the weekend.
In the meantime, Williams’ wildcard status is appropriate. She’s 40 years old, hasn’t competed in a year and it’s hard to say what level to expect from her on Tuesday. But she’s also a seven-time Wimbledon champion and comeback champion. Like Murray in the men’s draw, Williams has a fair draw if she’s in any positive form. Whether she is remains to be seen.
Emma Raducanu’s bitter injury streak continued when she sustained a lateral strain in the first game of her first game during her first grass-court season as a Grand Slam champion. She used the phrase “ready to go” no fewer than four times in her press conference on Saturday, as if to make a point. Making her Center Court debut on Monday, it won’t be long before she sees exactly what form she’s in.
This is an opportunity for Brits in general. As Cameron Norrie chases his first appearance in the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament, one of the clear themes of the grass season has been the comfort shown by British players on the surface while many others have struggled. Some should get their chances again.
Wimbledon’s decision to ban Russian and Belarusian players was widely criticized for both its effectiveness and logic. Still, when a new tournament begins, every prominent player that could be here has made the journey. It remains to be seen if some lower-ranked players will take the money and leave – all eyes on Benoît Paire – but that’s no hit-and-giggel. A new Grand Slam tournament begins on Monday.