MY ACCOUNT
Novak Djokovic registered the most recent of his 20 Grand Slam successes at Wimbledon last year and his presence will again dominate the 2022 men’s singles tournament.
The Serbian has won three successive Wimbledon titles and is bidding to extend a 21-match winning sequence at the All England Club which stretches back to a quarter-final loss to Tomas Berdych in 2017.
Men’s tennis has been long awaiting a breakthrough from the next generation and 2021 finalist Matteo Berrettini and teenage sensation Carlos Alcaraz are two of the candidates hopeful of giving Djokovic a run for his money.
Djokovic’s dwindling dominance
All successful eras come to an end at some point and it may be the right time to anticipate a drop off in Djokovic’s sky-high standards.
The 35-year-old’s fitness and durability have been key aspects of his success, but he is now playing less regularly and is losing a higher proportion of his contests.
Djokovic maintained an incredibly high level in 2021, winning 55 of 62 matches at a success percentage of 88.71.
This season, he has won 16 of 21 matches, and has not played competitively since a brutal quarter-final loss to Rafael Nadal at the French Open.
He remains a fierce competitor though and will be tough to beat, but it may be the right time to consider the merits of others in the field.
Berrettini brilliance
Berrettini gave Djokovic his toughest match at the 2021 Championships, taking the first set in the final before losing to the six-time champion.
The Italian’s big serve and powerful, penetrative forehand are ideally suited to fast courts and he looks the most likely to dethrone the Serb over the next fortnight.
The 26-year-old will have learned a lot from last year and gained further valuable experience with his run to the semi-finals at this year’s Australian Open.
Now two-time winner at the Queen’s Club, Berrettini has long been touted as a future Wimbledon champion and he looks ready to seize the moment.
Awesome Alcaraz
Alcaraz has been breaking records during his swift rise up the rankings and will be bidding to become the first teenage winner of the men’s Wimbledon title since Boris Becker twice won in 1985 and 1986.
The Spanish star has appeared in the main draw at six Grand Slams since becoming the first player born in 2003 to compete at the Australian Open when featuring as a 17-year-old in January 2021.
However, he has not advanced beyond the quarter-finals at any of them and was beaten in the second round at Wimbledon last year.
The 19-year-old has four ATP Tour titles to his name this year, including significant victories in Miami and Madrid, and it seems only a matter of time before he makes a breakthrough on the biggest stage.
Marin magic
While Alcaraz is in the early stages of his career, 33-year-old Croatian Marin Cilic is running out of chances to land his first Wimbledon title.
However, Cilic showed he was made of stern stuff when winning the 2014 US Open and has reached the last eight on four occasions at Wimbledon, including in 2017 when he lost out to Swiss legend Roger Federer in the final.
Cilic has enjoyed something of a revival this season, including a career-best run to the semi-finals at Roland Garros, and could roll back the years with a decent showing at SW19.
