Wimbledon 2023: Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and other men's title favourites

Wimbledon, one of the most prestigious tournaments on the tennis calendar, gets underway on 3 July. The grass court major is unlike any other with its rich history and a stickler for maintaining tradition. There is the strawberry and cream, the bubbles, the queue, strict all-white dress code and presence of royal patronage. On the court, things are challenging with the green grass a challenge for most who are accustomed to the clay courts or the hard courts — the two surfaces that occupy most of the tennis calendar. With inconsistent bounces and slowness of the surface, it is hard to master grass. Yet there are some who have — including the defending champion Novak Djokovic who has won this tournament four years in a row now. Djokovic is one of the prime contenders to win the tournament and that has been helped along by a kind draw. The 23-time Grand Slam winner, who could well complete an unprecedented calendar Grand Slam, is placed in the fourth quarter (bottom half) of the draw. The big question: Who can stop Djokovic? Top seed and World No 1 Carlos Alcaraz is one candidate but it is stiff to call him a title favourite. There’s Daniil Medvedev but he too struggles on grass. Someone who’s ever improving is Casper Ruud and fellow Scandinavian player Holger Rune. A look at the title contenders in men’s singles at 2023 Wimbledon: Novak Djokovic Djokovic has won three titles in 2023 and two of them have been major titles at Australian and French Opens. Elsewhere, he’s struggled which clearly suggests the Serb saves his best for where it matters most. Novak has not lost a complicated match at Wimbledon since 2016. In 2017, he was stopped short with an elbow injury. Since then, there have been no defeats. 28-0. And he’s come close to being beaten. [caption id=“attachment_10896711” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Novak Djokovic kisses the trophy after beating Nick Kyrgios in the Wimbledon men’s singles final, winning his 21st Grand Slam in the process. AP[/caption] In 2018, Djokovic beat Rafael Nadal, absent this year from Wimbledon with an injury, 10-8 in the final set. A year later, Roger Federer should have added to his own tally of eight Wimbledon titles but for Djokovic saving two Championship points. Matteo Berrettini and Nick Kyrgios got a glimpse in the subsequent years but to lose. Jannik Sinner was two sets up last year but for Djokovic shutting down another youngster from two sets down. A win at SW19 two weeks later and he would have the most Grand Slams in the Open Era — for a man or a woman — going past Serena Williams. It would also equal Federer’s record of eight Wimbledon titles. He’s won 11 of the last 20 major tournaments and looks good to add to his tally. Carlos Alcaraz Alcaraz has been the highlight reel of tennis since his emergence a year back. His remarkable talent and maturity, at 20 years old, shines even when pushed into a corner. His big serve is complemented by powerful forehand and consistently accurate backhands with aggressive brand of tennis to boot. Making his game even more breathtaking is the athleticism. [caption id=“attachment_12815752” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Carlos Alcaraz has made the second and fourth round in his two appearances at the Wimbledon. Reuters[/caption] However, he’s still finding his footing on grass. The Spaniard made the second and fourth round in his only two appearances at Wimbledon. But the signs of growth are there having won the warm-up event in Queens’. Casper Ruud Ruud has now been to the final of three Grand Slam finals and been denied all three times. Twice he’s been beaten at the French Open and last year by Alcaraz at the US Open. The player from Norway was 14-13 in Grand Slam main draw matches going into the 2022 season. He’s 20-5 since showcasing his massive growth. Wimbledon, however, has been a tough place for him. With a 1-3 record, he’s not gone beyond the fourth round at the All England Club. Holger Rune To go back to the main question: Who can stop Novak Djokovic? The answer, statistically, points at Rune. The Dane has won twice in a row against Djokovic which highlights the potential he holds. During the 2022 season, he went 19-2 with two titles but there were dips earlier 1-6 (Jan to Feb) and 0-7 (Jun to Jul). This year, the 20-year-old has a win-loss of 33-12 and 6-2 at majors. The sixth seed has pocketed a solitary title (in Munich on clay) and been beaten twice in the final of Masters 1000 events (Monte Carlo and Rome). In his solitary appearance at Wimbledon last year, he was beaten by Marcos Giron. Coming into it this time around, the sixth-ranked player made the semi-finals of Queen’s — losing to Alex de Minaur. Jannik Sinner Jannik Sinner holds incredible potential and has a never-say-die attitude from the back of the court. Having broken into the top-10 in November 2021, Sinner has won seven titles in his career and finished runner-up at two Masters 1000 events. The challenge, however, lies at the majors. The 21-year-old is 30-14 at majors with the hiccup coming in quarters. He’s been beaten four times now in the last-eight of a major. Bigger concern: for the fourth time in his last four Grand Slam events, Sinner went out in five sets at the French Open. The Italian can take heart from his quarter-final run at Wimbledon last year where he led Djokovic 7-5, 6-2 before being beaten. Read all the Latest News, Trending News,  Cricket News, Bollywood News,  India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.