Contemporary from breaking out of a tie with Rafael Nadal for 23 Slams on the French Open, the 36-year-old Djokovic will comfortably be the overwhelming favorite on the All England Membership when he begins his title defence on Monday.
With a 10th Australian Open and third Roland Garros already wrapped up this season, an eighth Wimbledon triumph would go away Djokovic needing simply the US Open in September to emulate Rod Laver’s sweep of all 4 majors in 1969.
“He takes your legs, then he takes your soul, then he digs your grave and you’ve got a funeral and also you’re useless. Bye-bye. Thanks for coming,” stated coach Goran Ivanisevic when requested to caption the Serb’s Grand Slam mindset.
Djokovic has received the title on his final 4 visits to Wimbledon and has not misplaced on Centre Court docket because the 2013 closing.
His 86 match wins are solely bettered by the now retired Federer and are greater than the remainder of the present prime 20 put collectively.
Of these gamers, solely two — Cameron Norrie and Hubert Hurkacz — have made the semi-finals of Wimbledon.
Amongst his prime 5 rivals, not one has obtained past the final 16 whereas two-time champion Nadal is sitting out the remainder of the 12 months by way of damage.
A 24th main for Djokovic would take him degree with Margaret Court docket for essentially the most Grand Slam titles received by one participant.
World primary Carlos Alcaraz shall be Djokovic’s greatest menace, particularly because the younger Spaniard now has a maiden grass-court title in his assortment because of his win at Queen’s final weekend.
Nevertheless, Alcaraz conceded key floor by admitting that the stress and pressure of going through Djokovic within the semi-final on the French Open prompted the cramping that sparked his defeat.
Ivanisevic described Djokovic as “unbelievable”.
“He is nonetheless shifting like a cat on the courtroom. He is there. Like a Ninja, he is all over the place. He will discover some type of motivation to win 24, perhaps 25, who is aware of the place is the top.”
Not surprisingly, Alcaraz has tried to shift all the main focus onto Djokovic.
“I noticed that Djokovic has by no means misplaced a match on Centre Court docket since 2013 when he misplaced in opposition to Andy Murray — so it is 10 years, it is loopy,” stated Alcaraz who made the final 16 in 2022 earlier than falling to Jannik Sinner.
“However I hope to have the group behind me to alter that stat.”
Moscow-born Elena Rybakina was the shock girls’s champion in 2022.
Her choice to modify allegiance to Kazakhstan in 2018 proved to be a smart transfer when all Russian gamers had been banned final 12 months.
Nevertheless, her possibilities of efficiently defending her title have suffered a setback by her failure to shake off a virus which compelled an early withdrawal from the French Open.
World primary and four-time main winner Iga Swiatek, who’s in search of a maiden Wimbledon title so as to add to her US and French Open crowns, has but to progress past the final 16.
The 22-year-old Pole made the semi-finals of a grass-court event for the primary time this week at Dangerous Homburg in Germany earlier than suspected meals poisoning compelled her to withdraw.
“I have to handle myself. I hope I will be fantastic quickly,” she stated.
World quantity two Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, banned final 12 months due to her nation’s help for Russia within the warfare in Ukraine, made the semi-finals in 2021.
Sixth-ranked Ons Jabeur was runner-up 12 months in the past and was a grass-court champion in Birmingham in 2021.
Sentimental votes for a possible girls’s champion shall be solid for 43-year-old five-time winner Venus Williams in addition to 2011 and 2014 champion Petra Kvitova, the one participant within the prime 10 over 30.
