The Wimbledon tournament – the crown jewel of tennis – begins next Monday at the All-England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in suburban London. The men’s side is – again – basically down to the top four. It just so happens that that foursome is the biggest names in men’s tennis and the ones fans have grown the most accustomed to over the past several years.
Which one is going to steal the spotlight and cash on the Wimbledon odds?
1. Rafael Nadal
It’s true that Nadal has bowed out of Wimbledon early in each of the past two years, but Nadal is still a two-time Wimbledon champion and a five-time Wimbledon finalist. He knows how to play on grass. He knows how to handle his body and do the things needed to advance at this tournament. Nadal watched everything go wrong last year against Steve Darcis in the first round, and he watched Lukas Rosol play a nearly perfect match to beat him two years ago in the second round. Will Nadal continue to be unlucky in this tournament, or will the odds shift back to him? If he can get past that early-round upset landmine, he could regain confidence and become the complete, rock-solid player who is so hard to play and hit against. A title is not unrealistic for Nadal at Wimbledon, even though he’s expressed concerns about his game on grass.
2. Novak Djokovic
The man who lost to Nadal in the French Open final will pursue Nadal and others here at Wimbledon. Djokovic has won Wimbledon, and he has made an appearance in the final as well. Losing to Andy Murray in last year’s final should give him a lot of hunger and determination. Djokovic is very good about making the final matches at the biggest tournaments. He hasn’t always won those final matches, but he usually goes the distance in these types of large-scale events. If he gets to the final again this time, there’s a very good chance he’ll figure things out and make that last push to the end.
3. Andy Murray
Murray is the defending champion, and a few months ago, it seemed that there was no really good reason to think that he’d be able to mount a legitimate defense of his title. Now, after a run to the French Open semifinals on his worst surface (clay), he seems both physically and mentally ready to see what he can do over the course of two weeks of pressure-packed tennis. Murray has developed a bigger forehand to hit through the court and create winners. If he can do that once again at this tournament, he could repeat something else as well: winning the Wimbledon title for the second straight year.
4. Roger Federer
No one should completely count out Federer. After the top three, he’s the fourth favorite because he’s shown that he can win at this place. Age will be a problem. Consistency might be an issue. His level of intensity might not always exist at a steady point. Yet, Federer’s serve and his net skills could shepherd him through this tournament, at least far enough to give him a shot at one of the top players in the semifinals. If Federer can get that far, he won’t have much to regret at this year’s Wimbledon.
