Wimbledon is just around the corner and the usual suspects are sure to play a huge part on the men’s and women’s side of the draw. A whole host of underdogs will be keen to throw a spanner in the works, however, and Express Sport takes you through four in particular who it would be wise to keep an eye on at this year’s tournament…
Holger Rune
Beginning on the men’s side, where defending champion Novak Djokovic and world No 1 Carlos Alcaraz are heavily fancied ahead of the chasing pack, Danish youngster Rune is also a player to keep tabs on.
The 20-year-old, ranked sixth in the world, is not exactly a nobody, but the fact he has never made it beyond the first round at SW19 means he would have to venture far into uncharted territory to cause an upset.
Going into the tournament, Rune has never been ranked higher, and impressive career victories over the likes of Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev and Casper Ruud prove that he can mix it with the big boys.
Cameron Norrie
The Brit battled all the way to the semi-finals at Wimbledon last year, going a set up against Djokovic before the Serb found his rhythm. Even so, the world No 13 is not among those heavily fancied to make a splash at the All England Club this time around.
Norrie’s side of the draw is testing but he would stay clear of the true heavy-hitters until the late stages of the tournament. A projected third-round match with Sebastian Korda, a fourth-round clash with Andy Murray and a potential quarter-final showdown with Medvedev are all matches to be taken seriously, but they are also winnable.
Barbora Krejcikova
Moving over to the women’s side of the draw, where Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina lead the favourites, some consideration should be given to Czech star Krejcikova. Currently ranked No 10 in the world and way down the list of fancied candidates for victory, the 27-year-old won the French Open back in 2021.
Proof that Krejcikova can go all the way in a Grand Slam makes her a dark horse worth keeping an eye on, not to mention her victories over Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka earlier this year. She lost in the first round at Roland Garros in June, but that should make her hungrier than ever to make a big impact at Wimbledon.
Ekaterina Alexandrova
The Russian beat a number of solid competitors to retain the Rosmalen Open on grass in June, but she is one of the rank outsiders to go far at Wimbledon, despite winning three WTA titles in the last 12 months.
Alexandrova – a reliable server – is ranked No 21 in the world and she has never made it beyond the second round at SW19. But this could be her year to make an impression as she gears up for a first-round match against American Emma Navarro.
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