Wimbledon 2023: Main contenders, Brits in the draw and everything you need to know

Wimbledon 2023 is underway as the finest tennis gamers in the world flock to SW19 for the annual summer time spectacular.

First performed in 1877, the third main of the tennis 12 months stays the solely Grand Slam performed on grass.

The stainless surfaces of the All England Membership proceed to present the canvas for a few of the sport’s most thrilling contests.

As ever, the followers are set to pack the present courtroom stands and watch on round the grounds, with those that missed out on the annual poll queuing via the evening for an opportunity at a coveted ticket.

Right here’s everything you need to know.

The 136th version of the Wimbledon Championships will probably be held over a fortnight, beginning on Monday 3 July and concluding on Sunday 16 July. For the second 12 months in a row after organisers elected to break with custom, matches will probably be held on the event’s center Sunday.

Males’s contenders

Novak Djokovic leads the checklist of males’s contenders. The defending champion is now the outright most profitable male singles participant in historical past, successful his twenty third Grand Slam title at the French Open in June. He may equal Roger Federer’s report tally of eight males’s Wimbledon titles.

The Serbian is just seeded second, although, with Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz again at the high of the world rankings after successful his first title on grass at Queen’s. Alcaraz stays wanting expertise on the floor, and exited in the fourth spherical final 12 months, however is a budding famous person, successful his first main at the US Open final August.

Past the massive two, every of Daniil Medvedev, Casper Ruud and Stefanos Tsitsipas will hope to ship on their high 5 seedings with deep runs, whereas 2021 finalist Matteo Berettini is unseeded, however lurks as a doable darkish horse. Nick Kyrgios, crushed by Djokovic in the last final 12 months, had hoped to compete however has been pressured right into a late withdrawal.

Ladies’s contenders

The ladies’s draw feels extra open – Iga Swiatek begins as favorite after successful her fourth Grand Slam crown at the French Open, however the Polish 22-year-old may be weak on grass. Swiatek has by no means been past the fourth spherical at Wimbledon.

Elena Rybakina is again to defend her title, with the world quantity three hoping to once more problem. Sickness has disrupted the Kazakh’s build-up to the event however her sturdy serve and attacking baseline model make her a possible contender.

With Russian and Belarusian gamers not permitted to compete final 12 months, Aryna Sabalenka returns to Wimbledon with some extent to show. Like Rybakina, Sabalenka has the power-hitting vary to trigger issues on grass and reached the final 4 in 2021. Her maiden main triumph arrived at the Australian Open in January.

Brit watch

With Emma Raducanu absent due to damage, Britain’s hopes of prolonged involvement the girls’s draw seem slim. The bold Katie Boulter is now her nation’s top-ranked participant and has already received in Nottingham throughout the grass-court summer time swing, and will probably be wanting to match or higher her run to the third spherical 12 months in the past.

Boulter is joined by 5 different British girls granted wildcards – the skilled Heather Watson is a well-recognized face, whereas all of Jodie Burrage, Harriet Dart, Katie Swan and Sonay Kartal have top-100 potential and will look to draw on some dwelling assist.

The British followers could be extra optimistic about their males. Cameron Norrie is seeded twelfth and wanting to construct on a semi-final look in 2022, whereas Andy Murray has proven glimpses of one thing resembling his finest tennis with a few warm-up wins in Surbiton and Nottingham.

Dan Evans is seeded twenty seventh and is probably going to carry his standard field of methods, whereas Liam Broady, Jan Choinski, Arthur Fery and George Loffhagen have additionally been given wildcards.

Ones to watch

Coco Gauff appears like a Grand Slam champion in ready, with the American hotly tipped as a possible main winner ever since her breakthrough run to the fourth spherical on Wimbledon debut in 2019. Nonetheless solely 19, a primary French Open last final 12 months was additional proof of what Gauff can do when she places all of it collectively.

Whereas the freakishly proficient Alcaraz is males’s tennis’ hottest prospect, Jannik Sinner additionally has immense potential. The 21-year-old Italian is a easy mover with a well-rounded sport and sensible backhand, and will need a greater displaying after a shock second spherical exit at the French Open. Sinner is but to attain a Grand Slam singles semi-final.

Order of Play – Monday 3 July

CENTRE COURT – 13:30 START (all instances BST)

Pedro Cachin (ARG) vs Novak Djokovic (SRB)

Venus Williams (USA) vs Elina Svitolina (UKR)

Jannik Sinner (ITA) vs Juan Manuel Cerundolo (ARG)

No.1 COURT – 13:00 START

Iga Swiatek (POL) vs Lin Zhu (CHN)

Laurent Lokoli (FRA) vs Casper Ruud (NOR)

Sofia Kenin (USA) vs Coco Gauff (USA)

No.2 COURT – 11:00 START

Jessica Pegula (USA) vs Lauren Davis (USA)

David Goffin (BEL) vs Fortunate Loser (TBC)

Katie Swan (GBR) vs Belinda Bencic (SUI)

Quentin Halys (FRA) vs Daniel Evans (GBR)

No.3 COURT – 11:00 START

Andrey Rublev vs Max Purcell (AUS)

Katie Volynets (USA) vs Caroline Garcia (FRA)

Jodie Burrage (GBR) vs Caty McNally (USA)

Yannick Hanfmann (GER) vs Taylor Fritz (USA)

COURT 12 – 11:00 START

Diane Parry (FRA) vs Harriet Dart (GBR)

Filip Krajinovic (SRB) vs Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN)

Denis Shapovalov (CAN) vs Radu Albot (MDA)

Shuai Zhang (CHN) vs Donna Vekic (CRO)

COURT 18 – 11:00 START

Veronika Kudermetova vs Kaia Kanepi (EST)

Albert Ramos-Vinolas (ESP) vs Hubert Hurkacz (POL)

Daria Kasatkina vs Caroline Dolehide

Not earlier than 16:30

Emil Ruusuvuori (FIN) vs Stan Wawrinka (SUI)

COURT 4 – 11:00 START

Nadia Podoroska (ARG) vs Tereza Martincova (CZE)

Corentin Moutet (FRA) vs Richard Gasquet (FRA)

Rebeka Masarova (ESP) vs Mayar Sherif (EGY)

Lloyd Harris (RSA) vs Gregoire Barrere (FRA)

COURT 5 – 11:00 START

Barbora Strycova (CZE) vs Maryna Zanevska (BEL)

Maximilian Marterer (GER) vs Borna Gojo (CRO)

Mikael Ymer (SWE) vs Alex Molcan (SVK)

Marie Bouzkova (CZE) vs Simona Waltert (SUI)

COURT 6 – 11:00 START

Sebastian Baez (ARG) vs Tomas Barrios Vera (CHI)

Martina Trevisan (ITA) vs Sara Sorribes Tormo

Qinwen Zheng (CHN) vs Katerina Siniakova (CZE)

Tomas Martin Etcheverry (ARG) vs Bernabe Zapata Miralles (ESP)

COURT 7 – 11:00 START

Luca Van Assche (FRA) vs Aslan Karatsev

Marketa Vondrousova (CZE) vs Peyton Stearns (USA)

Miomir Kecmanovic (SRB) vs Diego Schwartzman (ARG)

Camila Osorio (COL) vs Elisabetta Cocciaretto

COURT 8 – 11:00 START

Alycia Parks (USA) vs Anna-Lena Friedsam (GER)

Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) vs Claire Liu (USA)

Dominik Koepfer (GER) vs Oscar Otte (GER)

Benjamin Bonzi (FRA) vs Harold Mayot (FRA)

COURT 9 – 11:00 START

Jordan Thompson (AUS) vs Brandon Nakashima (USA)

Storm Hunter (AUS) vs Xinyu Wang (CHN)

Aleksandar Vukic (AUS) vs Daniel Altmaier (GER)

COURT 10 – 11:00 START

Cristina Bucsa (ESP) vs Kamilla Rakhimova

J.J. Wolf (USA) vs Enzo Couacaud (FRA)

Roman Safiullin vs Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP)

COURT 14 – 11:00 START

Lorenzo Musetti (ITA) vs Juan Pablo Varillas (PER)

Kateryna Baindl (UKR) vs Leylah Fernandez (CAN)

Elise Mertens (BEL) vs Viktoria Hruncakova (SVK)

Borna Coric (CRO) vs Guido Pella (ARG)

COURT 15 – 11:00 START

Yue Yuan (CHN) vs Victoria Azarenka

Liam Broady (GBR) vs Fixed Lestienne (FRA)

Alexander Bublik (KAZ) vs Mackenzie McDonald (USA)

Not earlier than 17:30

Anett Kontaveit (EST) vs Lucrezia Stefanini (ITA)

COURT 16 – 11:00 START

Linda Fruhvirtova (CZE) vs Petra Martic (CRO)

John Isner (USA) vs Jaume Munar (ESP)

Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN) vs Daniel Elahi Galan

Not earlier than 17:30

Sloane Stephens (USA) vs Rebecca Peterson (SWE)

COURT 17 – 11:00 START

Ana Bogdan (ROU) vs Liudmila Samsonova

Magda Linette (POL) vs Jil Teichmann (SUI)

Jan Choinski (GBR) vs Dusan Lajovic (SRB)

Danielle Collins (USA) vs Julia Grabher (AUT)

Meals and drink

Whereas the tennis takes centre stage throughout the fortnight, Wimbledon’s spectators will even indulge in the well-known meals and drink that so enriches the expertise at considered one of the must-see occasions of the British sporting summer time.

For these searching for a tipple or two, Pimm’s will show a preferred choice, the liquer and lemonade mixture the excellent cooler in the summer time solar. A pint of the fruit-filled beverage will set spectators again practically £10; extra frugal followers would possibly contemplate bringing in their very own, with one bottle of wine or Champagne (750ml), two cans of beer (500ml) or two cans of premixed aperitifs permitted to be carried in by every individual.

Equally carefully related to Wimbledon is strawberries and cream. Practically 200,000 parts of the summer time fruit and conventional dairy accompaniment are set to be served over the fortnight – and there’s excellent news for followers with the worth of a serving to of strawberries and cream set agency at £2.50, because it has been since 2010.

How do I enter the poll for Wimbledon subsequent 12 months?

The poll for Wimbledon 2024 will open in early September 2023. Potential attendeees can register for myWimbledon to find out all the latest news on ticketing.

What about the Wimbledon queue?

The poll is just not the solely technique for sourcing tickets. Every day, Wimbledon opens up a restricted variety of present courtroom tickets and grounds passes to spectators ready to wait via the evening for an opportunity to attend the championships. Tickets are offered on a finest accessible, one per individual queuing foundation and are non-transferable. 500 tickets for Centre Court docket (excluding final 4 days), No.1 Court docket, and No.2 Court docket will probably be offered for every day the courts are in play, whereas grounds passes can be found at £27 for the first 9 days of the event, and additional lowered after the males’s and girls’s quarter-finals.

The queue begins in Wimbledon Park, with rest room amenities and meals retailers accessible. Whereas the exact size of the queue and really useful arrival time varies from day-to-day, Wimbledon’s organisers say that those that arrive earlier than about 9am BST (an hour earlier than floor open) usually have likelihood of getting in.