Men to watch at Wimbeldon
Tim Henman gives RT his list of male players to watch at this year's Championships
- Tim Henman
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Jannik Sinner
Getty
Country Italy
Age 24
Ranking 1
In Carlos Alcaraz’s absence, the defending champion is the clear favourite and the player to beat – despite his shock exit in the heat in Paris in the French Open.
Sinner’s game is pretty simple. He’s serving bigger and more accurately, while from the back of the court he generates so much power on both wings. The way grass court tennis has evolved there are more rallies, and the four-time Grand Slam winner moves really well.
Alexander Zverev
Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images)
Country Germany
Age 29
Ranking 3
On the back of his Roland-Garros triumph, Zverev shouldn’t be underestimated. While he’s not had massive grass court success, the freedom of getting a first grand slam win under his belt will give him confidence.
He’s got one of the best serves in the game. It’s a weapon on any surface but is highlighted on the grass. Add in his big match experience and, even though it’s probably his least favourite surface, he’s in the mix.
Alex de Minaur
Marleen Fouchier/BSR Agency/Getty Images
Country Australia
Age 27
Ranking 5
The Australians have a great history at Wimbledon and de Minaur plays very well on grass. His movement is outstanding; he is so fast around the court and is one of the three quickest players on tour. He hits a pretty flat ball, which is effective on grass, and he’ll also benefit from his experience on the surface.
He’s never made it past the quarter-finals at a major but will get a bit of British support given that he’s engaged to Katie Boulter.
Ben Shelton
Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images
Country United States
Age 23
Ranking 6
Shelton has got such a big game and is learning all the time. A player who likes the big stage, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him have a good run at this year’s championships as he looks to build on his Wimbledon quarter-final and Australian Open semi in 2025 – which equalled his best grand slam finish. The American is an explosive lefty, with probably the biggest serve in the game, so he will be difficult to play against on grass.
Novak Djokovic
Country Serbia Getty
Age 39
Ranking 7
He has a realistic chance of winning a record-breaking 25th major title at Wimbledon this year. There are fewer players that play well on grass, or who understand how to succeed on it. Djokovic thrives on grass and the surface is less physically demanding, which at his age is important. The seven-time winner lost in the semi-finals last year and the final in 2024 but you can’t count him out.
Taylor Fritz
Country United States
Age 28
Ranking 8
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Fritz has had a few injury issues recently but he plays so well on grass. He’s thrived at Eastbourne, where he’s won multiple titles over the last few years. Grand slam success still eludes him but the 2025 semi-finalist will return to SW19 with plenty of confidence and has all the attributes to enjoy another good fortnight. He’s got a big serve, great ground strokes and he returns well.
Authors
Tim Henman
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