The Wimbledon Championships, held at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, is the only Grand Slam event played on a grass court (Photo: AFP)
This June is shaping up to be quite the sporting blockbuster month, at least where football and tennis are concerned. The Fifa World Cup 2026 is already underway in the US, Canada and Mexico, and The Championships, Wimbledon, will be held from June 29 to July 12, with the men’s final ending about a week before the World Cup finals on July 19.
Those who expect to enjoy both at the world’s oldest tennis tournament (the inaugural edition was held in 1877) will be in for a shock though as Wimbledon will be having a World Cup blackout, with only live tennis shown once the gates open.
Of Sinner + winners
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World No 1 Jannik Sinner is defending champion, having overcome Carlos Alcaraz in a four-set thriller last year. Despite suffering an early exit in the second round of the French Open this year due to dizziness, sudden weakness and a lack of energy, the Italian has been in great form of late. He became the first man to win six consecutive Masters 1000 titles, and also achieved a historic Career Golden Masters this year by winning all nine ATP Masters 1000 titles, only the second man in tennis history to achieve this feat (Novak Djokovic was the first). With Alcaraz still recovering from a wrist injury, Sinner is the clear favourite to win his fifth major despite growing competition from the rest of the tour.
But Djokovic remains a strong contender. Can the seven-time Wimbledon champion win it again, making him the joint holder of eight Wimbledon titles, alongside Roger Federer? Or more importantly for the record books, make Djokovic the player with the most singles Grand Slam wins at 25 titles? It may be a slightly uphill battle for the oldest player in the top 20, but the 39-year-old is still playing high-level tennis and ranked World No 8. He was the finalist at this year’s Australian Open where he lost to World No 2 Alcaraz, so one should not write off his chances at the majors, no matter his age. Bookies will also tell you that the last three times the World Cup (2022, 2018 and 2014) was held, the Joker emerged victorious at Wimbledon. World No 3 Alexander Zverev finally won his maiden Grand Slam title at Roland Garros recently, and should arrive in Wimbledon with a renewed sense of confidence, having been a three-time major runner-up. The German has since made improvements to his game, serving and playing more aggressively and with more accuracy and power. What may work in Zverev’s favour, now that he has finally broken his duck at Grand Slam finals, is that he may be able to play more freely, go for more shots and tap into that relaxed state of mind at crucial moments on the court, while achieving a certain “flow” that often wins matches played at the highest level.
Who else to watch
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Canadian Félix Auger-Aliassime (or FAA as he is known) is in good nick and has recently reached a new career-high world ranking of 4. He has now become the first Canadian man ever to reach the quarterfinals or better at all four Grand Slams, and is expected to do the same at Wimbledon this year.
Leading the US charge on grass are four Americans: Ben Shelton (World No 5), Taylor Fritz (No 9), Learner Tien (No 19) and Frances Tiafoe (No 26). Big-serving Shelton won his first ATP Tour title on grass at this year’s Boss Open in Stuttgart with an aggressive serve-volley style of play.
Fritz, a tough competitor, made headlines in April when he and his then girlfriend and content influencer Morgan Riddle announced their separation after a six-year relationship. Riddle was famous for her mission to “make tennis cool again”, sharing her chic tennis core style and vlogs of professional tennis life on tour, drawing a younger demographic to tennis.
Tien, an Asian-American coached by tennis legend Michael Chang, is an exciting player to watch, with his heavy, topspin forehands and quick movement around the court. Tiafoe, or Big Foe as he is nicknamed, will be a threat on grass with his explosive serve and big forehand, despite his lower ranking.
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Wrapping up the top 10 ranked players are Australian Alex de Minaur (World No 6 and nicknamed The Demon for his fast footwork), Russian Daniil Medvedev (No 7) and recent French Open finalist Italian Flavio Cobolli (No 10). They should progress to the second week of the tournament with their steady performances so far this year.
There are quite a number of dark horses as well. Nineteen-year-old Brazilian João Fonseca (No 25) impressed with his deep run at the French Open, reaching the quarterfinals. Watch out for his ferocious forehand. Alexander Bublik (No 11) from Kazakhstan is an entertaining player who likes to try a variety of shots to disrupt his opponent’s rhythm. Czech Jakub Mensik (No 16) reached the semifinals at Roland Garros this year, losing to eventual winner Zverev. His massive serve and aggressive playing style should serve him well on the fast grass courts.
Women power
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Polish World No 3 Iga Świątek defeated World No 6 Amanda Anisimova in a one-sided final last year, winning by a rare 6-0, 6-0 scoreline in under an hour. Świątek’s recent form has shown some vulnerability. She lost in the fourth round at Roland Garros (a Grand Slam she has won four times), and retired in a match at the Madrid Open due to illness. Still, she proved that she can win on grass with her heavy forehand topspin, so effective on clay courts. American Anisimova has pushed past her disappointing loss to Świątek, playing very consistent tennis. In a recent interview, she explained that her good form is due more to changes she has made to her mental game. Hard-hitting World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus should also do well at Wimbledon. However, her shock collapse in the quarterfinals of the French Open — she lost the third set 6-0 after winning the first set and leading 4-1 in the second — has raised some doubts. Former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina (the World No 2 from Kazakhstan) remains a threat on grass with her calm demeanour and smooth, powerful groundstrokes, despite her recent grass-court loss at the Berlin Open to rising Filipina tennis star Alexandra Eala, whose fearless hitting and strong return game proved decisive.
The 19-year-old sensation and World No 5 Mirra Andreeva, who clinched her maiden Grand Slam at this year’s French Open, should continue her good form into Wimbledon, with her coach, former Wimbledon champion Conchita Martínez, at her side. Andreeva famously thanks herself in courtside interviews after wins, noting that it’s important to acknowledge this amid the emotional challenges she faces. She credits her sports psychologist for helping her with the mental side of tennis.
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American World No 4 Jessica Pegula’s good form and consistency on tour have made her a force at the Grand Slams. She sees herself as a player with a very balanced style of game, not overly powerful like Sabalenka and Anisimova, and not overly athletic like Świątek and World No 7 Coco Gauff. Ukrainian World No 12 Marta Kostyuk earned her maiden WTA 1000 title with a win over Andreeva in the final of this year’s Madrid Open. Kostyuk, who reached the semifinals of the recent French Open, is known for her aggressive forehand and return of serve, along with her famous celebratory on-the-court backflips.
English fan favourite Emma Raducanu (No 31) fell agonisingly short of winning her second title at the recent HSBC Championships at the Queen’s Club, losing in the final to Croatian World No 33 Donna Vekić. Reuniting with her coach Andrew Richardson who helped her win her 2021 US Open title as a teenage qualifier, Raducanu will be hoping to do well on home soil.
Comeback queens
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Tennis great Serena Williams has officially come out of retirement. Having received a Wimbledon doubles wildcard, Serena will pair with her sister Venus, much to the delight of fans. The duo have won six Wimbledon doubles titles together, and 12 Wimbledon singles titles. If they win Wimbledon this year, it will be one for the ages as both are now in their forties. (Update: Serena has just received the final women’s singles wildcard as well, and will be competing at this year’s Wimbledon as a 44-year-old.)
Next year will be Wimbledon’s 150th anniversary, and one can expect many celebratory events to mark the historic occasion. Until then, its own words serve as the perfect sign-off: “There is only one Wimbledon”. And after two weeks of strawberries and cream, sunshine, tradition and world-class tennis on the grounds of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, it would be difficult to argue otherwise.
This article first appeared on June 29, 2026 in The Edge Malaysia.
