The 2023 Championships at Wimbledon will begin on Monday, which means it is time for me to write my 10 things to look for. Let's dive in!
#1. Can Iga Świątek make the jump on grass? Iga Świątek is the number one player in the world right now, fresh off her third French Open title and fourth grand slam title overall (2022 US Open). She's starting to establish herself as an all-time great at just 22 years of age. The next step for her is to make some noise at Wimbledon. The furthest she's gone is the 4th round in 2021. It'll be interesting to see if she'll be able to make a deep run this year.
#2. Can Carlos Alcaraz make some noise? Similar to Iga Świątek, Carlos Alcaraz is ranked number one in the world with his best Wimbledon performance being a trip to the 4th round in 2022. Alcaraz is coming off a disappointing French Open in which he fell in the semifinals to Novak Djokovic in four sets. This Wimbledon will tell us a lot about Alcaraz and where he's at mentally. I could see him bouncing back strong and making a deep run and I could also see him flaming out early. It'll be interesting to see what happens and whether or not he'll be able to have the kind of Wimbledon that we all know he's capable of having.
#3. Can Victoria Azarenka have a renaissance? Victoria Azarenka is coming in as the number 19 seed, so she's in a position where she could make her presence felt. She reached the semifinals way back in 2011 and 2012, but has since then gone even deeper at a grand slam, reaching the 2020 US Open final. When talking about dark horses on the ladies' side, Azarenka is definitely a name to keep an eye on.
#4. Can anyone stop Novak Djokovic? While he comes in as the number two seed behind Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic is the clear front runner on the gentlemen's side. Djokovic will be gunning for his 24th grand slam title and his 8th Wimbledon title. He's won Wimbledon the last two times and has to like his chances to win it once again. It'll be fun to see how the Joker does and whether or not anyone will be able to give him a serious push.
#5. Can Beatriz Haddad Maia prove her ranking? Beatriz Haddad Maia is ranked #12 in the world, but that's largely due to her semifinal run to the French Open. The Brazilian hasn't gotten past the 2nd round at any of the other grand slams. Her last trip to the 2nd round at Wimbledon was in 2019. This Wimbledon is going to be big for her. If she can make a run to the 4th round or better, I would call that a success. Anything less than that will be a major disappointment. It'll be interesting to see how she does.
#6. Can Andy Murray make a bit of a run? Andy Murray is in the bonus round of his career at this point. It's not clear how many more of these he has left. Wimbledon is where he is most loved and after reaching the 2nd round last year, he showed he's got some fight left in him. If Murray could even reach the 3rd round, the place would go nuts. And then if he happens to go even further, you know that will be the biggest story of the tournament so long as he stays alive.
#7. Can Aryna Sabalenka have her Wimbledon moment? Victoria Azarenka isn't the only player from Belarus looking to make some noise on the ladies' side. Aryna Sabalenka comes in as the #2 player in the world after winning the Australian Open earlier this year. Sabalenka made a run to the Wimbledon semifinals in 2021 and this time has her eye on the title. She's got to like her chances. Especially with Świątek looking far from a lock given her Wimbledon history.
#8. How will Daniil Medvedev handle his Wimbledon return? Due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Wimbledon banned Russian athletes from competing last year, but this year they are able to do so. That means Daniil Medvedev is back and looking for his first Wimbledon title. Medvedev comes in as the #3 ranked player in the world and is one of the few guys who could challenge Djokovic for the title. It certainly would be exciting if he finds himself in the semifinals, a place he's never been at Wimbledon.
#9. Can Coco Gauff go the distance? Coco Gauff took the tennis world by storm when she reached the 4th round of Wimbledon in 2019. She was just 15 years of age. Since then, she's gotten back to the 4th round at Wimbledon once in 2021 and also has a grand slam final under her belt at the 2022 French Open. It's time for her to take the next step at Wimbledon. It would be awesome if she does.
#10. Can Stefanos Tsitsipas make it to the second week? Stefanos Tsitsipas has only reached the 4th round at Wimbledon once in 2018. He reached the Australian Open final this year and the French Open final in 2021, so he's shown he can go deep at grand slams. He just hasn't yet shown that he can at Wimbledon. At some point, he needs to break through on the grass. Maybe this will be the year.
Prediction: On the gentlemen's side, I got Novak Djokovic winning it all. He's the best in the world and is probably going to go down as the GOAT. He's the clear front runner and easy pick in this one. As for the ladies' side, give me Aryna Sabelenka. She's number two in the world and has reached the semifinals before. I like her chances to come through and win it all this year.
Note: On CardinalSportsReport.com, I wrote a piece on John McEnroe's greatest Wimbledon performances. Click here to check that out.
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