Wimbledon 2024: Top Storylines to Track for Entire Tournament Schedule

Wimbledon 2024: Top Storylines to Track for Entire Tournament Schedule0 of 4

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Carlos Alcaraz and Marketa Vondrousova enter Wimbledon as reigning champions of the season’s third major.

While it is possible for both players to defend their titles, the focus going into Wimbledon is on other players in the men’s and women’s singles draws.

Novak Djokovic’s health is at the forefront of the discussion on the men’s side. Djokovic is the No. 2 seed and insists his knee is ready for the grass-court major.

Alcaraz also has to worry about Jannik Sinner, who has emerged as the top rival of his generation at the Grand Slam level.

Over on the women’s side, Naomi Osaka is lurking as a potential unseeded dark horse champion of the tournament.

Osaka performed well in her French Open second-round defeat to Iga Swiatek and more is expected of her at Wimbledon.

The women’s bracket produced a first-time major champion in each of the last two years at Wimbledon. That could be the case again on the grass surface in London.

Wimbledon begins on Monday with the finals taking place on July 13 and 14. The full tournament schedule can be found here.

Novak Djokovic’s Health1 of 4

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Novak Djokovic is in the Wimbledon men’s singles draw just a month after he suffered a knee injury at the French Open that forced him to withdraw from the clay-court major.

Djokovic discussed his feelings on playing at Wimbledon with his healing knee, per Eurosport.

“Particularly because it is Wimbledon, the tournament that always has been a dream tournament for me when I was a kid,” Djokovic said. “I always dreamed of playing Wimbledon. Just the thought of me missing Wimbledon was just not correct. I didn’t want to deal with that.”

Djokovic’s run of five consecutive Wimbledon titles was ended last year by Alcaraz. The 24-time major champion would not face Alcaraz or Sinner until the championship match.

Djokovic’s toughest competition on the bottom half of the draw is Alexander Zverev, who he could meet in the semifinals.

The knee issue will hover over Djokovic for the entire tournament, but if he proves he can play well, he could make another run to the Wimbledon final and any health concerns will go away.

Will We See Next Chapter of Budding Sinner, Alcaraz Rivalry?2 of 4

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Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz won the first two majors of 2024.

Sinner captured his first Grand Slam crown at the Australian Open, while Alcaraz won on the French Open clay.

Sinner and Alcaraz are on a collision course to meet in the semifinals in the top half of the Wimbledon men’s singles draw.

The No. 1 and No. 3 seeds should be viewed as the top contenders to win the men’s title with a healthy Djokovic being a close third.

Alcaraz won a five-set thriller at Roland Garros to reach the final. That was the latest match in a rivalry that has featured five times on the ATP Tour since the start of last season.

Alcaraz owns a slight 5-4 edge in head-to-head bouts with Sinner. The two players seem to be on a level playing field going into Wimbledon.

A semifinal showdown is expected of the two stars of men’s tennis, and if the French Open is any indication, that match could be an epic grass-court battle.

Will Another First Time Major Winner Emerge on Women’s Side?3 of 4

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Marketa Vondrousova and Elena Rybakina added themselves to the list of women’s singles major champions over the last two years in London.

The Wimbledon results have been a welcome sight since the tournament comes after the French Open, which Iga Swiatek is winning at Rafael Nadal levels.

American Jessica Pegula is the top seed without a major in the Wimbledon draw this year. Pegula, the No. 5 seed, made it to the quarterfinals at three majors last season, but she was knocked out in the third round at Wimbledon.

In fact, Pegula has never made it past the third round in three previous appearances at Wimbledon.

Jasmine Paolini, whose star rose with a trip to the French Open final, is the next highest seed without a major.

But the best player without a major title to watch at Wimbledon is No. 10 seed Ons Jabeur.

Jabeur reached the Wimbledon final in each of the last two years and has been to five Grand Slam quarterfinals since the start of 2022.

A breakthrough for Jabeur would be one of the more popular women’s Grand Slam wins in a while given how close she’s gotten at Wimbledon.

Naomi Osaka’s Return 4 of 4

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Naomi Osaka proved she could play with the best in the women’s game in her three-set loss to Swiatek at the French Open.

Osaka almost beat the No. 1 player in the world on her best surface. That should ignite a ton of confidence into her game going into Wimbledon.

The four-time major winner, who missed 2023 due to the birth of her child, has never had much success at Wimbledon. Her best finish in London is the third round.

The third round is where her first battle of the tournament could come against No. 16 seed Victoria Azarenka. A win in that match would set Osaka up with No. 2 seed Coco Gauff in the fourth round.

The path to a fifth major title is difficult to say the least for Osaka, but at her best, she can challenge anyone in the women’s game, which makes her such a fascinating player in her portion of the draw.