Wimbledon Preview: Player Comebacks, Form, and Protests

How high is Williams’s level?

Serena Williams left it until the last minute to take the final available singles wildcard at Wimbledon and dramatically escalate her comeback from retirement. It is hard to imagine this was all part of her master plan. If she knew she was ready to compete against the best in the world from the beginning of the grass court season, Williams would have surely tested the waters at Queen’s Club or in Berlin, rather than playing doubles. But here she is, unable to resist the pull of Wimbledon, where she has won seven times in singles. Williams’s career has been filled with so many magical moments and at 44 years old, after four years of retirement, she is back at SW19 attempting to create a few more magical moments.

Will Sinner bounce back?

It was not merely that Jannik Sinner failed to cap off his historic run through the clay court season, where he rolled through titles in Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome, with a title in Paris. One of the most shocking upsets in recent years came in unprecedented circumstances, with Sinner leading Juan Manuel Cerundolo by two sets and 5-1 in their second-round match at Roland Garros before totally collapsing. Sinner insisted he was sick rather than suffering in the heat. A year ago, he had shown supreme resilience by bouncing back from his most heartbreaking defeat, to Carlos Alcaraz in Paris, after holding triple championship point, to win his first Wimbledon title. Now he must re-establish his dominance over the tour.

How will Wimbledon react to the player protest?

The All England Club thought they had done enough to ward off any further protests from the disgruntled group of top players pushing for a greater slice of the financial pie from the grand slam tournaments. Their 20% prize money rise constituted the biggest increase in Wimbledon’s history and it appeared to be received reasonably well. However, on Wednesday, the group announced an even more comprehensive press protest, which will last until the second week. The onus is on the All England Club for a response.

Can Raducanu follow up her Queen’s Club run?

Emma Raducanu’s run to the Queen’s Club final this month, just her second final since winning the US Open in 2021, seemed healing in so many ways. She had started her favoured grass court season after a difficult period, seeking her first victory in three months. She ended her week defeating multiple top‑20 opponents. Raducanu is at her best on grass, where the quicker, low-bouncing surface helps her sometimes underpowered game, and she is clearly capable of another good run. The eternal question, however, with Raducanu is whether her body will comply. There are now questions over her preparation after she was spotted walking in a medical boot on Wednesday.

Is this Djokovic’s last big chance?

Novak Djokovic has spent the past 18 months repeatedly putting himself in the position for an open era record-extending 25th grand slam singles title. The 39-year-old reached the semi-finals of all four grand slams in 2025 and started this year with a remarkable run to the Australian Open final, defeating Sinner en route. Such is his luck, the one time a draw fell apart at the French Open, his injury-ravaged preparation meant he was in no shape to take advantage. As ever, the seven-time Wimbledon champion is most confident on grass, a far less physical challenge.

Will the rest of the men step up?

After two years of being battered and bruised by Alcaraz and Sinner at major tournaments the rest of the top men were presented with a golden opportunity at Roland Garros thanks to Alcaraz’s withdrawal due to his wrist injury. Five of the top 12 seeds were already out of the draw on the day Sinner lost and many more followed suit, allowing Alexander Zverev to sweep up his first major title after facing one top 25 player. Felix Auger-Aliassime, Ben Shelton, Alex de Minaur, Taylor Fritz and even Daniil Medvedev are more effective at Wimbledon than on clay.

Can Sabalenka arrest her slump?

Aryna Sabalenka produced a historic result in her preparations for Wimbledon, but for once she was on the wrong side of history. Her 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-0 defeat by Jessica Pegula in Berlin on Saturday made her the first female world No 1 to lose 6-0 in the final set in consecutive defeats. The first of those two was perhaps the second-most shocking result of the French Open, after Sinner’s loss, with Sabalenka losing from 6-3, 4-1 up in her quarter-final against Diana Shnaider and winning one game for the rest of the match. It was a shocking collapse. Her form is as shaky as it has been since she became No 1, but she has been so good at grand slams for so long. This could be the place where she reasserts herself.

Can Draper finally remain healthy?