In the men’s draw, Rafael Nadal has a chance to equal Williams’ tally of 23 grand slam titles, but he is set to face fierce competition from top seed Novak Djokovic, who is looking to win his fourth consecutive title at Wimbledon.
Serena returns
The 40-year-old, granted a wild card entry for the tournament, will face France’s Harmony Tan in the first round.
Despite grass not being her favored surface, world No. 1 Swiatek’s supreme form so far this year makes her well-placed to win a third grand slam title and her first at Wimbledon — though she did win the girls’ championship in 2018. She faces Croatian qualifier Jana Fett in the first round.
Nadal, Djokovic headline men’s draw
That means few would look past Nadal and Djokovic for this year’s title, with the Spaniard looking to win his third consecutive grand slam title.
But ahead of Wimbledon, he said he hasn’t limped for a week, adding that “day to day, the pain has been different and that’s progress.” He will make his first appearance at the tournament in three years against Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo.
Djokovic, meanwhile, could move one grand slam title behind Nadal if he triumphs at SW19. In doing so, he would become the fourth man in the Open Era to win four consecutive Wimbledon titles after Roger Federer, Pete Sampras and Bjorn Borg.
If the draw progresses according to seeding, Djokovic and Nadal will meet each other in the Wimbledon final for the second time.
Other contenders for the men’s title include Matteo Berrettini — last year’s finalist who triumphed at Queen’s Club this week — French Open finalist Casper Ruud and fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas.
An added incentive for players at Wimbledon this year is the increase in prize money to £40,350,000 (around $49,400,000) — a 15.2% increase on last year. The winners of the men’s and women’s singles finals, which take place on July 9 and 10, will each earn £2 million (around $2,450,000).
Following the Covid-19 pandemic, it will also be the first time in three years that the tournament can be held at full capacity.
Another piece of history has already been made at Wimbledon after players were permitted to practice on the show courts ahead of the tournament for the first time.
How to watch
For viewers in the United States, Wimbledon will be aired on ESPN and the Tennis Channel, while the BBC and Eurosport will broadcast action for UK viewers.
