Serena Williams, Draper and Andreeva among 10 to watch at Wimbledon

Tennis will return to Wimbledon on Monday and even though Carlos Alcaraz is absent, there is no shortage of star quality in SW19.

Here, the Press Association takes a look at 10 players to keep an eye on across the next fortnight of the Championships.

Aryna Sabalenka

Someone almost guaranteed to go on a deep run at Wimbledon is world number one Sabalenka, who has been a model of consistency in recent years, but will be frustrated at her tally of four grand-slam titles. You have to go back to the French Open in 2022 for the last time the Belarusian failed to make at least the quarter-finals of every major entered. A three-time semi-finalist at the All England Club, she will be eyeing a maiden Wimbledon title this year.

IgaSwiatek

Swiatek secured a memorable first Wimbledon victory last July with a perfect 6-0, 6-0 triumph over Amanda Anisimova in the final. The former junior champion has experienced a mixed relationship on grass, twice suffering early exits before she claimed a superb sixth grand slam title. Fresh from an unexpected winless clay-court campaign, can the Polish star get back in the winners circle in London?

Serena Williams

No doubt the most successful female player involved at the Championships will be seven-time winner Serena Williams. The US great ended her four-year exodus from the WTA Tour when she played doubles at Queen’s Club before she was then given a shock wild card into the main singles’ draw at Wimbledon. Very few will tip the 44-year-old for the title, but she will be box office for however long her presence graces Wimbledon in both the singles and doubles competitions.

MirraAndreeva

Andreeva is treading the path of Williams as a teenage sensation with a grand slam title to her name after she ended the miraculous run of qualifier Maja Chwalinska in the French Open final at Roland Garros. A run to the fourth round of Wimbledon at the age of 15 was a highlight of Andreeva’s breakthrough year, but with a major under her belt and coached by former Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez, can the 19-year-old from Russia make a smooth transition from clay to grass?

Jack Draper

Rewind two years and many would have predicted Draper to be in the mix for the Wimbledon title, but he has been blighted by fitness problems since he made the last four of the US Open in 2024. A second-round exit at the Championships last year sparked a torrid 12-month period, but the 24-year-old returned to action at Eastbourne this week and has a secret weapon up his sleeve. Andy Murray is part of Draper’s team for the grass-court season and has backed his protege to make waves this summer.

Jannik Sinner

It is easy to forget given the superiority of Alcaraz at Wimbledon in recent years that he was denied another title last summer by arch-nemesis Sinner. The Italian clinched a first Wimbledon win with a four-set triumph over his Spanish rival and will be backed to go all the way in the absence of Alcaraz. A shock second-round exit at Roland Garros should ensure the 24-year-old is fresh for his latest title at the Championships.

Novak Djokovic

After being unable to profit from Sinner’s early exit and the absence of Alcaraz at the French Open, Djokovic will be well aware his best chance to finally reach 25 grand slam titles is the next fortnight. During a run of four consecutive Wimbledon wins, the former world number one looked unstoppable on the grass lawn at the All England Club. Yet, the 39-year-old acknowledged after a semi-final loss to Sinner last July that “wear and tear of the body” made it difficult to beat the best. Can Djokovic defy the odds one more time?

Alexander Zverev

Zverev will be a contender at Wimbledon after a maiden major title at Roland Garros in his 14h year as a professional. The German big-hitter may have feared his moment on the grand slam stage would never occur, but early exits for Sinner and Djokovic coupled with the ongoing wrist problem for Alcaraz opened the door for Zverev. The 29-year-old has a mediocre record in Wimbledon, but will being the second seed and ditching the weight of pressure off his shoulders help the right-hander produce his best in London?

Taylor Fritz

The record of Fritz at the All England Club means he can probably not be named as a dark horse but it would be unexpected if the American held aloft the gold Wimbledon cup on July 12. World number eight Fritz will arrive in London after back-to-back grass-court finals at Stuttgart and Halle. Two years ago Fritz made the US Open final and suffered last four heartache at the Championships last year. Can he follow the lead of Zverev and shed the nearly-man tag?

Emma Raducanu

Former US Open champion Raducanu will likely carry the burden of expectation from British fans and especially after a superb run to the final at Queen’s Club earlier this month. Hampered by injuries, form and staff instability since her fairy tale in New York five years ago, the 23-year-old is wiser and crucially back with old coach Andrew Richardson. Could she make the second week?