By Uche Amako and Molly McElwee
Wimbledon is fast approaching with players looking to adjust quickly to the grass after the clay court season.
Novak Djokovic is the man to beat in the men’s singles – although he is seeded No. 2 behind Carlos Alcaraz – and is targeting a record-equalling eighth title on Centre Court. In the women’s singles, Iga Swiatek is the best player in the world but her best result at Wimbledon is the fourth round in 2021.
Bromance: Nick Kyrgios and Novak Djokovic played in last year’s Wimbledon final.Credit: Getty Images
When is Wimbledon?
Wimbledon begins on Monday, July 3 and ends on Sunday, July 16.
How to watch Wimbledon 2023 on TV in Australia
Wimbledon will be on Nine and 9Now (owner of this masthead) each night from 7.30pm. The event can also be streamed ad-free, live and on-demand on Stan Sport.
Nine’s Wide World of Sports commentary team features Jelena Dokic and Samantha Stosur, with Todd Woodbridge and Alica Molik on the ground at the All England Club.
What is the draw for Wimbledon?
The reigning men’s champion, Djokovic, will play Argentinian debutant Pedro Cachin in the first round, while world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz plays former top 30 player Jeremy Chardy, 36, who is ranked 534th.
Elena Rybakina will begin her Wimbledon title defence against American Shelby Rogers. Second seed Aryna Sabalenka will play world No. 82, Panna Udvardy of Hungary.
Andy Murray faces fellow Briton Ryan Peniston in the opening round at their home grand slam while Cameron Norrie, the British No. 1, is up against the world No. 107.
Australia’s Nick Kyrgios, who reached the final last year, is drawn to face Djokovic in the fourth round. But, provided he is fit enough to play, he must first get past dual Wimbledon quarter-finalist David Goffin on Monday before potential matches against Argentine Sebastien Baez and Russian seventh seed Andrey Rublev.
You can see the full draws here and Monday’s order of play here.
Who are the top seeds at Wimbledon? Who got a wildcard?
Five-time Wimbledon singles champion Venus Williams has been awarded a wild card for the championships.
Williams, who played mixed doubles at the All England Club last year, has not played in the singles event since 2021 but rolled back the years on Monday to beat Camila Giorgi at the Rothesay Classic in Birmingham days after her 43rd birthday.
Venus Williams.Credit: Frank Franklin II, AP
Ten singles wild cards have been handed to British male and female players, including Liam Broady and Katie Boulter, while Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina will be involved after she missed last year’s tournament while pregnant.
Svitolina made the last four at Wimbledon in 2021 and could encounter more Russian and Belarussian players in SW19. She was booed at the French Open after not shaking hands with Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka following her quarter-final exit.
Belgian David Goffin, the world No. 124, has been handed a wildcard following his run to the quarter-finals in 2022, where he lost in five sets to British No. 1 Cameron Norrie.
What about the Australians?
Kyrgios (world No.33) is under a fitness cloud after a knee injury caused him to withdraw from this year’s Australian Open and Roland Garros.
Alex de Minaur (world No.16 leads) an Australian men’s contingent that includes Jason Kubler, Alexei Popyrin, Chris O’Connell, Max Purcell, Jordan Thompson and Aleksander Vukic.
Daria Saville at Roland Garros.Credit: Getty Images
There are only two Australians in the women’s draw: Daria Saville and Storm Hunter.
Hunter has drawn Wang Xinyu, the Chinese player who knocked her out of the Australian Open first round, while Saville’s opening clash is against British star Katie Boulter, the girlfriend of De Minaur.
When is the Wimbledon final?
The men’s final is Sunday, July 16.
The women’s final is Saturday, July 15.
What is the Wimbledon prize money?
The Wimbledon total prize pool is £44.7 million (AUD$85.25 million), up 11.2 per cent on 2022.
The men’s and women’s singles champions will each take home £2.35 million ($4.48 million) and the runners-up will earn £1.175 million ($2.24 million).
Prize money for progression to earlier rounds is as follows: first round (£55,000, or $104,000); second round (£85,000 or $162,000); third round (£131,000 or $249,000); round of 16 (£207,000 or $394,000); quarter-finals (£340,000 or $648,000); semi-finals (£600,000 or $1.14 million).
Who are the defending champions?
Last year, Novak Djokovic recovered from a set down in the final to beat Nick Kyrgios 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6.
Rafael Nadal is injured.Credit: AP
Elena Rybakina won a maiden major singles title when she fought back to beat Ons Jabeur 3-6, 6-2, 6-2.
Is Rafael Nadal playing at Wimbledon?
In early June, two-time Wimbledon champion Rafael Nadal revealed he had surgery to fix the hip injury that caused him to miss the French Open. The 37-year-old Spaniard estimated a recovery time of five months, meaning he will miss Wimbledon for the second time in three years.
Are Russian and Belarusian players allowed to play at Wimbledon?
Organisers announced in March that Russian and Belarusian players will be allowed to compete at this year’s tournament. They were banned from the 2022 event because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Russian and Belarusian players will compete at Wimbledon under a neutral flag, and will not be allowed to express support for the invasion. Any player who receives funding from the Russian or Belarusian governments, including sponsorships from state-controlled companies, will not be allowed to play.
Wimbledon’s 2022 ban kept stars such as Daniil Medvedev, the world’s No. 2 men’s player at the time, and Aryna Sabalenka, the fourth-ranked women’s player, out of last year’s tournament. The move was condemned not only by Russia but also by the Association of Tennis Professionals.
Both the ATP and WTA stripped Wimbledon of its rankings points after last year’s decision.
Medvedev will be the No. 3 seed in the men’s bracket this year, while countryman Andrey Rublev is seeded seventh. Sabalenka is seeded second in the women’s bracket.
The Telegraph, London and Washington Post
