5 stories to look out for during Wimbledon 2022 ft. Rafael Nadal's Calendar Slam and Serena Williams' 24th Grand Slam
The 2022 Wimbledon Championships are all set to kick off next week, signaling the end of a short but exciting grass swing. Although the tournament will award no ranking points this year, most high-profile tennis players have confirmed their availability for the event, perhaps because of the sheer reputation the grass Major holds in the eyes of the fans.
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal will headline the men's draw and could face off in the final on centre court come July 10. The Serb has a potential quarterfinal clash with rising star Carlos Alcaraz, while Nadal will most likely have to take down last year's finalist Matteo Berrettini in the semifinals before setting up the summit clash against Djokovic.
Meanwhile, Iga Swiatek and Anett Kontaveit are the top two seeds in the women's draw, followed by Ons Jabeur and Paula Badosa. Former winners such as Simona Halep and Serena Williams are also in the draw, adding even more spice to the tournament.
The 2022 Wimbledon also has a number of intriguing storylines to keep fans hooked this time around, making the upcoming couple of weeks very exciting. Here is a look at five of them:
#1 Testing Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz's prowess on grass
Teenage sensations Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz both made their Wimbledon debuts last year, and both fell off the wayside in the early rounds. While Alcaraz reached only the second round, Raducanu went as far as the fourth round.
This year, both will make their returns to SW19 several times more popular than they were last time. The Brit is the reigning US Open champion and the Spaniard is the reigning Miami and Madrid Masters champion, and is among the most globally recognised tennis players on the planet right now.
Emma Raducanu will be world no. 10 after Wimbledon (2712 points).
But the Brit has a 10-14 W/L record since the incredible Grand Slam win in America and in 2022 she has gained only 439 points (race #64).
In a few months, she is going to defend 2273 points.
Tough.
Alcaraz hasn't played any warmup events on grass ahead of the tournament, while Raducanu only played at the Nottingham Open and had to retire with an injury. Fans and pundits alike will be eager to witness the duo's exploits in the coming days, with several even pitting them as favorites for the title.
#2 With his US Open participation under a cloud of doubt, will Novak Djokovic go Slamless for the first time since 2017 by failing to win Wimbledon?
Novak Djokovic lost his title defense bids at the Australian Open and the French Open this year to Rafael Nadal in both instances. While the former World No. 1 was prevented from playing Down Under due to vaccine mandates in the country at the time, he was sent packing out of the quarterfinals by the Mallorcan in Paris.
Djokovic was allowed to play US Open in 2020 when the US reported more than 60,000 cases in 1 day!!
He was also allowed to play in 2021 when the virus was still very prevalent & Sofia Kenin caught it & had to withdraw!!
2022 unvaccinated US players can play but Djokovic can't!! twitter.com/mscheers/statu…
The Serb is also the defending champion at Wimbledon, and is the favorite to take the title at SW19 almost unanimously. Although he cannot retain the 2000 ranking points, meaning he will slip to as low as World No. 7 after the event, a title run in the coming weeks will move the 20-time Grand Slam champion one step closer to matching Nadal's tally of 22 Grand Slams in the Slam race.
Djokovic's participation at the US Open is still uncertain, since unvaccinated athletes are not allowed entry into the tournament as things stand now. Assuming he cannot play at Flushing Meadows, the top seed will be under extra pressure at Wimbledon since he is at risk of going without winning a Slam all year. The last time it happened was in 2017, following which the 35-year-old has won at least one Major every season, even in the midst of the pandemic-curtailed 2020 season.
#3 The extension of Iga Swiatek's unbeaten streak and the Channel Slam
Iga Swiatek will have a 35-match unbeaten run to her name coming into the 2022 Wimbledon Championships, the longest such streak in the 21-st century, tied with Venus Williams. If the World No. 1 manages to win her opener against Jana Fett, she will become the outright leader in the list of women with the longest win-streaks since 2000.
World No.1 coming in 🔥
@iga_swiatek will attempt to become the first woman to complete the Channel Slam – #RolandGarros and #Wimbledon back-to-back – since Serena Williams seven years ago.
If Swiatek can string together seven more wins, she will also take home the trophy at SW19 for her third Grand Slam title. The 21-year-old will also become the first player since Serena Williams in 2015 to complete the Channel Slam -- winning the French Open and Wimbledon back-to-back.
#4 Serena Williams' pursuit of the elusive 24th Grand Slam title
Speaking of Serena Williams, the 23-time Grand Slam champion will be looking to win her 24th Major at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships. The American has been on the hunt for it since 2017 and has fallen just one win short of it four times in the last five years.
Although the 40-year-old has won the most Slams in the Open Era, she trails Margaret Court in the all-time list and needs one more Slam to match the Australian. Thanks to a wildcard from the organizers at SW19, the former World No. 1 will start her bid for a 24th Major in the coming weeks.
#5 Rafael Nadal's first ever shot at the Calendar Slam
For the first time ever in his career, Rafael Nadal has a shot at completing the Calendar Slam -- winning all four Slams in the same year. The 22-time Grand Slam champion won the Australian Open and the French Open, defeating Daniil Medvedev and Casper Ruud in the finals respectively.
At SW19, the Mallorcan will face tough competition from defending champion Novak Djokovic but is still seen as one of the favorites for the title. Seeded second, the Spaniard can only face Djokovic in the final, but might have to beat last year's runner-up Matteo Berrettini in the semifinals. A title run at this year's tournament will also give Nadal his third trophy at Wimbledon.