Wimbledon 2022: 5 favorites to win the Men's Singles title ft. Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic
The draw for the Men's Singles tournament at Wimbledon has been released and we are in for some exciting action.
There are some notable absentees in Roger Federer, Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev, with the latter two missing because of the All England Club's decision to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes. Nonetheless, several top players are competing for the grass-court Major, with Rafael Nadal playing for the first time since 2019.
Last year, Novak Djokovic won the men's singles title at Wimbledon by beating Matteo Berrettini in the final in straight sets. It will be interesting to see how things go this year.
A number of players, Top 10 or otherwise, have had good results on grass. However, some players have a strong case for being able to challenge for the title compared to others.
On that note, let’s take a look at five favorites to win the men's singles title at Wimbledon this year.
#5. Carlos Alcaraz
The Spaniard has enjoyed an impressive season so with 32 wins out of 36 matches. He has won four titles, including two Masters 1000 tournaments in Miami and Madrid.
Alcaraz reached the quarterfinals of the French Open before losing to Alexander Zverev in four sets. He has gained some valuable experience at Majors where three, four, even five sets have to be played and it will be very useful for him as his career progresses.
Alcaraz has played only two matches on grass on the ATP tour so far. His lack of experience on the surface could play against him but his quality could see him have a good run at Wimbledon.
The Spaniard is currently in a position where he should be considered among the favorites in any tournament he competes in and he has the capability to do well in the grass-court Major.
Alcaraz faces Jan-Lennard Struff in the opening round and he should have little trouble getting to the fourth round, where his opponent could mostly be either Jannik Sinner or Andy Murray. If the 19-year-old reaches the quarterfinals, he could face Novak Djokovic.
#4. Hubert Hurkacz
The Pole enjoyed his best-ever run at a Grand Slam till date by reaching the Wimbledon semifinals last year. Hurkacz has won 28 out of 39 matches so far this season and has done well on grass so far.
After losing his first match in Stuttgart, the 25-year-old beat Daniil Medvedev rather comprehensively to win the Halle Open, his first title on grass. During the tournament, he also defeated Nick Kyrgios, who was in good form.
Hurkacz's powerful serve, on-court movement and defense will no doubt be hard for many opponents to handle. Seeded seventh, the Pole takes on Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the opening round. Hurkacz could face a tough task against Tommy Paul if the two meet in the third round.
The 25-year-old's most likely opponent in the fourth round is Cameron Norrie, while Grigor Dimitrov should not be written off. If the Pole reaches the quarterfinals, he could take on Casper Ruud or Pablo Carreno Busta.
Hurkacz has received a rather favorable draw and has a good chance of matching his semifinal run from 2021, where he could face Novak Djokovic for a place in the final.
#3. Matteo Berrettini
The Italian has an impressive record on grass, winning 33 out of 39 matches so far. Last year, he won the Queen's Club Championships and reached the Wimbledon final.
This year, Berrettini missed the entirety of the clay-court season after undergoing surgery on his right hand. However, he returned strongly by winning the BOSS Open in Stuttgart and followed it up by successfully defending his title at the Queen's Club Championships.
The 26-year-old's powerful serve and strong forehand are both key weapons and he can make things difficult for even the best of players on his day.
Berrettini's draw could see him make the quarterfinals. He faces Cristian Garin in the first round and as the tournament progresses, his potential opponents include Jenson Brooksby, Alex de Minaur and Diego Schwartzman.
The 26-year-old could face Stefanos Tsitsipas or Denis Shapovalov in the quarterfinals.
#2. Rafael Nadal
The King of Clay will return to Wimbledon for the first time since 2019, when he lost to Roger Federer in the semifinals.
Nadal has been in sensational form this season with 30 wins out of 33 matches so far. He has won the Australian Open as well as the French Open and will be vying for a third Wimbledon title and his first since 2010.
Nadal's successes this season have been even more admirable considering the injury troubles he has faced lately.
The 36-year-old will face Francisco Cerundolo in the first round and could face 2017 runner-up Marin Cilic in the last 16. If Nadal reaches the quarterfinals, his most likely opponent could be Felix Auger-Aliassime.
The King of Clay's potential semifinal opponents include Berrettini and Tsitsipas.
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#1. Novak Djokovic
The reigning champion will be eager to defend his title after missing out on the first two Grand Slams. After playing the entirety of the clay-court season, Djokovic looks in good touch at present.
The Serb reached the semifinals of the Madrid Open before winning the Italian Open. He exited the French Open in the quarterfinals after losing to Nadal in four sets.
Djokovic will be determined to win a seventh Wimbledon crown and his 21st major singles title, and we can expect some sensational performances from him.
The 35-year-old will play South Korea's Kwon Soon-wo and his potential opponents further into the tournament include Miomir Kecmanovic and Reilly Opelka.
Djokovic should be able to reach the quarterfinals, where he could most likely take on Carlos Alcaraz.
Gentlemen's Singles - Projected Quarter-finals
Djokovic vs Alcaraz
Ruud vs Hurkacz
Berrettini vs Tsitsipas
Auger-Aliassime vs Nadal
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