Wimbledon 2024: 5 players to watch out for in men's singles qualifiers ft. Richard Gasquet, Joao Fonseca
The main draw at Wimbledon 2024 commences on July 1 but the action begins on June 24 itself for 128 men who will compete in the qualifying rounds. They include David Goffin and Richard Gasquet, among others.
The qualifying draw at any Grand Slam is a treasure trove for tennnis junkies, usually peppered with rising stars, elite players who have slipped down the rankings and those still waiting for their chance to shine at the biggest stages.
Over the next few days, each player will be aiming to win three matches to punch their ticket into the main draw and to be guaranteed of at least a cheque of £60,000.
On that note, let's take a look at five players to watch out for in the men's singles qualifiers for Wimbledon 2024.
#5. Lucas Pouille
The 30-year-old Frenchman has played the sport at the very highest level. A former top 10 player and a Wimbledon quarterfinalist in 2016, Pouille spiralled down due to injuries and has been open about his stuggles with depression and alcoholism in the aftermath.
Now a father, Pouille is happy in his personal life and has been working his way back up the ranks over the past 18 months. This year, he won an ATP Challenger title in Austria and finished runner-up in another. However, he is yet to play any match on grass in 2024.
Pouille will have to come through a section that includes two seeded Frenchmen in Luca van Assche and Harold Mayot, if he wants to take one of the 16 qualifying spots.
#4. Hamad Medjedovic
You know you have a lot of potential when you are backed by Novak Djokovic. 20-year-old Hamad Medjedovic, from Serbia, has been mentored by 24-time Grand Slam champion for some time now and he is beginning to show the rest of us just why.
Medjedovic won the Next Gen ATP Finals in December and has already qualified for three Grand Slams over the past two seasons - the French Open in 2023 and 2024 and Wimbledon in 2023. He also stretched fourth seed Daniil Medvedev to the limit in a thrilling third-round encounter in Rome this year.
The Serb, who is seeded 17th in the Wimbledon qualifiers, starts against Daniel Rincon, a former junior Grand Slam winner, and could face seventh seed Gregoire Barrere or former top-10 player Diego Schwartzman in the second round.
#3. David Goffin
The Belgian veteran was ranked just outside the entry cut-off when direct entries were determined and hence has to grind through the qualifiers if he is to compete in the main draw of Wimbledon 2024. Goffin recently won the Ilkley Challenger on grass, which should give him a big confidence boost ahead of the qualifying rounds.
Goffin is a two-time quarter-finalist at the All England Club and knows how to play on grass - having reached the finals in Halle and Rosmalen in previous years.
The ninth-seeded Belgian plays Australia's Marc Polmans in the first round, could face Dutchman Tim van Rijthoven in the second and Spain's Bernabe Zapata Miralles in his quest to secure a tenth main draw appearance at the grass-court Major.
#2. Joao Fonseca
Joao Fonseca is a 17-year-old Brazilian, who won the US Open boys singles title last year and also became the first player from his coutnry to attain the junior world No.1 ranking. The Brazilian can rip the ball with incredible power from the back court and has plenty of upside as he transitions to the pro circuit.
As a wildcard entrant at the Rio Open earlier this year, Fonseca scored wins over Arthur Fils and Cristain Garin to reach his first ATP-level quarter-final and backed it up with another quarter-final in the Bucharest. He went 2-3 on grass in the weeks leading up to Wimbledon, which should have given him some time to acclimatize himself to the nuances of playing on the surface.
The Brzailian has 10th seed Damir Dzumhur and 29th seed Matteo Gigante in his section of the draw at the Wimbledon qualifiers.
#1. Richard Gasquet
The French veteran is arguably the biggest name in the Wimbledon 2024 qualifiers in terms of legacy at the grass-court Major. He reached the semifinals twice in 2007 and 2015.
Seeded second this week, Gasquet begins against local player Oliver Crawford in the first round and is projected to meet 16th seed Vit Kopriva in the final round. Gasquet has won 3 ATP titles on grass and his experience should surely help him as he hopes to qualify for an 18th main draw appearance at Wimbledon.