Wimbledon 2024: Men's singles draw analysis, preview and prediction ft. potential Carlos Alcaraz-Jannik Sinner blockbuster SF clash
The men's singles draw for Wimbledon 2024 has been released and we are in for some exciting set of matches at the All England Lawn Tennis Club over the next couple of weeks. Carlos Alcaraz is the defending champion after defeating Novak Djokovic in a final for the ages in 2023.
However, the Spaniard will not have an easy title defense, as the likes of Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic are more than capable of challenging for the grass-court Major, among others.
That said, let's take a look at how the men's singles draw at Wimbledon 2024 could unfold.
First Quarter: Jannik Sinner will aim to win his first Grand Slam as World No. 1
Seeded Players: (1) Jannik Sinner, (5) Daniil Medvedev, (10) Grigor Dimitrov, (14) Ben Shelton, (19) Nicolas Jarry, (22) Adrian Mannarino, (27) Tallon Griekspoor, (32) Zhang Zhizhen
Expected Quarterfinal: Jannik Sinner vs Grigor Dimitrov
Dark Horse: Matteo Berrettini
Analysis: World No. 1 Jannik Sinner will aim to win his second Grand Slam of 2024 at Wimbledon and his preparations have been impressive, bagging a maiden grass-court title at Halle.
The Italian will take on Yannick Hanfmann in the first round but could have a tricky second-round encounter as his opponent could be 2021 runner-up Matteo Berrettini, who was the runner-up at the BOSS Open.
Given Berrettini's quality on grass, Sinner could have his work cut out. However, if he is able to overcome the 28-year-old, he should have little trouble reaching the fourth round. Here, he will be expected to face 14th seed Ben Shelton, although the likes of Nicolas Jarry and Denis Shapovalov should not be written off.
Either way, Sinner should be able to triumph over whoever he faces in the round of 16 given his current run of form, and reach the quarterfinals at Wimbledon.
The other side of this quarter has 2023 semifinalist and fifth seed Daniil Medvedev. The Russian suffered a second-round exit in Halle but at his best, he can be a menace for any opponent, regardless of the surface.
Medvedev will start his Wimbledon campaign against Aleksandar Kovacevic and should have an easy run till the third round, where he will take on Zhang Zhizhen in a rematch of their match in Halle. The Russian's mentality should see him get the better of the Chinese and reach the fourth round.
Here, he will most likely take on tenth seed Grigor Dimitrov, although the likes of Gael Monfils and Adrian Mannarino should not be written off.
While Medvedev is among the best players in the world, Dimitrov has had some impressive results on grass throughout his career, and given some of his performances in 2024 combined with his experience, the Bulgarian might must above manage to defeat the Russian and reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals.
Jannik Sinner and Grigor Dimitrov previously locked horns at the Miami Open, where the former came out on top. If the two meet at the last eight of Wimbledon, there is a strong chance of the Italian triumphing once again to book his place in the semifinals.
Quarterfinal Prediction: Jannik Sinner def. Grigor Dimitrov
Second Quarter: Carlos Alcaraz could sail smoothly in the early stages of his Wimbledon title defense
Seeded Players: (3) Carlos Alcaraz, (8) Casper Ruud, (12) Tommy Paul, (16) Ugo Humbert, (18) Sebastian Baez, (23) Alexander Bublik, (29) Frances Tiafoe, (31) Mariano Navone
Expected Quarterfinal: Carlos Alcaraz vs Tommy Paul
Dark Horse: Lorenzo Sonego
Analysis: Carlos Alcaraz will start his Wimbledon title defense against Estonian qualifier Mark Lajal. While the Spaniard suffered a second-round exit at the Queen's Club Championships, he will be expected to bounce back and have a strong showing at the grass-court Major.
Alcaraz's quality should see him make easy work of his opponents and reach the Round of 16 without much trouble. Here, he will most probably face 16th seed Ugo Humbert whose game works well on grass. However, the Spaniard's intensity as well as resilience, should see him get the better of Humbert and book his place in the Wimbledon quarterfinals.
The other side of this quarter has eighth seed Casper Ruud, who has often had poor results on grass in the past. While the Norwegian produced some impressive performances over the past few months, there is a good chance of him dropping out early, perhaps in the fourth round, where he could meet 12th seed Tommy Paul.
The American did very well to win the Queen's Club Championships and there is a good chance of him reaching the Wimbledon quarterfinals with the draw that he has received.
Paul has beaten Alcaraz before and we could see a thrilling last-eight clash between them. The Spaniard's agility and aggression should be able to see him through to a second successive Wimbledon semifinal.
Quarterfinal Prediction: Carlos Alcaraz def. Tommy Paul
Third Quarter: Alexander Zverev, Andrey Rublev, Taylor Fritz, Sebastian Korda make for interesting draw
Seeded Players: (4) Alexander Zverev, (6) Andrey Rublev, (11) Stefanos Tsitsipas, (13) Taylor Fritz, (20) Sebastian Korda, (24) Alejandro Tabilo, (25) Lorenzo Musetti, (28) Jack Draper
Expected Quarterfinal: Andrey Rublev vs Taylor Fritz
Dark Horse: Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
Analysis: This quarter is a very interesting one, with quite a few players having a fair shot at reaching the quarterfinals.
Fourth seed Alexander Zverev will be eager to have a good showing at the London Major following his French Open final defeat. The German will enter the tournament at the back of a semifinal run at the Terra Wortmann Open in Halle.
Zverev should have it easy in the first two rounds before probably facing Jack Draper in the third round. The Brit is a formidable opponent on his day but the German should manage to beat him and reach the fourth round, where he will most likely take on 13th seed Taylor Fritz.
The American has had some pretty decent performances so far this season and if he is at his best, we could see him get the better of Zverev and reach his second quarterfinal at the grass-court Major.
The other side of this quarter has sixth seed Andrey Rublev, who reached the quarterfinals in 2023 and took a set off Novak Djokovic. The Russian could hava a tricky third-round match against 25th seed Lorenzo Musetti but he should be able to beat the Italian and reach the Round of 16.
Here, Rublev will most likely face 11th seed Stefanos Tsitsipas or 20th seed Sebastian Korda. While the Russian has had moments throughout his career when he had underperformed, he could beat either of the two and reach the quarterfinals at SW19 once again.
Fritz vs Rublev in the last eight could be an exciting prospect and either of the two has a fair chance of advancing to their maiden Wimbledon semifinal.
Quarterfinal Prediction: Andrey Rublev def. Taylor Fritz
Fourth Quarter: Novak Djokovic will look to allay injury fears in London
Seeded Players: (1) Novak Djokovic, (7) Hubert Hurkacz, (9) Alex de Minaur, (15) Holger Rune, (17) Felix Auger-Aliassime, (21) Karen Khachanov, (26) Francisco Cerundolo, (30), Tomas Martin Etcheverry
Expected Quarterfinal: Novak Djokovic vs Hubert Hurkacz
Dark Horse: Christopher Eubanks
Analysis: Novak Djokovic is scheduled to compete at Wimbledon just weeks after undergoing surgery on his knee. The Serb will face Vit Kopriva in the first round and his experience and quality should see him reach the fourth round without much troubles.
Here, the Serb could face one of Holger Rune, Karen Khachanov or Christopher Eubanks, who was a quarterfinalist in 2023.
While the Serb should be able to come out on top against either player, he could be pushed to the brink like he was by Musetti and Francisco Cerundolo at the French Open.
The other side of this draw has seventh seed Hubert Hurkacz, who recently reached the final in Halle. The Pole could meet the likes of Andy Murray or Francisco Cerundolo early on but he should be able to beat either of them and have a rather comfortable run to the Round of 16.
Here, we could see an enticing match between Hurkacz and Alex de Minaur, although Felix Auger-Aliassime should not be underestimated.
Hurkacz is a fine player on grass and his serve would be a crucial weapon on the surface. So, there is a strong chance of him beating either player and reaching the Wimbledon quarterfinals.
Quarterfinal Prediction: Hubert Hurkacz def. Novak Djokovic
Wimbledon 2024: Semifinal and final predictions
Semifinal Predictions
Jannik Sinner def. Carlos Alcaraz
Hubert Hurkacz def. Andrey Rublev
Final prediction
Jannik Sinner def. Hubert Hurkacz