Wimbledon 2025 is just around the corner, with Carlos Alcaraz set to begin his bid for a third consecutive men’s singles title. The 22-year-old Spanish world number two has dominated the sport in recent years, defeating Novak Djokovic in their previous two meetings on Centre Court.
But can anyone stop him? BBC Sport takes a closer look at five men who could challenge Alcaraz over the coming fortnight.
Novak Djokovic, the history chaser, is still an ever-present threat despite his age. The 38-year-old Serbian has won four Wimbledon titles in a row and remains determined to break record-equalling eighth men’s title. However, he will face stiff competition from Alcaraz in their expected final showdown.
Jannik Sinner, the world number one, is another strong contender. The 23-year-old Italian has been struggling with injuries and lost his latest competitive match against Alexander Bublik at the Halle Open this month. But Sinner can only meet second seed Alcaraz in the final, which could be an epic encounter.
Alexander Bublik, the unpredictable threat, has made a remarkable resurgence in recent weeks. The 28-year-old Kazakhstani reached his first Grand Slam singles quarter-final with a superb run at the French Open and won the Halle Open to rise to 30th in the world.
Daniil Medvedev, the nearly man, is a hard-court specialist who has lost five of his six major finals. However, he has a solid recent record at Wimbledon and was stopped by eventual champion Alcaraz in both 2023 and 2024. He prepared for this year’s tournament by reaching the Halle final, losing to Bublik in straight sets.
Jiri Lehecka, the dark horse, is a young Czech player who reached a career-high rank of 22 in February after winning his first eight matches of the year. The 23-year-old has grass-court pedigree and demonstrated his skills at Queen’s before being beaten by Alcaraz in the final. Back to full fitness this year, Lehecka will look to make a deep run at Wimbledon.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/articles/cglzy2kyxk7o