Wimbledon 2023
The European Summer is in full swing. Warm weather, long days, and outdoor sports. The recently wrapped French Open was as an exciting affair as ever. The pre-event favourites truly delivered. Novak Djokovic cemented his place in history as the first male player to have won 23 Grand Slam titles! In the women’s draw Iga Swiatek defended her title from 2022. This is her third success in Paris in the last four years. Both Djokovic and Swiatek top the ATP and WTA rankings respectively.
The question on everybody’s mind as we head into the grass court season, is can anybody topple these two greats? Wimbledon is a different proposition to the clay courts of Rolland Garros, however form on its own can count for a great deal. It would thus take a brave person to bet against further success of the two dominant players in the world right now. Bring on Wimbledon 2023!
Recent Times
Outside of his success at the Australian Open, Novak Djokovic has made Wimbledon his own in recent years. The current defending champion has won here a record-equalling seven times! Only the great Roger Federer has bettered this feat, with eight titles to his name. 2023 gives Djokovic the opportunity to level the overall record at this event. Outside of Federer and Djokovic, only Andy Murray has won Wimbledon in the past ten years! Without Rafa Nadal in the mix, this year’s tournament could be a repeat of last year’s result. There is a young crop of challengers who would love to break the Serbian’s stranglehold on the event. They will have to play the best tennis of their lives if they hope to come close.
In the ladies’ side of the tournament, the event has been a more open affair recently. Current world number one Iga Swiatek has never won on these Wimbledon grass courts. The faster game is perhaps not where her strengths lie. Defending champion, Elena Rybakina is currently ranked third in the world. The tournament will likely be decided between the 2023 Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka and Rybakina. Sabalenka is currently ranked number two in the world and seems more at home on the faster courts than Swiatek. Also have a look at our Wimbledon 2022 article for feedback on last years standings.
Who to watch Men
Novak Djokovic is the hands down favourite this year. His current form, along with his love for the courts of the All England Club put him at the top of the list of contenders. Barring an injury or an unlikely dip in form, the Serb could well add another winner’s trophy to his already impressive collection.
Carlos Alcaraz entered Roland Garros as one of the big favourites. His semi-final match against Djokovic was billed as the game of the tournament. However, the 20-year-old faded badly in the third set of the match and ultimately succumbed in four sets. Struggling with cramps, the Spaniard could not match the intensity of the older statesman. It appears that the occasion got to him. He will be aching to prove he has what it takes to be the worlds best again. Whether Wimbledon is the place for him to shine is another question entirely. He has never made it past the fourth round, and thus his potential here is relatively unknown.
A 3-times grand slam runner up, Casper Ruud remains on the hunt for that elusive title. His grass court potential is relatively unknown, having only made the second round at Wimbledon in 2022. His recent French Open performance is a clear indicator that he is in good form. If he can carry this over to the grass courts of SW19, the Norwegian will back himself to go far.
Usual suspects Daniil Medvedev, Taylor Fritz and Stefanos Tsitsipas could also all go far if they are able to live up to their respective rankings. Medvedev is the only player of the three who has managed to win a slam previously. He thus holds the advantage of knowing exactly what it takes to go all the way.
Who to watch Women
It is again hard to look past current world number 1, Iga Swiatek as the big favourite this year. Coming off her recent success at Roland Garros, the Pole is in fine form heading into the grass court season. Having never progressed past the fourth round at Wimbledon, Swiatek will still have the pressure on her to succeed here. She no doubt has the confidence to add this title to her already successful career.
Australian Open winner, Aryna Sabalenka is currently Swiatek’s main contender. The 25-year-old has had a great season so far! Also it would not be unexpected when she walks away triumphant on Saturday the 15th of July.
2022 Wimbledon winner, Elena Rybakina is perhaps the only other ‘real’ threat to Swiatek and Sabalenka. With an Australian Open runner’s up medal and various other successes this season, Rybakina could well look to be defending her title in the final this year.
Others to look out for are 2022 finalist, Ons Jabeur, teenage sensation Coco Gauff and 2-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova. These ladies are eager to make a name for themselves in the Wimbledon 2023 tournament.
Best Betting Sites for Tennis
Normally we find some great tennis promotions but this year they seem far and few between. However lets list some betting sites who have come to the party!
- Sportingbet: 20% money back up to R500, opt in on promo page. Min odds 1.7 and 20% of net loss credited as a FreeBet. Expired 16 July 2023.
- PalaceBet: Ongoing promo Grand Slam Live in-play. Take a minimum 3-selection pre-match multiple with an R25 minimum stake. You will then receive a Free Bet to spend on any live in-play tennis match that is equal to half your stake back. Game on, ready to play!
- Lulabet: Stake a daily total of R350/ R900 or R2000 pre-match Wimbledon bets and receive R35/ R90 and R200 Free SPorts Bets respectively.
Furthermore we have numerous articles on the above mentioned betting sites in South Africa, from how to register and login to the detailed reviews on LulaBet and a Sportingbet review.
Wimbledon 2023 – Conclusion
This year both the men’s and ladies’ draw has a clear favourite. Djokovic probably edges Swiatek with his impressive history on the grass courts of the All England Club. It will take something phenomenal to stop him from equalling Federer’s all-time record. Now is the time for the new wave of young players to make their mark. Whether this year’s tournament is a realistic goal is something else. All that fans hope for is an exciting tournament at tennis’s oldest slam. Recent history tells us that we are in for another treat!
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