Wimbledon Tennis Tournament
You know summer has begun when the all-white outfits at the All England Club show up on your television. We of course are talking about Wimbledon, the oldest tennis tournament in the world. It’s history and tradition combine to create what is widely held as the most prestigious tennis tournament with its all-grass courts & always talented players competing for the coveted trophies. Let’s see who the favorites are to win Wimbledon in 2018.
Men’s Singles 2018 Wimbledon
Roger Federer arrives at Wimbledon 2018 as the defending champion and is ranked world number 2 by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). Coming off a fresh Australian Open title (where he defended his win from 2017 we might add), the 36-year-old Swiss legend goes for his ninth Wimbledon crown which will bring his total Grand Slam tally to 21. Prior to last year, Federer won Wimbledon in 2012 and has not defended his title since 2006 when he actually won 4 consecutive Wimbledon championships to that point. His form seems to be improving & Andy Murray has now pulled out of the tournament, so Federer’s quest could certainly end in glory.
Despite Murray’s absence, there are still plenty of competitors Federer may need to worry about. Rafael Nadal, Marin Cilic, and Alexander Zverev are all performing extremely well at the moment, so it would be tough to argue against them. Nadal and Federer have actually won the last 6 grand slams so that is certainly something to consider. Zverev is currently the youngest player in the top 20 ATP rankings and is hitting top form at the moment so keep an eye on this young German.
Women’s Singles 2018 Wimbledon
Garbine Muguruza from Spain comes into Wimbledon 2018 as the defending champ. The 24-year-old is currently ranked number 3 by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) & arrives at the tournament in decent form. The chances for Muguruza to win this year are decent, however, she will have a very difficult road if she wants to raise the Rosewater Dish for a second straight year.
The talk of the 2018 tournament can easily revolve around a couple Americans as we see some familiar faces hit the All England Club courts. Serena Williams is back after missing last year’s tournament due to her pregnancy. Serena’s record at Wimbledon is strong as she goes for her eighth title in London. Venus Williams of course will be looking to add to her legacy and avenge her loss to Muguruza in the 2017 Wimbledon final. Lastly, we think Sloane Stephens has a decent chance to win this year’s Wimbledon. Her French Open final appearance was not a great one, but a final appearance non-the-less so we think she’s ready to raise her second Grand Slam trophy. Lastly, it is obviously difficult to discount the current world number 1 of Simona Halep and the world number 2, Caroline Wozniacki.
The 2018 Wimbledon singles tournament will certainly be dominated by some familiar names. We think each defending champion has a great chance to repeat this year, but as always, don’t discount some potential upsets. In the end, we think Federer will claim the title for the men and Wozniacki for the women.
Image Source: New York Times