Only two weeks after Rafael Nadal stopped Novak Djokovic from rewriting history and winning a fourth straight Grand Slam at the French Open, a new Major is upon us and up for grabs with renewed battlelines drawn.
Wimbledon once again rolls out the red carpet for tennis royalty while Andy Murray carries the weight of a nation's expectation on his shoulders. It promises to be a thrilling fortnight.
The three-way shootout for the world No1 spot
Wimbledon this year will be more than winning a Grand Slam title, with the members of the top-three – Djokovic, Nadal and Roger Federer – all in contention for ending the fortnight on top of the world.
For Djokovic, the defending champion, the plot is fairly straightforward, if he makes the final, he’s guaranteed the No1 ranking irrespective of Nadal or Federer’s results. It shouldn’t be too difficult for the top seed who has featured in the title match in six of the past seven Grand Slams.
For Nadal, the two-time champion, he must win the title and hope Djokovic exits before the semi-finals in order to reclaim the top spot he lost to the Serb after their Wimbledon final last year.
Federer’s scenario is slightly more realistic than the Spaniard’s. If the six-time champion wins the title and Djokovic loses before the final, then the Swiss will become No1 again and match Pete Sampras’ all-time record of 286 weeks at the summit of the world rankings.
Novak’s second, Rafa’s third, Federer’s seventh
As Djokovic guns for a second Wimbledon title, Nadal will be looking to match Bjorn Borg’s incredible feat of making the Roland Garros-Wimbledon double on three separate occasions (from 1978 to 1980).
So far, Nadal has won both Slams back-to-back in 2008 and 2010, could he keep up the pattern and repeat it in 2012? Not if Federer has a say in it.
The Swiss maestro has another record to chase, besides matching Sampras’ record of weeks at No1. The 30-year-old could also match Sampras’ record of seven titles at Wimbledon should he triumph in two weeks’ time. Federer is hungry as well, having not won a Grand Slam since the 2010 Australian Open.
Federer said this week: “I don’t go through days thinking, 'my God, I haven’t won a Grand Slam in so long'. I don’t get pulled down by it. Actually, I think I get motivated by it. It doesn’t come in phases. I’ve always been hungry for success and that’s a good thing.”
Murray Mania 7.0
It’s going to be Andy Murray’s seventh appearance at Wimbledon, and the seventh time the hopes of a nation hang on his shoulders. It’s not Murray’s fault no other British man has managed to win Wimbledon since Fred Perry in 1936 and contrary to popular belief, he likes playing at home and doesn’t see it as added pressure of expectation.
The Scot said of having a home crowd: “It helps. I think it’s a bit of a myth that it doesn’t help. In every other sport, especially team sports, a home event is viewed as being incredibly important, players and teams tend to raise their game a lot.
“Tim Henman here had great success, he was very consistent. I think it’s a big benefit.”
Clijsters returns to SW19
Not many people would’ve picked four-time slam winner Kim Clijsters as a potential winner but the injury-plagued Belgian returns to Wimbledon for the first time since 2010, and second since 2006, after three solid wins at the Unicef Open. Assuming she recovers well from her stomach muscle strain, Clijsters can go deep in her final Wimbledon, before she retires from the sport post-US Open.
Defending champion Petra Kvitova lost her only match on grass heading into Wimbledon, but the Czech has made the semis at both Slams this year and believes she can deal with the expectation.
She said: “I’m very honoured to be here as a champion. It’s something that lasts forever. I think the pressure is there, for sure, but I will try not to think about it when I’m on the court.”
World No1 Maria Sharapova completed a career Grand Slam with her French Open win and is looking to add a second Wimbledon trophy to her cabinet, eight years after she won her first at 17.
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