Wimbledon men’s singles draw: All eyes on Djokovic v Alcaraz in the quarters
Carlos Alcaraz, Andy Murray, Jannik Sinner and Stan Wawrinka are all in the top half with Djokovic while Nadal could play former semi-finalist Sam Querrey as he chases his third slam win of 2022
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic after practice (AI/Reuters/Panoramic)
The chips have been drawn, the radio broadcast has concluded – and now we know what Rafael Nadal will need to do to win a 23rd Grand Slam and keep the hopes of a calendar-year sweep alive.
He begins against Francisco Cerundolo – while Novak Djokovic, desperate to retain his title and close the gap between himself and his Spanish rival, opens up against Kwon Soon-woo.
Two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray – a wildcard this year – is also in the top half. The Scot, who’s been showing some good form of late, begins against James Duckworth. If he gets through that, he’s likely to face 20th seed John Isner in the second round. He could face Jannik Sinner in round three and teenage star Carlos Alcaraz in the last 16 and should he make it to the quarter-finals, he would be most likely to face his old foe Djokovic.
Felix Auger-Aliassime has drawn Maxime Cressy – an American who’s quite happy to serve and volley, so the Wimbledon grass may suit him. He’s enjoying his time so far in England with a run to the Eastbourne semi-finals.
Most anticipated first-round matches – Wawrinka faces Sinner
Sinner (10) – Wawrinka
One of the clashes that draws the eye is a mammoth first-round match-up between three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka – on his way back from injury – and young Italian hope Jannik Sinner.
Hukacz (7) – Davidovich Fokina
It’s a tough first-round draw for Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who’s drawn the in-form Hubert Hurkacz. The Pole was a dominant champion in Halle last week, beating world No 1 Daniil Medvedev in the final.
Kyrgios – Jubb
And for fans of fireworks, no need to look any further than Paul Jubb of Great Britain against Australia’s Nick Kyrgios.
Other notable first rounds
• Murray (WC) – Duckworth
• Alcaraz (5) – Struff
• Bublik – Fucsovics
• Berrettini (8) – Garin
• Schwartzman (12) – Coric
• Shapovalov (13) – Rinderknech
• Auger-Aliassime (6) – Cressy
• Fritz (11) – Musetti
• Popyrin – Gaston
What could be in store before the quarter finals
Tsitsipas (4) – Kyrgios, third round
If Kyrgios keeps his head and plays the grass-court tennis he’s capable of, he could face Stefanos Tsitsipas in the third round, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4. The two met only a few days ago in the Halle round of 16 – and the Australian beat the third seed. That was in three sets, though; things may well be different in best-of-five.
Murray – Sinner (10) or Wawrinka, third round
Murray and Wawrinka could meet in the third round as well – what a match that would be if both are fully fit, even in these latter stages of their respective careers.
Other possible matches at Wimbledon 2022
• Djokovic (1) – Kecmanovic (25), 3rd round
• Opelka (15) – Va, Rijthoven, 2nd round
• Alcaraz (5) – Fognini, 2nd round
• Norrie (9) – Dimitrov (18), 3rd round
• Auger-Aliassime (6) – Evans (20), 3rd round
• Rune – Fritz (11) or Musetti, 3rd round
• Nadal (2) – Cilic (14), 4th round
Projected men’s quarter-finals – what a match between Berrettini and Tsitsipas in store
- Djokovic v Alcaraz
- Ruud v Hurkacz
- Berrettini v Tsitsipas
- Auger Aliassime v Nadal
Every single one of these possible match-ups would be a must-see.
Djokovic’s route to the final
Djokovic could face big-hitting Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis in round two, while though he’s seeded to face Alcaraz in the quarter-finals, both Murray and Wawrinka are lurking in his quarter.
A quarter-final showdown with 19-year-old Alcaraz, who beat him on the way to the title in Madrid, is a mouthwatering prospect, while though third seed Casper Ruud is his scheduled semi-final opponent, Hurkacz, a semi-finalist last year, may be the man blocking his path to the final as he tries to win Wimbledon for the seventh time.
- First round – Kwon
- Second round – Kokkinakis
- Third round – Kecmanovic (25)
- Fourth round – Opelka (15)
- Quarter-final – Alcaraz (5)
- Semi-final – Ruud (3)
- Final – Nadal (2)
Nadal’s route to the final
With the Australian Open and French Open titles in the bag, Nadal comes to Wimbledon seemingly fit again after some radiofrequency treatment on his chronic left foot.
The Spaniard won’t have it easy though, with 2017 semi-finalist Sam Querrey a potential second-round opponent and many tough players in his half, including in-form Marin Cilic and Felix Auger-Aliassime, who pushed him closer than anyone at Roland-Garros.
If you’re going to win titles, though, you’ve got to be ready to beat the best and Nadal could find himself with last year’s beaten finalist, Matteo Berrettini, in the semis, the Italian coming into the event in red-hot form after winning both Stuttgart and Queen’s.
- First round: Cerundolo
- Second round: Querrey
- Third round: Sonego
- Fourth round: Cilic
- Quarter-final: Auger-Aliassime
- Semi-final: Tsitsipas or Berrettini
- Final: Djokovic
