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The 2023 Wimbledon Championships are set to begin from July 3. The men's and women's singles draws were revealed on Friday, with some interesting match-ups in store right from the start.
Novak Djokovic stands on the cusp of history yet again. Carlos Alcaraz has been annoited as the heir apparent and will be gunning to further establish his credentials by claiming his second Major title.
43-year-old Venus Williams shows no signs of stopping as she gets ready for another appearance at Wimbledon. As the spotlight continues to shine on the sport's most well-known names, there are players who're waiting in the wings to announce themselves.
The qualifying rounds concluded on Thursday, with a mix of veterans and fresh blood advancing to the main draw. This is an opportunity for them to steal the limelight by grabbing the bull by its horns.
Everyone loves to root for the underdog, so here's a look at five qualifiers who could shake things up at Wimbledon over the next fortnight:
#5 - Celine Naef
18-year old Naef recently made quite the splash upon her debut on the WTA Tour. She defeated seven-time Major champion Venus Williams in the first round of the Libema Open.
It marked Naef's maiden victory on the pro tour. She backed it up by ousting Caty McNally after that to reach the quarterfinals, but lost to top seed Veronika Kudermetova.
Naef scored wins over Kristina Dmitruk, Ashlyn Krueger and Dayana Yastremska in the Wimbledon qualifiers to book her spot in the main draw, ensuring her Grand Slam debut as well.
Naef is up against 22nd seed Anastasia Potapova in the first round. A tough match-up for sure, but the Swiss youngster seems prepared for it.
#4 - Matteo Arnaldi
Arnaldi bagged his first win over a top 10 player by defeating Casper Ruud at the Madrid Open earlier this year. He came through the qualifying rounds of the French Open to make his debut at the Major level. The Italian made it to the second round before losing to Denis Shapovalov.
As the top seed in the Wimbledon qualifiers, Arnaldi lived up to the billing and sealed his berth in the main draw. Plenty of Italians have taken the ATP Tour by storm over the last few years. The 22-year-old will now be eyeing to replicate the success of his compatriots as well.
Arnaldi was drawn against Roberto Carballes Baena in his opener here. His opponent is more at home on clay, so the Italian will fancy his chances of making a winning debut.
#3 - Mirra Andreeva
16-year old Andreeva took the world by storm with her run at the French Open a few weeks ago. She made it to the third round as a qualifier before being shown the door by Coco Gauff. Her effervescent personality also made her a media darling.
Andreeva came through the qualifying rounds of Wimbledon as well to make her main draw debut at the venue. Her first-round opponent here is Wang Xinyu. This is a winnable encounter for the teen star, who isn't shy of producing her best tennis on the biggest stage.
#2 - Dominic Stricker
Stricker made his Grand Slam debut at the French Open last month after going through the grind of qualifying and has now done the same at Wimbledon. While his debut in Paris ended with a loss to Tommy Paul in the first round, he'll be aiming for a different outcome in London.
Stricker will be hoping to further the Swiss legacy at the All England Club. His compatriot Roger Federer remains one of the best players in the history of the tournament. The 20-year old will take on Alexei Popyrin in the first round. While a title might be a long shot for now, securing a win certainly seems plausible.
#1 - Sofia Kenin
It's not often one comes across a former Major champion going through qualifiers. However, 2020 Australian Open winner Kenin had to do it for the second time this year. While she fell in the first round of qualifying at the French Open, she was able to successfully book her place in the main draw of Wimbledon.
For her efforts, Kenin was drawn against World No. 7 Coco Gauff in the first round. It's certainly a tough match-up, but she has already defeated a top 10 player this year. The American ousted Aryna Sabalenka at the Italian Open and if she's able to summon the same form once again, she could certainly cause an upset here.
