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After capturing his 10th Halle Open this month, Swiss legend Roger Federer’s confidence will be sky high ahead of the Wimbledon Championships which is about to begin on 1st July. The 37-year-old will be aiming to win his 21st Grand Slam title at his favorite hunting ground.
On the other hand, Rafael Nadal, who recently won his 12th French Open title, will also be aiming to continue his good run at Roland Garros. Novak Djokovic, who won the Australian Open this year in January, is looking in good shape as well after regaining his form last year. The Serbian could take inspiration from his win at Wimbledon last year.
Andy Murray, who recently won the Queens Club Championships in the doubles category partnering Spaniard Feliciano Lopez, will not be taking part as he has undergone hip surgery. However, the Briton had indicated that he might return to the court at the US Open.
It will be a tight race between Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic and as the tournament proceeds further the competition between them could get even more intriguing. This Wimbledon will be one of the most open events in recent years as there are some fine talents who are slowly making their mark in the Tennis circuit.
Apart from the big four, we have got some high-quality players who are trying to establish themselves on the big stage. These players have got the ability to challenge the big guns of the game and it is only a matter of time before these players will be the biggest stars in the sport. We take a look at five such players could be the center point of this particular Wimbledon event.
# 1 Dominic Thiem
Dominic Thiem is considered to be the next shining star in Tennis circles. The 26-year-old produced some decent performances last year by winning the Lyon open in May and finished runners-up in the Madrid Open in the same month losing to Alexander Zverev in the finals.
The Austrian also finished runners up against Rafael Nadal in the French Open last year. He also won the Argentina Open in February last year by beating Aljaz Bedene of Slovenia in the finals with a 6-2, 6-4 scoreline. He won the St Petersburg Open in Russia in September last year by beating Martin Klizan of Slovakia with a 6-3, 6-1 scoreline.
He also made it to the semi-finals of the Paris Open in November last year. Thiem made it to the final of the French Open this month, losing to eventual champion Rafael Nadal. His destructive forehands combined with his solid ground-strokes can trouble any opponent.
His quick ground-strokes have outdone many opponents, Thiem's top spins are also quite useful.
Thiem’s calmness helps him during pressure situations, which the Austrian had said helps him focus whenever he plays a tricky opponent. His single-handed backhands are also one of his main strengths.
#2 Alexander Zverev
Alexander Zverev has often been touted as the next big thing in the Tennis circuit just like Dominic Thiem, but the German hasn’t lived up to his billing. Many think that the German may need some more time to develop the temperament one needs to excel in Grand Slams, especially in knockout rounds when he tends to get a bit nervous.
Zverev also tends to get a bit erratic during pressure situations. Zverev lost in the quarter-finals of the French Open this month against Novak Djokovic, but it's part of the learning curve for him. The German has stated that playing in Grand Slams helps him assess his game.
The number-5 seed had stated that playing more Grand Slams will help him to prepare for the big players. The 22-year-old won the Madrid Masters in May last year by beating Dominic Thiem in the final and was runners-up in Miami Masters and Rome masters in March and May.
He also won the Bavarian International Tennis Championship in April last year. His precise baseline shots have at times outfoxed his opponents. He also won the Washington Open in July last year by beating Australia’s Alex De Minaur in the final.
Zverev also made it to the final of the Vienna Open in the doubles category along with his brother Mischa Zverev in October last year.
His rasping serves can outclass his rivals, and he has the ability to surprise his opponents with his quick serves. Zverev’s backhand strokes are considered to be his main strengths and it is an area where the German can be a big threat for his rivals. Zverev also won the London Masters in November last year which was one of his most satisfying wins.
# 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas
Stefanos Tsitsipas is a torchbearer of Greek Tennis and is also a player who can be one of the future stars of the game. The 21-year-old has caught everyone’s eye with some fine performances and has the ability to surprise some of the big stars.
Tsitsipas has the ability to play long rallies and his deceptive moves can trouble his opponents during rallies. Tsitsipas made it to the final of the Madrid Open last month where he lost to Novak Djokovic.
He also made it to the semi-finals of the Rome Masters losing to Rafael Nadal. Tsitsipas also made it to the Australian Open semi-finals this year by beating Roger Federer in the quarterfinals..
The 21-year-old can produce some powerful groundstrokes. Tsitsipas is equally good at playing long rallies but tends to get erratic while playing against top-ranked players.
He finished runners-up in the finals of the Barcelona Open last year in April and in the Canadian Open in August last year. Tsitsipas lost to Stanislaus Wawrinka of Switzerland in this month's French Open quarter-finals.
Though Tsitsipas has shown lots of promise, the 21-year-old needs to develop the temperament to play against some top ranked players and more Grand Slam appearances will surely benefit him.
# 4 Marin Cilic
Marin Cilic is another player who hasn’t done justice to his talent. The Croatian was the runners-up in the 2017 Wimbledon in which the 30-year-old lost his way in that game because of an injury. Cilic was the runners-up in the Australian Open last year losing to Roger Federer in the finals.
Cilic won the Queens Club championships before last year’s Wimbledon tournament. The 2014 US Open champion had stated that doing well in the upcoming Wimbledon Championships will give a much-required boost to his career.
Cilic was also a part of the Croatian team that won the Davis Cup final by beating France 3-1 last year. His sublime baseline shots have always unsettled his opponents, as have his powerful ground-strokes. Although the Croatian lost to Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria in the 2nd round of French Open last month, Cilic can outperform any player with his fast pace game.
He can also execute some exceptional drop shots. Cilic can also cover a lot of ground with his reach and quick moves.
# 5 Daniil Medvedev
Daniil Medvedev is touted to be another superstar in the making. Medvedev won the Sydney International in January last year by beating local player Alex De Minaur in the final. He also won the Japan Open last year in October by beating Kei Nishikori in the final.
The 22-year-old is quite good with his deceptive drop-shots and can be a tricky player during net play. The Russian has also shown his sharpness with his precise baselines. Recently he was quoted as saying that he wants to work more on his serves and forehands.
Medvedev had also stated that maintaining calmness on the court helps him to sail through pressure situations. His destructive two-handed backhands can outclass any opponent, especially on grass and hard courts and Medvedev, who has worked on both the mental and physical side of his game, may feel his time has come.
