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Defending champion Novak Djokovic and World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty have been named the top seeds for the 2021 Wimbledon Championships scheduled to begin on Monday.
Five-time champion Djokovic is aiming to draw level with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal on 20 Grand Slam titles. Russian Daniil Medvedev, French Open finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas and US Open champion Dominic Thiem round out the top four seeds.
Eight-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer, ranked No. 8 in the world, is seeded seventh. He has been bumped up one place since Rafael Nadal, the 2008 and 2010 champion, has pulled out of the tournament citing exhaustion from a tough claycourt season.
The All England Club previously used a special seeding system that gave weightage to the performance of players at grasscourt events over the previous two years. But that system was abandoned last year, and now the men's seedings are based purely on the ATP rankings.
Ash Barty top seed in women's draw; Serena Williams seeded seventh at Wimbledon
On the women's side too, the organizers decided to stick with the world rankings. They did have the option of deviating from the rankings in order to have a more balanced draw, but they chose not to exercise it.
Australia's Ashleigh Barty, the 2019 French Open champion, has been named the top seed. 2019 Wimbledon champion Simona Halep, Madrid winner Aryna Sabalenka and Elina Svitolina round out the top four.
Seven-time Wimbledon champion Serena Williams, who is chasing Margaret Court's record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles, is seeded seventh. World No. 2 Naomi Osaka pulled out of the tournament earlier this month.
The draw for Wimbledon takes place on Friday, with the on-court action set to get underway on Monday. Organizers have announced that 50% capacity will be allowed during the fortnight and the finals weekend will be played in front of a full capacity crowd.
Wimbledon was canceled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, marking the first time the event was not held since World War II.
Novak Djokovic is the defending champion in the men's draw, having defeated Roger Federer in a five-set classic in the 2019 final. Simona Halep will be defending the women's singles title, having beaten Serena Williams in straight sets to lift her first title at the All England Club.
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