Wimbledon and a tale of two GOATs 🐐

A couple of years ago, Wimbledon launched its tagline for the upcoming tournament. “Always like never before”, it read. Whether this marketing slogan made any sense or remains a point of contention but, arguably, its intended meaning resonates louder than ever now. 

Serena Williams made her Wimbledon debut in 1998, winning the first of her seven titles in 2002. Novak Djokovic made his first appearance at the Championships in 2005, lifting the first of his seven trophies in 2011. And yet, if assessing the list of tournament storylines ahead of 2026, it is these two champions who remain at the top. 

Williams will be making a sensational return, at the age of 44 and four years after she appeared to wave farewell to the sport she had dominated for two decades. After accepting a late wildcard, she will step on Centre Court on Tuesday, alone, and play her first singles match since the 2022 US Open against Australia’s Maya Joint. 

Djokovic, at 39, continues to chase what would be a record-breaking 25th grand slam title. Ahead of this latest opportunity, he returned to the All England Club and appeared in a confident, bullish mood, emboldened perhaps by the knowledge that Centre Court is the stage where Djokovic’s experience can rise. He may return as Jannik Sinner’s biggest threat because of his know-how on grass. 

Williams, meanwhile, will encounter something new. The unprecedented nature of her comeback, after two children and four years away, means no one, even her, knows what to expect. Djokovic called her comeback "inspirational" and "epic", and claimed he has seen Williams spending more time in the gym than she did during her prime. "In general my expectations are definitely different for the first time in my career," she said. 

Having already secured a doubles wildcard to rekindle her partnership with older sister Venus, Williams left her decision on whether to accept Wimbledon’s offer to play singles as well. As she mulled it over, a voice popped into her head. “I was like, What's wrong with me? What are you thinking? Are you nuts? Like you really should do this.

“When I revolved or evolved, I had never thought I'd come back.”

Serena Williams looks on during a training session before the start of Wimbledon (Getty)

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Despite the chance opening up to win a record 25th grand slam at Roland Garros, Djokovic felt he was unprepared physically in Paris; at Wimbledon, the timing is far more ideal. On the eve of the tournament, there was a bullishness to his tone, a glint in his eye. He knows this is an important opportunity, one that may not come around again.

With seven Wimbledon titles, Novak Djokovic remains a master of the grass courts that present a complicated challenge to most other players. Centre Court is the stage where Djokovic’s experience can rise. Even at 39, he remains an excellent mover on the grass, with his ability to slide into shots and maintain balance. Compared to the slower clay, points are typically shorter on the surface, not as “physically demanding” as the French. “I have a very good history in Wimbledon,” he said. “That gives me a higher dose of confidence coming into the tournament.”

The worrying Aryna Sabalenka trend jeopardising Wimbledon title bid

The World No 1 has been racked with tension at key points in her last two tournaments, including an unravelling in the French Open semi-finals, but a blueprint from an unlikely source could help her rediscover her title-winning ways

It often feels that Aryna Sabalenka is her own worst enemy. Certainly, her game is difficult enough to break down on its own that opponents often need assistance from her mental grip crumbling, too. Perhaps the way forward for the Belarusian is to take a leaf out of her rival Iga Swiatek’s book.  Playing on grass – her worst surface – she appeared to let loose, playing with a newfound freedom, and she romped to the Wimbledon title, surprising even herself. That freedom may be exactly what Sabalenka needs to rediscover if she is to reverse this worrying trend and find herself once again on court – and convert her grass-court potential into a long-awaited Wimbledon crown.

Why Wimbledon is falling behind in the grand slam arms race

While the All England Club continues to face legal hurdles in its bid to expand its grounds to Wimbledon Park, opening up the possibility to host qualifying on site, the other grand slams flaunt their capacity to turn tournaments into ‘three-week’ events. 

Wimbledon, though, would also be wise to be cautious of over-promising and under-delivering; at this year’s Australian Open in January, there were reports of confused ticket-holders turning up during “Opening Week” only to realise when they stepped inside Melbourne Park that the actual tournament was still days away. At Wimbledon, there is currently no danger of that. For now, the first day of play, on the fresh grass, remains a sacred one.

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THE DISPATCH

Why Andy Murray came back to Wimbledon at the perfect time

Over the past year, as the tennis world whirled and rotated around him, Jack Draper has spent too long on the outside, looking in. “I just had to stay away from it,” the 24-year-old said. “It would wind me up to watch tennis because I wanted to be out there.”

He had been ranked fourth in the world, and arrived at Wimbledon lifted by winning the biggest title of his career at Indian Wells and reaching the final of the Madrid Open. Draper wasn’t quite on top of the world but he was “feeling incredible”, unlocking new parts of his powerful game to push himself even higher. The next step for the Briton was to take the challenge to Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner at the grand slams.

But then Draper “just broke down”. From his second-round defeat to Marin Čilić at Wimbledon last year to the return of the following grass-court season, Draper was “stopped in his tracks” and played just nine matches. The lengthy lay-off was due to a painful bone bruising injury on his racket arm and then, a few months ago, a knee injury caused in part by a new serving motion. He tumbled down the rankings and when the slide stopped, he bottomed out at No 160.

Draper, ever honest and transparent, has made no attempt to disguise just how difficult the past year has been. “My confidence levels were below the floor,” he said recently. “It’s like you’re watching your decline,” he admitted, starkly. “It’s been really difficult to accept. I have to start again.”

Draper, though, does not return to Wimbledon alone. Andy Murray's presence in Draper’s box has come at the perfect time. It is proof that despite his past year, despite starting again and despite losing all confidence in his body, there is someone who believes in him. For Draper, having that person also be one of your biggest inspirations has been invaluable.

Read more here

Andy Murray will coach Jack Draper, the former world No 4 and British No 1, during Wimbledon (PA)

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