Emma Raducanu and Aryna Sabalenka crash out and a shock men’s semi-finalist – Wimbledon predictions

The Wimbledon draw has thrown up some mouthwatering clashes in the early round and we have cast our eye over the five big stories that will define this year’s tournament at the All England Club.

Here are the Tennis365 predictions for a Wimbledon fortnight that is guaranteed to deliver drama and moments that will forever in tennis folklore.

EARLY EXITS – Emma Raducanu and Aryna Sabalenka

British No 1 Raducanu should get through her opening match against Welsh teenage wildcard Mimi Xu, but her run is likely to end in round two where she will face 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova in her second match.

Raducanu has admitted she is concerned by her failure to compete against the game’s top players over the last year and Vondrousova will have too much power for her if they meet on Centre Court on Wednesday.

World No 1 Sabalenka will also be concerned to see Vondrousova in her section of the draw, as she has lost her last two matches against her, including the clash in Berlin on grass last week.

Verdict: Raducanu and Sabalenka will not make the second week at Wimbledon.

MEN’S DRAW UPSETS

Alexander Zverev has struggled to shine on grass during his career and he has a horrible section of the draw to get through to change his narrative on this surface.

An opening match against Arthur Rinderknech will be a big test and he will not want to face in-form Taylor Fritz is they both get to the fourth round.

Zverev has lost his last five matches against Fritz and admitted he was fed up of losing against him after a defeat on grass in Stuttgart earlier this month.

Another upset to look out for in the men’s draw could involve Britain’s big hope, Jack Draper.

He could face former Wimbledon finalist Marin Cilic in the second round and a re-match with Alexander Bublik may then be on the cards in the third round.

Bublik beat Draper at the French Open and beat world No 1 Jannik Sinner on grass at Halle earlier this month, so he may be the favourite heading into that match.

Verdict: Zverev and Draper out before the quarter-finals.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC’S BIG CHANCE

At the age of 38, Djokovic is trying to defy the sands of time by winning an eighth Wimbledon title and the draw has given him a glimpse of glory.

The No 6 seed is in Jannik Sinner’s half of the draw and could also face Britain’s Jack Draper in the quarter-finals, but we are predicting Draper will be out before then.

His experience on Centre Court should help this seven-time champion to get into the semi-finals and he could face a rematch with Sinner, who beat him at that stage of the French Open.

Verdict: Beating Sinner may be a big ask for Djokovic, but his best chance to do it would be on grass. He might not get that far if he has to face the in-form Alexander Bublik before that.

SWIATEK COMES UP SHORT

Iga Swiatek has always struggled to play her best tennis on grass and the former world No 1 will not win her first Wimbledon title this year.

The Polish star is still capable of blowing opponents away in brutal fashion, but the cracks in her make up are evident the moment pressure is applied.

She is due to face Coco Gauff in the quarter-finals and if that match-up takes place, Swiatek may well be heading home. If she get’s to the semi-finals, she may face Jessica Pegula, who beat her in a grass court final at the Bad Homburg Open on Saturday.

Verdict: Iga needs to rebuild her confidence before she is ready to challenge for more Grand Slam titles.

LOOK OUT FOR

Taylor Fritz and Alexander Bublik have great chances to push for a place in the semi-finals at Wimbledon this year.

Fritz will have gained confidence from his tournament win at Eastbourne on Saturday and Bublik is one of the form players on the tour, who will be a big threat if he gets his mind right for the challenge at Wimbledon.

Bublik may be the favourite to get through the section led by Jack Draper and he could be Novak Djokovic’s opponent in the quarter-finals

Verdict: A first round match against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard will test Fritz and Bublik is an unpredictable force, but both have the potential to be Wimbledon semi-finalists this year.