The Wimbledon bracket was enthralling right from the start, but one already-open section has turned into a land of opportunity during the first week. The bottom half of the men’s singles draw was missing its apex predator before the tournament had even started. This was due to two-time champion and world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz being sidelined with a wrist injury.
An Open Field in the Men’s Draw
Further opportunities arose in the opening round when No. 4 seed Ben Shelton of the U.S. fell to Otto Virtanen, a qualifier from Finland. A couple of rounds later, 16 players remain in this section, and one of them will reach the Wimbledon final. For all but one of these competitors, it would be their first appearance in a major final. Just one has won a Grand Slam title.
Some remaining players possess Wimbledon pedigree, or experience of going deep at other majors. Others are standing on the edge of an unforeseen possibility. This guide focuses on this particularly open section of the tournament, which has otherwise so far been a particularly chalky event with far fewer upsets than last year’s drama-laden opening week. The analysis starts with the seeds and progresses from there.
Zverev’s Grand Slam Momentum Meets Grass Court Challenge
Alexander Zverev, who just won the French Open to end his wait for a Grand Slam title, has a reasonable chance of getting to the Wimbledon final. He may be liberated by no longer having to deal with that pressure. Zverev also has a big serve that should work well on the grass, and he was impressive in his last match on Thursday, comfortably beating the dangerous French player Valentin Royer in straight sets.
However, Zverev has never been beyond the fourth round at Wimbledon, despite being at least a finalist at the other three majors. He tends not to deal well with low-bouncing grass courts. Zverev’s typical modus operandi is to station himself well behind the baseline and wear opponents down.
He now meets Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinals. Zverev has lost to Fritz in their last seven meetings, including at Wimbledon in the fourth round two years ago.
De Minaur’s Pursuit of a Maiden Major Run
Anyone who appreciates a workhorse could find themselves rooting for Alex de Minaur, though he might be more accurately described as a racehorse. De Minaur is one of the quickest players on tour. He relies on his stunning footspeed, excellent anticipation and flat, thudding shots to grind down opponents.
His game is predicated on consistency, not fireworks, and fittingly, he has not had a signature Grand Slam run yet. De Minaur has made it to seven major quarterfinals without advancing. He never got to play the one he made at Wimbledon against Novak Djokovic in 2024, as he had to withdraw before the match after injuring his hip three points before the end of his round-of-16 win against Arthur Fils.
De Minaur’s path out of his quarter of the draw is not a walk in the park, but it is not a minefield either. Can he break his own ceiling?
Taylor Fritz is as savvy on grass as they come, from the baseline at least, with his classic power game. He meets Zverev in the quarterfinals.