The 2016 Wimbledon tournament is almost here. Everyone knows who the favorite is. Novak Djokovic has become the second man in the Open Era of men’s tennis to win four straight Grand Slam events. Unlike Rod Laver in 1969, he did not win those four tournaments in the same calendar year, but winning four in a row remains remarkable. Djokovic will try to make the streak five straight in the cozy little village which – for two weeks – becomes the center of the tennis world. Will anyone be able to stand in Djokovic’s way for this title? If not, Djokovic will then have a chance to win the true Grand Slam – four titles in the same year – at this upcoming U.S. Open in New York. Wimbledon will mean a lot this year, even more than it usually does.
The competition in the 128-player main draw begins on Monday, June 27, in suburban London.
Event Details
Event: Wimbledon
Category: ITF (International Tennis Federation) Grand Slam
Date: June 27 – July 10, 2016
Location: The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club – Wimbledon Village, England
With a prize money allotment of roughly 28 million British pounds, tops in the world, Wimbledon retains its place as the crown jewel of tennis. Lots of players in certain countries and continents revere Roland Garros more than anything else. A lot of players excel on hardcourts and therefore relish playing at the Australian Open and the U.S. Open to a greater degree than they enjoy playing on grass. However, for a lot of players and fans alike, Wimbledon remains the biggest tennis tournament on the planet, the one which is coveted more than any other. Victory at the All-England Club creates more of a reputation and leaves a more lasting memory than the rest of the tournaments in tennis. Novak Djokovic is going for his third straight title here.
The points structure under the ITF system is that for the men, the championship means 2,000 points. A runner-up finish is worth 1,200. A semifinal result is 720 points, and a quarterfinal appearance offers 360 points.
Former Champions and Results (5 Years)
Year Champion Runner-up Score
2015 – Novak Djokovic def. Roger Federer – 7-6, 6-7, 6-4, 6-3
2014 – Novak Djokovic def. Roger Federer – 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 5-7, 6-4
2013 – Andy Murray def. Novak Djokovic – 6-4, 7-5, 6-4
2012 – Roger Federer def. Andy Murray – 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4
2011 – Novak Djokovic def. Rafael Nadal – 6-4, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3
Player Info:
While Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Stan Wawrinka, and Andy Murray will form the top four seeds in suburban London, one player won’t join them: Rafael Nadal. A wrist injury at the French Open sidelined Nadal long enough to force him to sit out this tournament.
The main story here is who will stop Djokovic? There was a time when Nole would fight it out with Federer at Wimbledon, Nadal at Roland Garros and both and others at the U.S. Open, but those days have past. As of this moment, Andy Murray is probably his toughest competition and we know that Murray doesn’t do well in that setting, losing 24 of 34 career matchups. However, these two have only met once in Wimbledone – the 2013 final – and Murray got the win. Djokovic has improved since then and dominates the circuit while Murray has slightly regressed, so it’s hard to see how Murray – or anyone else – challenges Djokovic here.
The other big story about Wimbledon for the men is that John McEnroe is coaching Milos Raonic as a temporary consultant for Wimbledon alone. McEnroe joins Raonic at a time when Ivan Lendl has agreed to return as Murray’s coach. Lendl coached Murray to the Scot’s two Grand Slam titles. Boris Becker coaches Novak Djokovic, so the odds of a high-profile coaching matchup are high.
The All-England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club
The mecca of tennis hosts Wimbledon again. The impressive part of the All-England Club’s existence is that it has modernized and updated itself to provide a convenient and comfortable experience for fans and media, even while preserving Wimbledon’s tradition. The roof over Centre Court and the building of a new No. 1 Court plus expanded second and third stadium courts have kept Wimbledon’s sterling reputation intact. The roof will be of great service to the flow of play. As we saw at the French Open, rain can wreak havoc rather easily.
