Novak Djokovic is on the chase for a sixth Wimbledon title this year, and a record-equalling twentieth Grand Slam title. What's more, the World's no.1 &nbsp;is on a sizzling run of form right now, having won 15 Grand Slam matches in succession - including the Australian Open and the French Open titles in 2021. He is likewise on a 15-match series of wins at the Championships, having won the title in 2018-19 preceding beating localite Jack Draper in the first round on Monday.&nbsp;

Novak Djokovic will currently take on South Africa's Kevin Anderson in the second round, in what will be a rehash of the Wimbledon 2018 final.&nbsp;

Kevin Anderson is far taken out from the player he was three years prior. He has been tormented with injury issues for longer than a year at this point and comes into the competition positioned outside the top 100. He prefers playing on grass, however, and he utilized his large serve to win two matches leading the pack up to Wimbledon.

<h2>Head-to-Head</h2>

This will be the 12th time that Novak Djokovic and Kevin Anderson play one another. The head-to-head is 9-2 for Novak Djokovic, 3-0 on grass. The last time that they played, Novak Djokovic won 7-6(5) 7-6(6) in the ATP cup back in 2020.&nbsp;

<h2>Novak Djokovic versus Kevin Anderson&nbsp;</h2>

As of now world no. 1 Novak Djokovic arrived at the second round subsequent to crushing Jack Draper 4 6-1 6-2 6-2. As to his service games, he covered his rival with 25 aces and he submitted just 1 double deficiency. Generally, Novak Djokovic was amazingly proficient on serve to win 87% of his first serve and 67% on the subsequent serve. Nonetheless, this didn't forestall his to yield the serve once. The Serbian broke Jack Draper multiple times in the wake of changing over 40% of his breakpoints.

Novak Djokovic has a general 28-3 success loss record in 2021, 1-0 on grass&nbsp;

Positioned no. 102, Kevin Anderson arrived at the second round subsequent to crushing Marcelo Tomas Barrios Vera 6-74 6-4 6-4 7-64. About the service, he overpowered his rival with 41 aces and he submitted just 1 double deficiency for the whole match. Kevin Anderson was really proficient on serve to win 87% &nbsp;of his first serve and 52% on the subsequent serve. This was the principal justification for not yielding a single break during the match. Kevin Anderson broke Tomas Barrios Vera twice in the wake of changing over 25% of his breakpoints&nbsp;

Kevin Anderson has a general 7-8 success misfortune record in 2021, 3-3 on grass&nbsp;

<h2>Prediction&nbsp;</h2>

Novak Djokovic's serve assumed a significant part in his success over Jack Draper, yet the wide range of his game looked strong as well. His groundstrokes had profundity and force, and his return was especially viable in the last three sets.&nbsp;

Kevin Anderson, on his part, will hope to utilize his services to direct the rallies beyond what many would consider possible. He can in any case crush down bombs when he utilizes his 6'8" height, and surprisingly a returner of Novak Djokovic's type will think that it's difficult to get each return back in play on grass.

Novak Djokovic is on the chase for a sixth Wimbledon title this year, and a record-equalling twentieth Grand Slam title. What's more, the World's no.1 is on a sizzling run of form right now, having won 15 Grand Slam matches in succession - including the Australian Open and the French Open titles in 2021.

Novak Djokovic is on the chase for a sixth Wimbledon title this year, and a record-equalling twentieth Grand Slam title. What's more, the World's no.1 is on a sizzling run of form right now, having won 15 Grand Slam matches in succession - including the Australian Open and the French Open titles in 2021. He is likewise on a 15-match series of wins at the Championships, having won the title in 2018-19 preceding beating localite Jack Draper in the first round on Monday. Novak Djokovic will currently take on South Africa's Kevin Anderson in the second round, in what will be a rehash of the Wimbledon 2018 final. Kevin Anderson is far taken out from the player he was three years prior. He has been tormented with injury issues for longer than a year at this point and comes into the competition positioned outside the top 100. He prefers playing on grass, however, and he utilized his large serve to win two matches leading the pack up to Wimbledon. Head-to-Head This will be the 12th time that Novak Djokovic and Kevin Anderson play one another. The head-to-head is 9-2 for Novak Djokovic, 3-0 on grass. The last time that they played, Novak Djokovic won 7-6(5) 7-6(6) in the ATP cup back in 2020. Novak Djokovic versus Kevin Anderson As of now world no. 1 Novak Djokovic arrived at the second round subsequent to crushing Jack Draper 4 6-1 6-2 6-2. As to his service games, he covered his rival with 25 aces and he submitted just 1 double deficiency. Generally, Novak Djokovic was amazingly proficient on serve to win 87% of his first serve and 67% on the subsequent serve. Nonetheless, this didn't forestall his to yield the serve once. The Serbian broke Jack Draper multiple times in the wake of changing over 40% of his breakpoints. Novak Djokovic has a general 28-3 success loss record in 2021, 1-0 on grass Positioned no. 102, Kevin Anderson arrived at the second round subsequent to crushing Marcelo Tomas Barrios Vera 6-74 6-4 6-4 7-64. About the service, he overpowered his rival with 41 aces and he submitted just 1 double deficiency for the whole match. Kevin Anderson was really proficient on serve to win 87% of his first serve and 52% on the subsequent serve. This was the principal justification for not yielding a single break during the match. Kevin Anderson broke Tomas Barrios Vera twice in the wake of changing over 25% of his breakpoints Kevin Anderson has a general 7-8 success misfortune record in 2021, 3-3 on grass Prediction Novak Djokovic's serve assumed a significant part in his success over Jack Draper, yet the wide range of his game looked strong as well. His groundstrokes had profundity and force, and his return was especially viable in the last three sets. Kevin Anderson, on his part, will hope to utilize his services to direct the rallies beyond what many would consider possible. He can in any case crush down bombs when he utilizes his 6'8" height, and surprisingly a returner of Novak Djokovic's type will think that it's difficult to get each return back in play on grass.

Wimbledon 2021: Novak Djokovic and Kevin Anderson clash against each other in the 2nd round

World number three Romanian Simona Halep and three-time Grand Slam winner Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland have become the latest big-name&nbsp;tennis&nbsp;players to withdraw from the Tokyo Olympics due to injury problems.

While Halep said she would not recover from a calf injury in time, Wawrinka underwent foot surgery that would rule him out of the Games, which begin on July 23 after being delayed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Halep and Wawrinka join 23-times Grand Slam champion Serena Williams, 20-time major winner Rafa Nadal and U.S. Open champion Dominic Thiem among others in skipping the Olympics.

"Nothing brings me more pride than representing Romania, but sadly the recovery from my calf injury requires more time and I have made the decision to withdraw from the Olympic Games this summer," Halep tweeted.

In May, the 29-year-old exited a claycourt event in Rome after picking up the injury during her second-round match against Angelique Kerber and was subsequently forced to miss the French Open and Wimbledon.

"After the disappointment of missing the French Open and Wimbledon having to skip the Olympics is incredibly tough to digest, but I am determined to come back stronger," she added.

Halep suffered an opening-round loss at the London Olympics in 2012 and skipped the 2016 Rio Games due to concerns over the Zika virus.

Former world number three Wawrinka, 36, underwent an operation on his left foot earlier this year and has not played on the tour since his opening round defeat by Lloyd Harris at the Qatar Open in March.

He underwent an additional procedure on the same foot to correct a small niggle, which will rule him out of the Olympics, Wawrinka's team said in a statement.

Wawrinka, who is currently ranked 30th, won a gold medal in doubles with Roger Federer at the 2008 Beijing Games.

"His team of doctors is extremely confident that they have now resolved the issue and that he will return to full fitness in the near future," the statement added.

"He is very disappointed not to be able to play in the Games and represent Switzerland in Tokyo, but he is already working hard on his recovery and towards his goal of getting back on the court as soon as possible."

World number three Romanian Simona Halep and three-time Grand Slam winner Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland have become the latest big-name tennis players to withdraw from the Tokyo Olympics due to injury problems.

World number three Romanian Simona Halep and three-time Grand Slam winner Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland have become the latest big-name tennis players to withdraw from the Tokyo Olympics due to injury problems. While Halep said she would not recover from a calf injury in time, Wawrinka underwent foot surgery that would rule him out of the Games, which begin on July 23 after being delayed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Halep and Wawrinka join 23-times Grand Slam champion Serena Williams, 20-time major winner Rafa Nadal and U.S. Open champion Dominic Thiem among others in skipping the Olympics. "Nothing brings me more pride than representing Romania, but sadly the recovery from my calf injury requires more time and I have made the decision to withdraw from the Olympic Games this summer," Halep tweeted. In May, the 29-year-old exited a claycourt event in Rome after picking up the injury during her second-round match against Angelique Kerber and was subsequently forced to miss the French Open and Wimbledon. "After the disappointment of missing the French Open and Wimbledon having to skip the Olympics is incredibly tough to digest, but I am determined to come back stronger," she added. Halep suffered an opening-round loss at the London Olympics in 2012 and skipped the 2016 Rio Games due to concerns over the Zika virus. Former world number three Wawrinka, 36, underwent an operation on his left foot earlier this year and has not played on the tour since his opening round defeat by Lloyd Harris at the Qatar Open in March. He underwent an additional procedure on the same foot to correct a small niggle, which will rule him out of the Olympics, Wawrinka's team said in a statement. Wawrinka, who is currently ranked 30th, won a gold medal in doubles with Roger Federer at the 2008 Beijing Games. "His team of doctors is extremely confident that they have now resolved the issue and that he will return to full fitness in the near future," the statement added. "He is very disappointed not to be able to play in the Games and represent Switzerland in Tokyo, but he is already working hard on his recovery and towards his goal of getting back on the court as soon as possible."

Tennis: Injured Simona Halep, Stan Wawrinka add to list of withdrawals from Tokyo Games

Five-times champion Venus Williams, playing as a wildcard in her 23rd Wimbledon, showed vintage form to beat Romania's Mihaela Buzarnescu 7-5 4-6 6-3 and reach the second round on Tuesday.

The oldest woman in the draw at 41, Williams had not won a match since reaching the second round at the Australian Open in February but showed she was far from finished on her return to a favourite place.

The Court Three clash of veterans, one of several held over due to rain on Monday, was the 271st victory of a remarkable Grand Slam career for Williams and, despite serving 10 aces, did not come easy.

The American had powered to a 5-1 lead in the final set but then wobbled as Buzarnescu, 33, saved a match point and came back to 5-3.

The Romanian failed to convert three break points in the final game, but saved another match point, before Williams made sure of victory at the third attempt.

Williams' next opponent will be Tunisian Ons Jabeur, who beat Sweden's Rebecca Peterson 6-2 6-1.

Five-times champion Venus Williams, playing as a wildcard in her 23rd Wimbledon, showed vintage form to beat Romania's Mihaela Buzarnescu 7-5 4-6 6-3 and reach the second round on Tuesday.

Five-times champion Venus Williams, playing as a wildcard in her 23rd Wimbledon, showed vintage form to beat Romania's Mihaela Buzarnescu 7-5 4-6 6-3 and reach the second round on Tuesday. The oldest woman in the draw at 41, Williams had not won a match since reaching the second round at the Australian Open in February but showed she was far from finished on her return to a favourite place. The Court Three clash of veterans, one of several held over due to rain on Monday, was the 271st victory of a remarkable Grand Slam career for Williams and, despite serving 10 aces, did not come easy. The American had powered to a 5-1 lead in the final set but then wobbled as Buzarnescu, 33, saved a match point and came back to 5-3. The Romanian failed to convert three break points in the final game, but saved another match point, before Williams made sure of victory at the third attempt. Williams' next opponent will be Tunisian Ons Jabeur, who beat Sweden's Rebecca Peterson 6-2 6-1.

Tennis-Wildcard Venus through to second round at her 23rd Wimbledon

Novak Djokovic started off his Wimbledon title journey with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 success more than 19-year-old Jack Draper.&nbsp;

Novic Djokovic battled in the first set, neglecting to convert over any of his seven break point openings. Yet, he raised his level across the following three sets, facilitating to triumph and progressing to the second round.&nbsp;

The World No. 1 crushed down 25 aces in the match, the second-highest of his vocation. He additionally lost only 16 points on his services across the four sets.&nbsp;

Addressing the media following the success, Novak Djokovic pronounced he could not be more satisfied with his serving show. He said: "I think I probably had one of the best serving performances that I can recall on any surface. I think I matched, someone told me, the record I had whether it was earlier this year or last year in Australia, also 25 aces in four sets. Yeah, I could not be more pleased with the rhythm of my serve. On grass, the quickest surface in our sport, it helps a lot getting a lot of free points on that first serve."&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wimbledon-2021-third-seeded-stefanos-tsitsipas-crashes-out-in-first-round-394547" hreflang="en">Wimbledon 2021: Third-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas crashes out in first round</a>

The Serb additionally held some recognition for Jack Draper, who gave World No. 1 a slight panic on his Grand Slam debut: "I thought he was playing well. He was fighting. Obviously, for him, a unique occasion playing for the first time on Wimbledon Centre Court. He has done well. Had break chances in the first set to come back into the match. He came up with some good serves."

Novak Djokovic was seen losing his balance a few times in the early trades. The Serb said the new grass on Center Court was very tricky because of the rooftop being shut: "I was kind of slipping a few times on those breakpoints," he said. "Still finding my footing, I would say, on the grass that was quite slippery, quite moist. It was probably because of the roof."

As the reigning men's singles champion, Novak Djokovic opened play on Center Court on Monday as is standard. Talking about women's reigning champion Simona Halep would have ventured out for the principal match on Tuesday, her withdrawal implies World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty will open procedures.

Talking about the custom, Novak Djokovic said he wouldn't fret those roles being switched later on: "Why not?”I’m not in the committee of Wimbledon, so I don’t make those decisions. My opinion, of course, in terms of the decision-making process doesn’t matter much. But, why not? Of course, that would be nice to see. They deserve it. I will be in favor of it."

Novak Djokovic started off his Wimbledon title journey with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 success more than 19-year-old Jack Draper. Novic Djokovic battled in the first set, neglecting to convert over any of his seven break point openings.

Novak Djokovic started off his Wimbledon title journey with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 success more than 19-year-old Jack Draper. Novic Djokovic battled in the first set, neglecting to convert over any of his seven break point openings. Yet, he raised his level across the following three sets, facilitating to triumph and progressing to the second round. The World No. 1 crushed down 25 aces in the match, the second-highest of his vocation. He additionally lost only 16 points on his services across the four sets. Addressing the media following the success, Novak Djokovic pronounced he could not be more satisfied with his serving show. He said: "I think I probably had one of the best serving performances that I can recall on any surface. I think I matched, someone told me, the record I had whether it was earlier this year or last year in Australia, also 25 aces in four sets. Yeah, I could not be more pleased with the rhythm of my serve. On grass, the quickest surface in our sport, it helps a lot getting a lot of free points on that first serve." ALSO READ: Wimbledon 2021: Third-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas crashes out in first round The Serb additionally held some recognition for Jack Draper, who gave World No. 1 a slight panic on his Grand Slam debut: "I thought he was playing well. He was fighting. Obviously, for him, a unique occasion playing for the first time on Wimbledon Centre Court. He has done well. Had break chances in the first set to come back into the match. He came up with some good serves." Novak Djokovic was seen losing his balance a few times in the early trades. The Serb said the new grass on Center Court was very tricky because of the rooftop being shut: "I was kind of slipping a few times on those breakpoints," he said. "Still finding my footing, I would say, on the grass that was quite slippery, quite moist. It was probably because of the roof." As the reigning men's singles champion, Novak Djokovic opened play on Center Court on Monday as is standard. Talking about women's reigning champion Simona Halep would have ventured out for the principal match on Tuesday, her withdrawal implies World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty will open procedures. Talking about the custom, Novak Djokovic said he wouldn't fret those roles being switched later on: "Why not?”I’m not in the committee of Wimbledon, so I don’t make those decisions. My opinion, of course, in terms of the decision-making process doesn’t matter much. But, why not? Of course, that would be nice to see. They deserve it. I will be in favor of it."

Wimbledon 2021: ‘One of my best serving performances’, says Novak Djokovic on winning first-round

Roger Federer will start his journey for a record-broadening ninth Wimbledon title when he takes on Adrian Mannarino in the first round at the All England Club on Tuesday.&nbsp;

All things considered, Roger Federer displayed at Roland Garros last month that he stays an awe-inspiring phenomenon in the best-of-five format. His experience permits him to deal with the responsibility insightfully in long matches and furthermore upgrades his shots at retaliating in the event that things don't turn out well for him at first.&nbsp;

Adrian Mannarino is in good structure as well, having recently lost to Sam Querrey in the elimination rounds of the Mallorca Open. He will enter the Championships with a decent measure of match practice added to his repertoire, which will probably play for his potential benefit against a still-corroded Roger Federer.]

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis-serena-williams-to-skip-tokyo-games-declines-to-explain-reasons-394429" hreflang="en">Tennis: Serena Williams to skip Tokyo Games, declines to explain reasons</a>

<h3>Head-to-Head</h3>

This will be the seventh time that Roger Federer and Adrian Mannarino battle against one another. The straight-on is 6-0 for Roger Federer, 2-0 on grass. The last time that they bolted horns, Roger Federer won 6-0 7-5 6-4 in the fourth round at Wimbledon back in 2018.&nbsp;

<h3>Roger Federer vs Adrian Mannarino</h3>

Positioned no. 8, Roger will begin his season at Wimbledon after he played his last match in Halle where he lost 4 6-3 6-2 to Auger Aliassime in the second round on the sixteenth of June.&nbsp;

Roger Federer has a general 5-3 success loss record in 2021, 1-1 on grass. Discussing his general vocation, Roger Federer has a by and large 1162-210 record. He has a positive 177-20 record on the grass.&nbsp;

Positioned no. 41, Adrian Mannarino will begin his spat London after he played his last match in Mallorca where he lost 6-4 6-3 to Sam Querrey in the elimination round on the 25th of June.&nbsp;

Adrian Mannarino has a total 9-17 success loss record in 2021, 4-3 on grass. Adrian Mannarino's best consequence of the momentum season was getting to the elimination round in Mallorca. As far as his vocation, he has an in general 567-431 record. He has a positive 77-49 record on the grass.

<h3>Prediction</h3>

Roger Federer will likewise have his errand cut out while managing Adrian Mannarino's left-hand serve, given his new battles on his return. In any case, the key for him extraordinary, as usual, will be his service; on the off chance that he can be exact enough with that shot, he will probably come up bests eventually.

While Adrian Mannarino isn't the greatest ball-strikers or servers on a visit, the points he can make him a troublesome player to manage. He additionally appreciates playing on grass, offered that it keeps his level chances low.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Roger Federer will start his journey for a record-broadening ninth Wimbledon title when he takes on Adrian Mannarino in the first round at the All England Club on Tuesday.

Roger Federer will start his journey for a record-broadening ninth Wimbledon title when he takes on Adrian Mannarino in the first round at the All England Club on Tuesday. All things considered, Roger Federer displayed at Roland Garros last month that he stays an awe-inspiring phenomenon in the best-of-five format. His experience permits him to deal with the responsibility insightfully in long matches and furthermore upgrades his shots at retaliating in the event that things don't turn out well for him at first. Adrian Mannarino is in good structure as well, having recently lost to Sam Querrey in the elimination rounds of the Mallorca Open. He will enter the Championships with a decent measure of match practice added to his repertoire, which will probably play for his potential benefit against a still-corroded Roger Federer.] ALSO READ: Tennis: Serena Williams to skip Tokyo Games, declines to explain reasons Head-to-Head This will be the seventh time that Roger Federer and Adrian Mannarino battle against one another. The straight-on is 6-0 for Roger Federer, 2-0 on grass. The last time that they bolted horns, Roger Federer won 6-0 7-5 6-4 in the fourth round at Wimbledon back in 2018. Roger Federer vs Adrian Mannarino Positioned no. 8, Roger will begin his season at Wimbledon after he played his last match in Halle where he lost 4 6-3 6-2 to Auger Aliassime in the second round on the sixteenth of June. Roger Federer has a general 5-3 success loss record in 2021, 1-1 on grass. Discussing his general vocation, Roger Federer has a by and large 1162-210 record. He has a positive 177-20 record on the grass. Positioned no. 41, Adrian Mannarino will begin his spat London after he played his last match in Mallorca where he lost 6-4 6-3 to Sam Querrey in the elimination round on the 25th of June. Adrian Mannarino has a total 9-17 success loss record in 2021, 4-3 on grass. Adrian Mannarino's best consequence of the momentum season was getting to the elimination round in Mallorca. As far as his vocation, he has an in general 567-431 record. He has a positive 77-49 record on the grass. Prediction Roger Federer will likewise have his errand cut out while managing Adrian Mannarino's left-hand serve, given his new battles on his return. In any case, the key for him extraordinary, as usual, will be his service; on the off chance that he can be exact enough with that shot, he will probably come up bests eventually. While Adrian Mannarino isn't the greatest ball-strikers or servers on a visit, the points he can make him a troublesome player to manage. He additionally appreciates playing on grass, offered that it keeps his level chances low.

Wimbledon 2021: Roger Federer to lock horns with Adrian Mannarino on Centre Court

Stefanos Tsitsipas was knocked out of Wimbledon in the first round on Monday, losing 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 to Frances Tiafoe. It denotes Stefanos Tsitsipas' third opening-round exit at the Championships in four appearances.&nbsp;

The Greek, who completed as the runner-up at Roland Garros, didn't play any warm-up matches on grass ahead of Wimbledon. While weariness from a tiring claycourt mission might have been an explanation, his grandmothers' demise may have additionally had an influence on his choice.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wimbledon-2021-djokovic-avoids-shock-as-centre-court-comes-back-to-life-394535" hreflang="en">Wimbledon 2021: Djokovic avoids shock as Centre Court comes back to life</a>

Addressing the media after his loss to Frances Tiafoe, Stefanos Tsitsipas conceded he may have profited with playing a few matches ahead of the Wimbledon season: "I was thinking maybe I should have played the week before Wimbledon, either Mallorca or Eastbourne, I'm not sure. Any of these tournaments would have helped, for sure, get me in a better shape, get my tennis ready for the grass-court season."

The Greek piled acclaim on his rival, who played forceful tennis beginning to end. Stefanos Tsitsipas, then again, was very inactive, which he conceded prompted his downfall. He said: "Fair to say he played really well. I wasn’t able to maintain the intensity. I wasn’t able to put something better than him. It ended up going his way. I was a bit more passive. I didn’t approach my game with the same strategy."

Stefanos Tsitsipas conceded he needed motivation against Frances Tiafoe, yet rushed to call attention to that it was not the justification of his dreary exhibition. He, who has never been past the fourth round at Wimbledon, demanded he has the range of abilities to prevail on grass: "There have been times when I was much more motivated than this but that is not a reason for me not to play well."Again, I’d like to pinpoint and say I have all the qualities to play on grass. I haven’t had a lot of matches on grass."

Since the tour resumed last year, life for tennis players has primarily elaborate going from the bubble of one competition to another because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Stefanos Tsitsipas conceded that moving from one bubble to another was mentally depleting. He said: "The bubble makes it really tiring every week. It’s certainly very difficult when you know mentally you’re going from one bubble, being in that bubble for close to a month &amp; then a few weeks later you need to go through the procedure again, it’s just not easy." 
&nbsp;

Stefanos Tsitsipas was knocked out of Wimbledon in the first round on Monday, losing 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 to Frances Tiafoe. It denotes Stefanos Tsitsipas' third opening-round exit at the Championships in four appearances.

Stefanos Tsitsipas was knocked out of Wimbledon in the first round on Monday, losing 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 to Frances Tiafoe. It denotes Stefanos Tsitsipas' third opening-round exit at the Championships in four appearances. The Greek, who completed as the runner-up at Roland Garros, didn't play any warm-up matches on grass ahead of Wimbledon. While weariness from a tiring claycourt mission might have been an explanation, his grandmothers' demise may have additionally had an influence on his choice. ALSO READ: Wimbledon 2021: Djokovic avoids shock as Centre Court comes back to life Addressing the media after his loss to Frances Tiafoe, Stefanos Tsitsipas conceded he may have profited with playing a few matches ahead of the Wimbledon season: "I was thinking maybe I should have played the week before Wimbledon, either Mallorca or Eastbourne, I'm not sure. Any of these tournaments would have helped, for sure, get me in a better shape, get my tennis ready for the grass-court season." The Greek piled acclaim on his rival, who played forceful tennis beginning to end. Stefanos Tsitsipas, then again, was very inactive, which he conceded prompted his downfall. He said: "Fair to say he played really well. I wasn’t able to maintain the intensity. I wasn’t able to put something better than him. It ended up going his way. I was a bit more passive. I didn’t approach my game with the same strategy." Stefanos Tsitsipas conceded he needed motivation against Frances Tiafoe, yet rushed to call attention to that it was not the justification of his dreary exhibition. He, who has never been past the fourth round at Wimbledon, demanded he has the range of abilities to prevail on grass: "There have been times when I was much more motivated than this but that is not a reason for me not to play well."Again, I’d like to pinpoint and say I have all the qualities to play on grass. I haven’t had a lot of matches on grass." Since the tour resumed last year, life for tennis players has primarily elaborate going from the bubble of one competition to another because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Stefanos Tsitsipas conceded that moving from one bubble to another was mentally depleting. He said: "The bubble makes it really tiring every week. It’s certainly very difficult when you know mentally you’re going from one bubble, being in that bubble for close to a month & then a few weeks later you need to go through the procedure again, it’s just not easy."

Wimbledon 2021: 'I was a bit more passive': Stefanos Tsitsipas on losing to Frances Tiafoe

Twice champion Andy Murray survived a third-set meltdown to beat Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-4 6-3 5-7 6-3 on Monday in his first singles match at Wimbledon for four years.

Back on the hallowed Centre Court turf on which he made himself a British sporting icon, the 34-year-old delighted his fans as he rolled back the years, producing vintage shot-making to lead by two sets and 5-0 in the third.

But in a bizarre twist, he lost seven successive games to send the match into a fourth set.

An interruption while the Centre Court roof slid into place appeared to help settle Murray's nerves and he got the job done to set up a second-round against Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech or Germany's Oscar Otte -- both qualifiers.

"I did well to win the fourth set in the end because that was mentally not easy going to the locker room after losing that third," Murray, who received a thunderous ovation at the conclusion from the 7,500 crowd, said on court.

"It was just disappointing to lose the third set. I had to remember what I was doing to get into a winning position. I think I served better in the fourth and turned it around."

Murray, the 2013 and 2016 champion, had not played a singles match at Wimbledon since he hobbled to a quarter-final defeat against American Sam Querrey in 2017.

That loss was the beginning of a dark chapter in Murray's career as he underwent hip surgery in 2018 and 2019.

The journey back has been a tortuous one and after missing the Australian Open because of a positive COVID-19 test and then suffering niggling injuries he arrived at Wimbledon with only five Tour-level matches under his belt this year.

TIGHT SET

He was roared on to the court for the early-evening clash and responded in style to edge a tight opening set when he broke the Basilashvili serve in the 10th game.

The powerful Basilashvili stretched Murray in the second set but after squandering breakpoints at 2-2 and 3-3 he lost heart as Murray began to cruise towards the finish line.

But Wimbledon would not be Wimbledon without some first-day drama and the match took a bizarre turn as Murray suddenly got tight as his lead began to shrink.

When Basilashvili saved two match points at 3-5, Murray began to resemble a man with his arm encased in concrete.

Tension filled the air with Murray's game beginning to unravel and Basilashvili claimed the third set after an exchange of volleys.

Basilashvili recovered from two sets down to beat Britain's James Ward in the first round in 2019 and with nagging doubts about Murray's physical condition, a repeat looked possible.

But Murray had a shower during the interruption for the roof closure and if&nbsp;he broke his opponent's serve to love twice to regain control.

Basilashvili dug deep to stay in touch and the Georgian had a breakpoint to get back to 4-4, only for Murray to stave off the danger with an exquisite drop shot.

Basilashvili saved a third match point with a backhand winner but at the fourth time of asking Murray sealed victory when his opponent sent a backhand into the net.

Twice champion Andy Murray survived a third-set meltdown to beat Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-4 6-3 5-7 6-3 on Monday in his first singles match at Wimbledon for four years.

Twice champion Andy Murray survived a third-set meltdown to beat Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-4 6-3 5-7 6-3 on Monday in his first singles match at Wimbledon for four years. Back on the hallowed Centre Court turf on which he made himself a British sporting icon, the 34-year-old delighted his fans as he rolled back the years, producing vintage shot-making to lead by two sets and 5-0 in the third. But in a bizarre twist, he lost seven successive games to send the match into a fourth set. An interruption while the Centre Court roof slid into place appeared to help settle Murray's nerves and he got the job done to set up a second-round against Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech or Germany's Oscar Otte -- both qualifiers. "I did well to win the fourth set in the end because that was mentally not easy going to the locker room after losing that third," Murray, who received a thunderous ovation at the conclusion from the 7,500 crowd, said on court. "It was just disappointing to lose the third set. I had to remember what I was doing to get into a winning position. I think I served better in the fourth and turned it around." Murray, the 2013 and 2016 champion, had not played a singles match at Wimbledon since he hobbled to a quarter-final defeat against American Sam Querrey in 2017. That loss was the beginning of a dark chapter in Murray's career as he underwent hip surgery in 2018 and 2019. The journey back has been a tortuous one and after missing the Australian Open because of a positive COVID-19 test and then suffering niggling injuries he arrived at Wimbledon with only five Tour-level matches under his belt this year. TIGHT SET He was roared on to the court for the early-evening clash and responded in style to edge a tight opening set when he broke the Basilashvili serve in the 10th game. The powerful Basilashvili stretched Murray in the second set but after squandering breakpoints at 2-2 and 3-3 he lost heart as Murray began to cruise towards the finish line. But Wimbledon would not be Wimbledon without some first-day drama and the match took a bizarre turn as Murray suddenly got tight as his lead began to shrink. When Basilashvili saved two match points at 3-5, Murray began to resemble a man with his arm encased in concrete. Tension filled the air with Murray's game beginning to unravel and Basilashvili claimed the third set after an exchange of volleys. Basilashvili recovered from two sets down to beat Britain's James Ward in the first round in 2019 and with nagging doubts about Murray's physical condition, a repeat looked possible. But Murray had a shower during the interruption for the roof closure and if he broke his opponent's serve to love twice to regain control. Basilashvili dug deep to stay in touch and the Georgian had a breakpoint to get back to 4-4, only for Murray to stave off the danger with an exquisite drop shot. Basilashvili saved a third match point with a backhand winner but at the fourth time of asking Murray sealed victory when his opponent sent a backhand into the net.

Tennis: Andy Murray survives big wobble to win on Wimbledon return

Ashleigh Barty will meet visit veteran Carla Suarez Navarro in her first-round match at Wimbledon 2021. Without reigning champ Simona Halep, the All England Club has chosen to give Ashleigh Barty the honor of opening procedures on Center Court on Tuesday.&nbsp;

After very nearly a year-long break because of the pandemic, Ashleigh Barty's beginning to 2021 was genuinely noteworthy. The 2019 Roland Garros champion has made four finals effectively this year, winning three of them. Ashleigh Barty's best outcome at the All England Club came two years prior when she made the fourth round. She would be quick to enhance that in the 2021 version of the competition.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wimbledon-2021-djokovic-avoids-shock-as-centre-court-comes-back-to-life-394535" hreflang="en">Wimbledon 2021: Djokovic avoids shock as Centre Court comes back to life</a>

Suarez Navarro, in the interim, beat cancer recently and reported that 2021 would be the last period of her vocation. She played the initial match of her comeback at the French Open recently, where she went down battling in three sets against Sloane Stephens. Playing in her eleventh Wimbledon draw, she has arrived at the fourth round thrice.

<h3>Head-to-Head</h3>

There is no head-to-head record between Ashleigh Barty and Carla Suarez Navarro since this will be the first occasion when that they will go head-to-head in the main tour.&nbsp;

<h3>Ashleigh Barty versus Carla Suarez Navarro&nbsp;</h3>

As of now world no. 1 Ashleigh Barty will begin her journey at Wimbledon after she played her last match in Paris where she lost 6-1 2-2 to Magda Linette in the second round.&nbsp;

Ashleigh Barty has a general 28-6 success loss record in 2021, 0-0 on grass. This will be the principal match of the year on grass. Discussing her general profession, Ashleigh Barty has a by and large 280-98 record. She has a positive 52-16 record on the grass.&nbsp;

Positioned no. 138, Carla Suarez Navarro will begin her spat London after she played her last match in Paris where she lost 3-6 7-6(4) 6-4 to Stephens in the first round.

Carla Suarez Navarro has a general 0-1 success loss record in 2021, 0-0 on grass. This will be the primary match of the period on grass. As far as her profession, Carla has a generally 448-309 record. She has a positive 28-25 record on grass.&nbsp;

<h3>Prediction&nbsp;</h3>

Ashleigh Barty's game has regularly been hailed as ideal for speedy grasscourt conditions. She has an assortment of shots in her munitions stockpile alongside wonderful court inclusion, the two of which are resources on a superficial level.&nbsp;

Suarez Navarro will hope to assume responsibility for the conventions with her topspin forehand, and move the favorite around with her flexible solitary strike.

Ashleigh Barty will meet visit veteran Carla Suarez Navarro in her first-round match at Wimbledon 2021. Without reigning champ Simona Halep, the All England Club has chosen to give Ashleigh Barty the honor of opening procedures on Center Court on Tuesday.

Ashleigh Barty will meet visit veteran Carla Suarez Navarro in her first-round match at Wimbledon 2021. Without reigning champ Simona Halep, the All England Club has chosen to give Ashleigh Barty the honor of opening procedures on Center Court on Tuesday. After very nearly a year-long break because of the pandemic, Ashleigh Barty's beginning to 2021 was genuinely noteworthy. The 2019 Roland Garros champion has made four finals effectively this year, winning three of them. Ashleigh Barty's best outcome at the All England Club came two years prior when she made the fourth round. She would be quick to enhance that in the 2021 version of the competition. ALSO READ: Wimbledon 2021: Djokovic avoids shock as Centre Court comes back to life Suarez Navarro, in the interim, beat cancer recently and reported that 2021 would be the last period of her vocation. She played the initial match of her comeback at the French Open recently, where she went down battling in three sets against Sloane Stephens. Playing in her eleventh Wimbledon draw, she has arrived at the fourth round thrice. Head-to-Head There is no head-to-head record between Ashleigh Barty and Carla Suarez Navarro since this will be the first occasion when that they will go head-to-head in the main tour. Ashleigh Barty versus Carla Suarez Navarro As of now world no. 1 Ashleigh Barty will begin her journey at Wimbledon after she played her last match in Paris where she lost 6-1 2-2 to Magda Linette in the second round. Ashleigh Barty has a general 28-6 success loss record in 2021, 0-0 on grass. This will be the principal match of the year on grass. Discussing her general profession, Ashleigh Barty has a by and large 280-98 record. She has a positive 52-16 record on the grass. Positioned no. 138, Carla Suarez Navarro will begin her spat London after she played her last match in Paris where she lost 3-6 7-6(4) 6-4 to Stephens in the first round. Carla Suarez Navarro has a general 0-1 success loss record in 2021, 0-0 on grass. This will be the primary match of the period on grass. As far as her profession, Carla has a generally 448-309 record. She has a positive 28-25 record on grass. Prediction Ashleigh Barty's game has regularly been hailed as ideal for speedy grasscourt conditions. She has an assortment of shots in her munitions stockpile alongside wonderful court inclusion, the two of which are resources on a superficial level. Suarez Navarro will hope to assume responsibility for the conventions with her topspin forehand, and move the favorite around with her flexible solitary strike.

Wimbledon 2021: Ashleigh Barty faces veteran Carla Suarez Navarro in the first-round

Murky skies and drizzle could not dampen the enthusiasm of spectators arriving on Monday for the start of the 134th Wimbledon Championships which were cancelled last year because of the coronavirus pandemic. 
 
COVID-19 protocols mean this year`s tournament will look and feel a little different -- but one old Wimbledon tradition remained firmly intact with rain delaying the scheduled 1000GMT start on the outside courts. 
 
Fittingly for the eagerly-awaited return of the tournament, Andy Murray will resume his role as flag-bearer for the home nation with a prime time engagement later on Centre Court. 
 
Whisper it quietly, but it almost feels like old times. 
 
Not quite, though, like Wimbledon, being used as a government-approved "pilot event", will be missing some old favourites. 
 
The iconic "queue" for daily entry will not form, Henman Hill will be sparsely populated and fans will not have the thrill of bumping into famous players strolling to the grounds from plush rentals in the Village. 
 
Players will all be staying in a central London hotel to minimise the risks of COVID-19 infections. 
 
Crowds will be thinner too with attendances limited to 50% of ground capacity, although hopefully rising to full houses on Centre Court for the men`s and women`s finals on July 10-11. 
 
But after last year`s cancellation, the first since the Second World War, excitement is brewing for a fortnight of grasscourt drama, even if there are notable absentees. 
 
Spaniard Rafa Nadal, whose 2008 final win over Roger Federer is part of Wimbledon folklore, is not playing. Neither is reigning women`s champion Simona Halep nor Japan`s four-times Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka. 
 
POSITIVE TEST 
 
British number one Johanna Konta withdrew on the eve of the tournament after a member of her entourage tested positive for COVID-19 -- a worrying start for nervy organisers. 
 
But a high-quality cast has assembled in the biosecure bubble and women`s top seed Ash Barty summed up what Wimbledon means. 
 
"You walk through the gates here at the All England Club and you`re instantly filled with gratitude," the Australian said. 
 
"It was a tournament that was sorely missed last year. Every time you get to walk through these gates, it`s a feeling that you can`t take for granted." 
 
For Murray, who ended a 77-year drought for British men when he won the 2013 title and triumphed again three years later, Wimbledon represents a return to some kind of normality. 
 
The former world number one has not played a singles match at the All England Club since a quarter-final defeat by Sam Querrey in 2017 -- after which his body began to fail and his career appeared to be hanging by a thread. 
 
"I know it`s not normal, but it feels somewhat normal now..., with all the players around and practising, knowing that... we`ll be playing not in front of a full crowd but in front of a lot of people," Murray said. 
 
The 34-year-old will close the schedule on Centre Court against Georgian 24th seed Nikoloz Basilashvili. 
 
Men`s defending champion Novak Djokovic is due to open proceedings on Centre Court against British teenage wildcard Jack Draper as he begins his quest for a record-equalling 20th Grand Slam title. 
 
Two-time women`s champion Petra Kvitova is next up against former U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens in the pick of the women`s first-round action.

Murky skies and drizzle could not dampen the enthusiasm of spectators arriving on Monday for the start of the 134th Wimbledon Championships which were cancelled last year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Murky skies and drizzle could not dampen the enthusiasm of spectators arriving on Monday for the start of the 134th Wimbledon Championships which were cancelled last year because of the coronavirus pandemic. COVID-19 protocols mean this year`s tournament will look and feel a little different -- but one old Wimbledon tradition remained firmly intact with rain delaying the scheduled 1000GMT start on the outside courts. Fittingly for the eagerly-awaited return of the tournament, Andy Murray will resume his role as flag-bearer for the home nation with a prime time engagement later on Centre Court. Whisper it quietly, but it almost feels like old times. Not quite, though, like Wimbledon, being used as a government-approved "pilot event", will be missing some old favourites. The iconic "queue" for daily entry will not form, Henman Hill will be sparsely populated and fans will not have the thrill of bumping into famous players strolling to the grounds from plush rentals in the Village. Players will all be staying in a central London hotel to minimise the risks of COVID-19 infections. Crowds will be thinner too with attendances limited to 50% of ground capacity, although hopefully rising to full houses on Centre Court for the men`s and women`s finals on July 10-11. But after last year`s cancellation, the first since the Second World War, excitement is brewing for a fortnight of grasscourt drama, even if there are notable absentees. Spaniard Rafa Nadal, whose 2008 final win over Roger Federer is part of Wimbledon folklore, is not playing. Neither is reigning women`s champion Simona Halep nor Japan`s four-times Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka. POSITIVE TEST British number one Johanna Konta withdrew on the eve of the tournament after a member of her entourage tested positive for COVID-19 -- a worrying start for nervy organisers. But a high-quality cast has assembled in the biosecure bubble and women`s top seed Ash Barty summed up what Wimbledon means. "You walk through the gates here at the All England Club and you`re instantly filled with gratitude," the Australian said. "It was a tournament that was sorely missed last year. Every time you get to walk through these gates, it`s a feeling that you can`t take for granted." For Murray, who ended a 77-year drought for British men when he won the 2013 title and triumphed again three years later, Wimbledon represents a return to some kind of normality. The former world number one has not played a singles match at the All England Club since a quarter-final defeat by Sam Querrey in 2017 -- after which his body began to fail and his career appeared to be hanging by a thread. "I know it`s not normal, but it feels somewhat normal now..., with all the players around and practising, knowing that... we`ll be playing not in front of a full crowd but in front of a lot of people," Murray said. The 34-year-old will close the schedule on Centre Court against Georgian 24th seed Nikoloz Basilashvili. Men`s defending champion Novak Djokovic is due to open proceedings on Centre Court against British teenage wildcard Jack Draper as he begins his quest for a record-equalling 20th Grand Slam title. Two-time women`s champion Petra Kvitova is next up against former U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens in the pick of the women`s first-round action.

Tennis- Just like old times as rain delays start of Wimbledon

Andy Murray gets back to singles action at Wimbledon interestingly since 2017 when he faces Nikoloz Basilashvili in the first round on Monday.&nbsp;

Andy Murray, who prevailed at the All England Club in 2013 and 2016, has had almost no training on the grass in front of the current year's release. Andy Murray partook in Queen's, the place where he beat Benoit Paire 6-3, 6-2 in his opener prior to falling in the second round to possible victor Matteo Berrettini.&nbsp;

Nikoloz Basilashvili, in the meantime, has had a blended season hitherto. He has two titles in 2021, yet has additionally endured a line of early losses in different competitions. The Georgian lost right off the bat in Stuttgart, as well, tumbling to Marin Cilic in the second round. In any case, he made it to the elimination rounds at Halle, where he was ultimately crushed by Andrey Rublev.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis-preview-novak-djokovic-to-play-jack-draper-as-wimbledon-returns-394421" hreflang="en">Tennis - Preview: Novak Djokovic to play Jack Draper as Wimbledon returns</a>

<h3>Head-to-Head</h3>

There is no head-to-head record between Nikoloz Basilashvili and Andy Murray since this will be the first occasion when that they will go head to head in the main tour.&nbsp;

<h3>Nikoloz Basilashvili vs&nbsp;Andy Murray</h3>

Positioned no. 28, Nikoloz Basilashvili will begin his spat Wimbledon after he played his last match in Halle where he lost 6-1 3 6-3 to Rublev in the elimination round.

The Georgian has a created 21-16 success loss record in 2021, 6-2 on grass. Discussing his general vocation, Nikoloz Basilashvili has a by and large 358-298 record. He has a negative 18-20 record on the grass.&nbsp;

Positioned no. 119, Andy Murray will begin his disagreement in London after he played his last match in London where he lost 6-3 6-3 to Matteo Berrettini in the second round.

Andy Murray has a created 6-4 success loss record in 2021, 1-1 on grass. As far as his vocation, The Brit has a generally speaking 775-239 record. He has a positive 115-30 record on the grass.&nbsp;

<h3>Prediction</h3>

Taking everything into account, Andy Murray is the predominant at grasscourt, yet Nikoloz Basilashvili has the apparatuses to cause an agitated. Andy Murray's physical fitness is as yet under the scanner and if the match goes all the way, the Georgian could be the one to leave away with a success.&nbsp;

This vows to be a breaking challenge. Nikoloz Basilashvili has the weapons to test Andy Murray's safeguard, yet the Georgian additionally tends to go back and forth during matches.

&nbsp;

Andy Murray gets back to singles action at Wimbledon interestingly since 2017 when he faces Nikoloz Basilashvili in the first round on Monday. Andy Murray, who prevailed at the All England Club in 2013 and 2016, has had almost no training on the grass in front of the current year's release.

Andy Murray gets back to singles action at Wimbledon interestingly since 2017 when he faces Nikoloz Basilashvili in the first round on Monday. Andy Murray, who prevailed at the All England Club in 2013 and 2016, has had almost no training on the grass in front of the current year's release. Andy Murray partook in Queen's, the place where he beat Benoit Paire 6-3, 6-2 in his opener prior to falling in the second round to possible victor Matteo Berrettini. Nikoloz Basilashvili, in the meantime, has had a blended season hitherto. He has two titles in 2021, yet has additionally endured a line of early losses in different competitions. The Georgian lost right off the bat in Stuttgart, as well, tumbling to Marin Cilic in the second round. In any case, he made it to the elimination rounds at Halle, where he was ultimately crushed by Andrey Rublev. ALSO READ: Tennis - Preview: Novak Djokovic to play Jack Draper as Wimbledon returns Head-to-Head There is no head-to-head record between Nikoloz Basilashvili and Andy Murray since this will be the first occasion when that they will go head to head in the main tour. Nikoloz Basilashvili vs Andy Murray Positioned no. 28, Nikoloz Basilashvili will begin his spat Wimbledon after he played his last match in Halle where he lost 6-1 3 6-3 to Rublev in the elimination round. The Georgian has a created 21-16 success loss record in 2021, 6-2 on grass. Discussing his general vocation, Nikoloz Basilashvili has a by and large 358-298 record. He has a negative 18-20 record on the grass. Positioned no. 119, Andy Murray will begin his disagreement in London after he played his last match in London where he lost 6-3 6-3 to Matteo Berrettini in the second round. Andy Murray has a created 6-4 success loss record in 2021, 1-1 on grass. As far as his vocation, The Brit has a generally speaking 775-239 record. He has a positive 115-30 record on the grass. Prediction Taking everything into account, Andy Murray is the predominant at grasscourt, yet Nikoloz Basilashvili has the apparatuses to cause an agitated. Andy Murray's physical fitness is as yet under the scanner and if the match goes all the way, the Georgian could be the one to leave away with a success. This vows to be a breaking challenge. Nikoloz Basilashvili has the weapons to test Andy Murray's safeguard, yet the Georgian additionally tends to go back and forth during matches.

Tennis: Andy Murray takes on Nikoloz Basilashvili on his Wimbledon return

Wimbledon is going to rise up out of hibernation as it returns on Monday following a one-year hole, having been dropped in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, in standard practice, protecting men's hero Novak Djokovic will open Center Court activity with his first-round clash.&nbsp;

The 34-year-old will currently take on trump card Jack Draper in his first match at Wimbledon 2021.&nbsp;

Jack Draper, at presently positioned 250th in the world, is perhaps the most encouraging British tennis player on a visit right now. The 19-year-old was the sprinter up at the 2018 Wimbledon youngsters, and he comes into SW19 this year high on certainty.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis-i-am-trying-to-reach-the-top-novak-djokovic-ahead-of-the-historic-wimbledon-campaign-394235" hreflang="en">Tennis: 'I am trying to reach the top': Novak Djokovic ahead of the historic Wimbledon campaign</a>

<h3>Head-to-Head</h3>

There is no head-to-head record between Novak Djokovic and Jack Draper since this will be the first occasion when that they will get down to business in the main tour.&nbsp;

<h3>Novak Djokovic vs Jack Draper&nbsp;</h3>

At present world no. 1 Novak Djokovic will begin his season at Wimbledon he won the title at the Roland Garros in the wake of beating 6-7(6) 2 6-3 6-2 6-4 Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final.&nbsp;The Serbian has a total 27-3 success loss record in 2021, 0-0 on grass. Novak Djokovic has won his last 11 matches.&nbsp;

Novak Djokovic's inside and out game is superior to anybody's at this moment, and his fast development and dependable service make him the best grass court in the men's draw. All things considered, the Serb would be careful about any early mental lapses in London.

Jack Draper, on his part, is an overall obscure on the visit. Yet, the Brit demonstrated his capacity on the grass at Queen's, and he will get a considerable amount of help from the Center Court spectators. Positioned no. 250, the Brit will begin his stint at London he played his last match in London where he lost 6-3 6-3 to Cameron Norrie in the quarter.

The Brit has a formed 13-8 success loss record in 2021, 2-1 on grass. Jack Draper's best aftereffect of the current year was arriving at the last in M25 Prague. As far as his vocation, Jack Draper has a by and large 102-40 record. He has a negative 3-6 record on grass.

<h3>Prediction</h3>

Double reigning champ Novak Djokovic will get back to SW19 upbeat after a solid grass crusade in the Men's Doubles in Mallorca. The Serb probably required a straightforwardness into the grass-court season with little consideration after a particularly unfathomable triumph at the French Open.&nbsp;

This will be the greatest day by a wide margin of youthful Jack Draper's vocation. The Brit will be all around upheld against the defending champ, Novak Djokovic.

Wimbledon is going to rise up out of hibernation as it returns on Monday following a one-year hole, having been dropped in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wimbledon is going to rise up out of hibernation as it returns on Monday following a one-year hole, having been dropped in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, in standard practice, protecting men's hero Novak Djokovic will open Center Court activity with his first-round clash. The 34-year-old will currently take on trump card Jack Draper in his first match at Wimbledon 2021. Jack Draper, at presently positioned 250th in the world, is perhaps the most encouraging British tennis player on a visit right now. The 19-year-old was the sprinter up at the 2018 Wimbledon youngsters, and he comes into SW19 this year high on certainty. ALSO READ: Tennis: 'I am trying to reach the top': Novak Djokovic ahead of the historic Wimbledon campaign Head-to-Head There is no head-to-head record between Novak Djokovic and Jack Draper since this will be the first occasion when that they will get down to business in the main tour. Novak Djokovic vs Jack Draper At present world no. 1 Novak Djokovic will begin his season at Wimbledon he won the title at the Roland Garros in the wake of beating 6-7(6) 2 6-3 6-2 6-4 Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final. The Serbian has a total 27-3 success loss record in 2021, 0-0 on grass. Novak Djokovic has won his last 11 matches. Novak Djokovic's inside and out game is superior to anybody's at this moment, and his fast development and dependable service make him the best grass court in the men's draw. All things considered, the Serb would be careful about any early mental lapses in London. Jack Draper, on his part, is an overall obscure on the visit. Yet, the Brit demonstrated his capacity on the grass at Queen's, and he will get a considerable amount of help from the Center Court spectators. Positioned no. 250, the Brit will begin his stint at London he played his last match in London where he lost 6-3 6-3 to Cameron Norrie in the quarter. The Brit has a formed 13-8 success loss record in 2021, 2-1 on grass. Jack Draper's best aftereffect of the current year was arriving at the last in M25 Prague. As far as his vocation, Jack Draper has a by and large 102-40 record. He has a negative 3-6 record on grass. Prediction Double reigning champ Novak Djokovic will get back to SW19 upbeat after a solid grass crusade in the Men's Doubles in Mallorca. The Serb probably required a straightforwardness into the grass-court season with little consideration after a particularly unfathomable triumph at the French Open. This will be the greatest day by a wide margin of youthful Jack Draper's vocation. The Brit will be all around upheld against the defending champ, Novak Djokovic.

Tennis - Preview: Novak Djokovic to play Jack Draper as Wimbledon returns

Serena Williams will not be travelling to Tokyo for the Olympic Games, the 23-times Grand Slam singles&nbsp;tennis&nbsp;champion said on Sunday without giving the reasons behind her decision.

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American Williams, who will turn 40 in September, won the singles title at the London Olympics in 2012 and she has also picked up three gold medals in doubles with sister Venus -- in Sydney (2000), Beijing (2008), and London.

"Yeah, I'm actually not on the Olympic list, so... Not that I'm aware of. If so, then I shouldn't be on it," Williams told reporters on the eve of the Wimbledon Grand Slam.

Top men's players such as Rafa Nadal and Dominic Thiem have also opted to skip the Tokyo Games, which start on July 23.

Roger Federer, a 20-times major winner who also turns 40 in August, said he would like to go to the Olympics but would make a final call after Wimbledon.

There are persistent worries among the general public and medical experts in Japan that the world's largest sporting event, which was delayed for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, could trigger a new wave of infections.

Organizers have barred family members of athletes from attending the Games due to safety protocols, while foreign spectators are also excluded and domestic crowds will be allowed in restricted numbers.

The restrictions on international arrivals would have separated Williams from her daughter Alexis Olympia, who was born in 2017.

"There's a lot of reasons that I made my Olympic decision," Williams said when asked if it would be difficult for her to miss the Games.

"I don't really want to... I don't feel like going into them today. Maybe another day. Sorry.

"In the past, it's (Olympics) been a wonderful place for me. I really haven't thought about it, so I'm going to keep not thinking about it."

WIMBLEDON CAMPAIGN

The All England Club's lush green courts are a happy hunting ground for Williams, who has lifted the Venus Rosewater Dish seven times along with her Olympics singles gold medal.

She has reached the finals in her last four Wimbledons and is one of the favorites to win a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam with the absence of world No.2 Naomi Osaka and third-ranked Simona Halep.

"I think that the women's draw is so deep, regardless of who you play," said Williams, who will open her campaign against 100th-ranked Belarusian Aliaksandra Sasnovich.

"You really have to show up now. There are no longer matches that are going to be a sure walk-through. You just have to really have your head in, have your game on.

"I feel like, if anything, everyone plays really hard. I feel like it doesn't matter who you play, you have to be ready. Everyone worked really hard to be here."

Serena Williams will not be travelling to Tokyo for the Olympic Games, the 23-times Grand Slam singles tennis champion said on Sunday without giving the reasons behind her decision.

Serena Williams will not be travelling to Tokyo for the Olympic Games, the 23-times Grand Slam singles tennis champion said on Sunday without giving the reasons behind her decision. ALSO READ: Tennis - Preview: Novak Djokovic to play Jack Draper as Wimbledon returns American Williams, who will turn 40 in September, won the singles title at the London Olympics in 2012 and she has also picked up three gold medals in doubles with sister Venus -- in Sydney (2000), Beijing (2008), and London. "Yeah, I'm actually not on the Olympic list, so... Not that I'm aware of. If so, then I shouldn't be on it," Williams told reporters on the eve of the Wimbledon Grand Slam. Top men's players such as Rafa Nadal and Dominic Thiem have also opted to skip the Tokyo Games, which start on July 23. Roger Federer, a 20-times major winner who also turns 40 in August, said he would like to go to the Olympics but would make a final call after Wimbledon. There are persistent worries among the general public and medical experts in Japan that the world's largest sporting event, which was delayed for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, could trigger a new wave of infections. Organizers have barred family members of athletes from attending the Games due to safety protocols, while foreign spectators are also excluded and domestic crowds will be allowed in restricted numbers. The restrictions on international arrivals would have separated Williams from her daughter Alexis Olympia, who was born in 2017. "There's a lot of reasons that I made my Olympic decision," Williams said when asked if it would be difficult for her to miss the Games. "I don't really want to... I don't feel like going into them today. Maybe another day. Sorry. "In the past, it's (Olympics) been a wonderful place for me. I really haven't thought about it, so I'm going to keep not thinking about it." WIMBLEDON CAMPAIGN The All England Club's lush green courts are a happy hunting ground for Williams, who has lifted the Venus Rosewater Dish seven times along with her Olympics singles gold medal. She has reached the finals in her last four Wimbledons and is one of the favorites to win a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam with the absence of world No.2 Naomi Osaka and third-ranked Simona Halep. "I think that the women's draw is so deep, regardless of who you play," said Williams, who will open her campaign against 100th-ranked Belarusian Aliaksandra Sasnovich. "You really have to show up now. There are no longer matches that are going to be a sure walk-through. You just have to really have your head in, have your game on. "I feel like, if anything, everyone plays really hard. I feel like it doesn't matter who you play, you have to be ready. Everyone worked really hard to be here."

Tennis: Serena Williams to skip Tokyo Games, declines to explain reasons

Ashleigh Barty is set to kick-off her 2021 Wimbledon campaign&nbsp;as tennis gets back to SW19 following two years. The Aussie has had a great deal of accomplishment effectively this season, winning three WTA titles and establishing her place as the World No. 1. However, she endured a shoulder injury in Rome which lead to a mid-match retirement from the second round of Roland Garros.&nbsp;

Ashleigh Barty hasn't played a match from that point forward and enters Wimbledon with no authority grass-court matches added to her repertoire.&nbsp;

In any case, Ashleigh Barty is presently peering toward a definitive prize at the All England Club. In her pre-match press conference, she said: "One day I would love to be the champion here. It's a dream. It's a goal. Dreams don't always come true, but you can fight and do everything you can to give yourself that opportunity."

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis-all-you-need-to-know-wimbledon-2021-mens-and-womens-singles-draws-394093" hreflang="en">Tennis: All you need to know Wimbledon 2021 men's and women's singles draws</a>

She additionally shed some light on her advancement with recovery, prior to discussing how she feels about the change from clay court to grass court. She said: "I feel like I'm fit, I'm ready to play, I'm excited to play. Straight after Paris, obviously, there was some time where we needed to digest what was going on. We needed to get a full diagnosis. We were able to do that, which is a really crucial part of my rehab. We've been able to go through the rehab, do what we've needed to do, give ourselves the best chance to play here at Wimbledon. I'm good to go."

Ashleigh Barty proceeded to discuss taking motivation from her countrywoman Evonne Goolagong. She said: "It's a really special anniversary for a lot of Australians, but for indigenous Australians in particular I think this is a really special one."

Ashleigh Barty will respect the Australian tennis legend by wearing an outfit redid for the event by her clothing support FILA. The dress has looked at Evonne Goolagong's notable scallop outfit, which she donned when she won the Venus Rosewater dish.&nbsp;

"For me to be able to wear an outfit inspired by Evonne's iconic scallop dress is really amazing. I think for me, that made me feel a lot more comfortable knowing her favorite dress, probably her most iconic dress, is something that inspired me and inspired our generation of indigenous youth. I hope that my version of it, my outfit, can do the same for the next generation of indigenous youth coming forward."

Since reigning champ Simona Halep pulled out of the tournament because of injury, the All England Club has chosen to give the honour of opening Center Court procedures on Tuesday upon Ashleigh Barty. She offered her thanks for that, considering it an honor.&nbsp;She said: “It’s incredibly special. It’s an opportunity very few people get to experience. Of course, I wish Sim was here to be able to experience that. She’s earned the right to open Centre Court on Tuesday as the defending women’s champion.

"I'm extremely excited and humbled to have the privilege and to have the honor. I hope I can go out there on a really special occasion for Australian tennis with Evonne's 50th anniversary. I think it's going to be a really special moment and one that I'm certainly looking forward to."

Ashleigh Barty is set to kick-off her 2021 Wimbledon campaign as tennis gets back to SW19 following two years. The Aussie has had a great deal of accomplishment effectively this season, winning three WTA titles and establishing her place as the World No.

Ashleigh Barty is set to kick-off her 2021 Wimbledon campaign as tennis gets back to SW19 following two years. The Aussie has had a great deal of accomplishment effectively this season, winning three WTA titles and establishing her place as the World No. 1. However, she endured a shoulder injury in Rome which lead to a mid-match retirement from the second round of Roland Garros. Ashleigh Barty hasn't played a match from that point forward and enters Wimbledon with no authority grass-court matches added to her repertoire. In any case, Ashleigh Barty is presently peering toward a definitive prize at the All England Club. In her pre-match press conference, she said: "One day I would love to be the champion here. It's a dream. It's a goal. Dreams don't always come true, but you can fight and do everything you can to give yourself that opportunity." ALSO READ: Tennis: All you need to know Wimbledon 2021 men's and women's singles draws She additionally shed some light on her advancement with recovery, prior to discussing how she feels about the change from clay court to grass court. She said: "I feel like I'm fit, I'm ready to play, I'm excited to play. Straight after Paris, obviously, there was some time where we needed to digest what was going on. We needed to get a full diagnosis. We were able to do that, which is a really crucial part of my rehab. We've been able to go through the rehab, do what we've needed to do, give ourselves the best chance to play here at Wimbledon. I'm good to go." Ashleigh Barty proceeded to discuss taking motivation from her countrywoman Evonne Goolagong. She said: "It's a really special anniversary for a lot of Australians, but for indigenous Australians in particular I think this is a really special one." Ashleigh Barty will respect the Australian tennis legend by wearing an outfit redid for the event by her clothing support FILA. The dress has looked at Evonne Goolagong's notable scallop outfit, which she donned when she won the Venus Rosewater dish. "For me to be able to wear an outfit inspired by Evonne's iconic scallop dress is really amazing. I think for me, that made me feel a lot more comfortable knowing her favorite dress, probably her most iconic dress, is something that inspired me and inspired our generation of indigenous youth. I hope that my version of it, my outfit, can do the same for the next generation of indigenous youth coming forward." Since reigning champ Simona Halep pulled out of the tournament because of injury, the All England Club has chosen to give the honour of opening Center Court procedures on Tuesday upon Ashleigh Barty. She offered her thanks for that, considering it an honor. She said: “It’s incredibly special. It’s an opportunity very few people get to experience. Of course, I wish Sim was here to be able to experience that. She’s earned the right to open Centre Court on Tuesday as the defending women’s champion. "I'm extremely excited and humbled to have the privilege and to have the honor. I hope I can go out there on a really special occasion for Australian tennis with Evonne's 50th anniversary. I think it's going to be a really special moment and one that I'm certainly looking forward to."

Tennis: Playing on Centre Court at Wimbledon is ‘incredibly special’, says Ashleigh Barty

A diminished field of opponents at Wimbledon may make Serena Williams one of the favourites to win a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam, but her long-time coach believes the only important factor is her own performance.

Injury concern for top-ranked Ashleigh&nbsp;Barty and the absence of world No. 2 Naomi Osaka and No. 3 Simona Halep - who beat Williams in the last Wimbledon final - have given the American an ideal opportunity to match Margaret Court's record haul.

But coach Patrick Mouratoglou said it was not about the opponents. "When Serena is (playing like) Serena, I don't know anyone that can stop her," he told Reuters.

"When I say being herself, first it's being able to play at her level, and second, having the mindset that made Serena who she is," he added.

"I respect the opponents. I'm just saying Serena is Serena. There is not one woman in the history of professional&nbsp;tennis&nbsp;that has a record like her ... When she thinks like Serena, when she processes like Serena, I don't think anyone can stop her."

The All England Club's lush green courts are a happy hunting ground for Williams, who has lifted the Venus Rosewater Dish seven times and also won the 2012 Olympics gold medal there.

SUPREME ON GRASS

While she also has seven Australian Open titles on Melbourne's hardcourts, the 39-year-old is unrivalled on grass - she reached the finals in her last four Wimbledon.

"She has a lot of qualities to play well on grass and she has been playing extremely well on grass courts over her career. It's all about being ready and being able to stay healthy for two weeks and perform," said Frenchman Mouratoglou, who has coached Williams since 2012.

"For sure she can do it. I think she can do it anywhere but on grass, it's probably the surface that highlights her game the most. So that's where she's probably the most dangerous."

Despite her run to the fourth round of the French Open, Mouratoglou said Williams was not ready for the claycourt major but was "getting there" for Wimbledon where she is seeded sixth.

Following Roland Garros, Williams returned to Mouratoglou's academy in Nice to&nbsp;prepare and was joined by elder sister Venus, a five-time major champion on grass.

Mouratoglou said the focus was on improving on-court movement for Williams. She also attended the graduation of students at the academy and gave a&nbsp;speech&nbsp;to inspire them.

"Her life has changed a lot. She's become a mother," Mouratoglou said. "It's more about bringing back that process that makes her refuse to lose and when she refuses to lose, she simply doesn't lose."

Mouratoglou is also a mentor to 17-year-old American Coco Gauff, who took Wimbledon by storm in 2019 when she beat Venus Williams on her way to reaching the fourth round.

Gauff has climbed to world No. 23 in her nascent career and is a potential fourth-round opponent for Williams.

"She (Gauff) can improve almost everywhere which is great.&nbsp;She's shown how incredible she can be in the future," Mouratoglou said, adding that a Williams-Gauff meeting would be a "good problem" for him.

A diminished field of opponents at Wimbledon may make Serena Williams one of the favourites to win a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam, but her long-time coach believes the only important factor is her own performance.

A diminished field of opponents at Wimbledon may make Serena Williams one of the favourites to win a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam, but her long-time coach believes the only important factor is her own performance. Injury concern for top-ranked Ashleigh Barty and the absence of world No. 2 Naomi Osaka and No. 3 Simona Halep - who beat Williams in the last Wimbledon final - have given the American an ideal opportunity to match Margaret Court's record haul. But coach Patrick Mouratoglou said it was not about the opponents. "When Serena is (playing like) Serena, I don't know anyone that can stop her," he told Reuters. "When I say being herself, first it's being able to play at her level, and second, having the mindset that made Serena who she is," he added. "I respect the opponents. I'm just saying Serena is Serena. There is not one woman in the history of professional tennis that has a record like her ... When she thinks like Serena, when she processes like Serena, I don't think anyone can stop her." The All England Club's lush green courts are a happy hunting ground for Williams, who has lifted the Venus Rosewater Dish seven times and also won the 2012 Olympics gold medal there. SUPREME ON GRASS While she also has seven Australian Open titles on Melbourne's hardcourts, the 39-year-old is unrivalled on grass - she reached the finals in her last four Wimbledon. "She has a lot of qualities to play well on grass and she has been playing extremely well on grass courts over her career. It's all about being ready and being able to stay healthy for two weeks and perform," said Frenchman Mouratoglou, who has coached Williams since 2012. "For sure she can do it. I think she can do it anywhere but on grass, it's probably the surface that highlights her game the most. So that's where she's probably the most dangerous." Despite her run to the fourth round of the French Open, Mouratoglou said Williams was not ready for the claycourt major but was "getting there" for Wimbledon where she is seeded sixth. Following Roland Garros, Williams returned to Mouratoglou's academy in Nice to prepare and was joined by elder sister Venus, a five-time major champion on grass. Mouratoglou said the focus was on improving on-court movement for Williams. She also attended the graduation of students at the academy and gave a speech to inspire them. "Her life has changed a lot. She's become a mother," Mouratoglou said. "It's more about bringing back that process that makes her refuse to lose and when she refuses to lose, she simply doesn't lose." Mouratoglou is also a mentor to 17-year-old American Coco Gauff, who took Wimbledon by storm in 2019 when she beat Venus Williams on her way to reaching the fourth round. Gauff has climbed to world No. 23 in her nascent career and is a potential fourth-round opponent for Williams. "She (Gauff) can improve almost everywhere which is great. She's shown how incredible she can be in the future," Mouratoglou said, adding that a Williams-Gauff meeting would be a "good problem" for him.

Wimbledon 2021: Serena Williams unstoppable at her best, says coach Patrick Mouratoglou

Novak Djokovic is good to go to start his mission at Wimbledon, where he is the reigning champion. He&nbsp;comes into the competition on the rear of title wins at both the Majors to have occurred in 2021 up until now. He has a genuine shot at turning into the first man in the Open Era to finish a Calendar Golden Slam-winning every one of the four Majors.

While addressing the media ahead of his first Wimbledon match, Novak Djokovic conceded that the errand would require a stupendous physical and mental exertion from him. He likewise asserted that staying in the moment would be pivotal in the event that he needs to satisfy his goals.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis-novak-djokovic-to-play-teenager-jack-draper-as-wimbledon-returns-393949" hreflang="en">Tennis: Novak Djokovic to play teenager Jack Draper as Wimbledon returns</a>

"My confidence is pretty high, having won two Majors. Roland Garros took a lot out of me, mentally, physically, and emotionally, but it brought me a lot of positive energy as well. The biggest task is how to stay in the present moment," he said

"There is always something on the line for me, Roger or Rafa when it comes to tennis history," he added

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal at present hold the untouched record at 20 Slams each, and Novak Djokovic is only one behind at 19. Novak Djokovic was likewise asked what it would feel like if he somehow managed to draw level with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in the Major title tally.&nbsp;

He reacted that he was unable to remark on what his viewpoint would be if he somehow happened to have 20 Slams, prior to adding that he wanted to discover soon. He said: "Well, I have 19 Grand Slams, so I know what the outlook is at 19. At 20, I don't know. Hopefully, I can find out in a few weeks, but let's see."&nbsp;

Novak Djokovic, at that point, repeated that Grand Slams hold the priority need for him right now and that he needed to make a move to win Majors that come in his direction.&nbsp;

"Grand Slams are the biggest motivation I have right now, this stage of my career. I want to try to make the most of the Grand Slams. I am trying to reach the top. I have achieved it throughout my career. I have been fortunate to play my best tennis when it mattered most, I think."

Novak Djokovic will play his first match against adolescent sensation Jack Draper in his competition opener on Monday. Djokovic, who is competing for a third sequential title at Wimbledon, has never confronted Jack Draper. The youngster is positioned No. 250 in the world.&nbsp;

Jack Draper doled out a noteworthy execution at Queen's previous this month. He crushed Jannik Sinner and Alexander Bublik at the occasion while heading to the quarterfinals.&nbsp;

Novak Djokovic conceded on Saturday that he hasn't seen a lot of Jack Draper previously and that he needed to pick Jannik Sinner's cerebrum about what's in store from the youngster. Novak Djokovic likewise brought up that Jack Draper would have a lot of help from the London spectators, which is the reason he is taking the match very seriously.

"I don’t know too much about Draper, I asked Sinner a few questions about his game," Djokovic said. "I have to do my homework, watch some videos of his performance in Queen's. He is going to have people behind him, it can be tricky, he doesn’t have much to lose. I am taking it very seriously." 
&nbsp;

Novak Djokovic is good to go to start his mission at Wimbledon, where he is the reigning champion. He comes into the competition on the rear of title wins at both the Majors to have occurred in 2021 up until now.

Novak Djokovic is good to go to start his mission at Wimbledon, where he is the reigning champion. He comes into the competition on the rear of title wins at both the Majors to have occurred in 2021 up until now. He has a genuine shot at turning into the first man in the Open Era to finish a Calendar Golden Slam-winning every one of the four Majors. While addressing the media ahead of his first Wimbledon match, Novak Djokovic conceded that the errand would require a stupendous physical and mental exertion from him. He likewise asserted that staying in the moment would be pivotal in the event that he needs to satisfy his goals. ALSO READ: Tennis: Novak Djokovic to play teenager Jack Draper as Wimbledon returns "My confidence is pretty high, having won two Majors. Roland Garros took a lot out of me, mentally, physically, and emotionally, but it brought me a lot of positive energy as well. The biggest task is how to stay in the present moment," he said "There is always something on the line for me, Roger or Rafa when it comes to tennis history," he added Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal at present hold the untouched record at 20 Slams each, and Novak Djokovic is only one behind at 19. Novak Djokovic was likewise asked what it would feel like if he somehow managed to draw level with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in the Major title tally. He reacted that he was unable to remark on what his viewpoint would be if he somehow happened to have 20 Slams, prior to adding that he wanted to discover soon. He said: "Well, I have 19 Grand Slams, so I know what the outlook is at 19. At 20, I don't know. Hopefully, I can find out in a few weeks, but let's see." Novak Djokovic, at that point, repeated that Grand Slams hold the priority need for him right now and that he needed to make a move to win Majors that come in his direction. "Grand Slams are the biggest motivation I have right now, this stage of my career. I want to try to make the most of the Grand Slams. I am trying to reach the top. I have achieved it throughout my career. I have been fortunate to play my best tennis when it mattered most, I think." Novak Djokovic will play his first match against adolescent sensation Jack Draper in his competition opener on Monday. Djokovic, who is competing for a third sequential title at Wimbledon, has never confronted Jack Draper. The youngster is positioned No. 250 in the world. Jack Draper doled out a noteworthy execution at Queen's previous this month. He crushed Jannik Sinner and Alexander Bublik at the occasion while heading to the quarterfinals. Novak Djokovic conceded on Saturday that he hasn't seen a lot of Jack Draper previously and that he needed to pick Jannik Sinner's cerebrum about what's in store from the youngster. Novak Djokovic likewise brought up that Jack Draper would have a lot of help from the London spectators, which is the reason he is taking the match very seriously. "I don’t know too much about Draper, I asked Sinner a few questions about his game," Djokovic said. "I have to do my homework, watch some videos of his performance in Queen's. He is going to have people behind him, it can be tricky, he doesn’t have much to lose. I am taking it very seriously."

Tennis: 'I am trying to reach the top': Novak Djokovic ahead of the historic Wimbledon campaign

Top seed Daniil Medvedev reached his first grasscourt final as he came from a set behind to beat Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta at the Mallorca Open on Friday.

The Russian world number two won 3-6 6-3 6-2 to set up a final against American Sam Querrey.

The 25-year-old's 10 Tour-level titles have all been on hard courts but he is showing form on the grass in time for Wimbledon which starts on Monday where he will be the second seed.

"I know that I can play good on grass," Medvedev said. "Unfortunately we don't have that many tournaments, only one ATP 500 and one Grand Slam. It's going to be a special feeling (if I) win my first title on grass.

"Adding titles, especially on different surfaces, can help your confidence and it's just a great thing for your career."

Medvedev banged down 10 aces on a baking hot day at the Santa Ponsa venue, eventually getting the upper hand after being outplayed in the early stages by the Spaniard.

The 33-year-old Querrey blasted 18 aces past Adrian Mannarino en route to a 6-4 6-3 victory.

Several top players have been fine-tuning their games in Mallorca this week including Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic who entered the doubles event.

Top seed Daniil Medvedev reached his first grasscourt final as he came from a set behind to beat Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta at the Mallorca Open on Friday. The Russian world number two won 3-6 6-3 6-2 to set up a final against American Sam Querrey.

Top seed Daniil Medvedev reached his first grasscourt final as he came from a set behind to beat Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta at the Mallorca Open on Friday. The Russian world number two won 3-6 6-3 6-2 to set up a final against American Sam Querrey. The 25-year-old's 10 Tour-level titles have all been on hard courts but he is showing form on the grass in time for Wimbledon which starts on Monday where he will be the second seed. "I know that I can play good on grass," Medvedev said. "Unfortunately we don't have that many tournaments, only one ATP 500 and one Grand Slam. It's going to be a special feeling (if I) win my first title on grass. "Adding titles, especially on different surfaces, can help your confidence and it's just a great thing for your career." Medvedev banged down 10 aces on a baking hot day at the Santa Ponsa venue, eventually getting the upper hand after being outplayed in the early stages by the Spaniard. The 33-year-old Querrey blasted 18 aces past Adrian Mannarino en route to a 6-4 6-3 victory. Several top players have been fine-tuning their games in Mallorca this week including Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic who entered the doubles event.

Tennis: Daniil Medvedev and Sam Querrey set up Mallorca Open showdown

Jack Draper is&nbsp;presently ranked&nbsp;250th in the world, however, that number doesn't do equity to his ability. Jack Draper is only 19, yet he is&nbsp;among the top ten highest-positioned British male players, and many accept he will in the long run guarantee the best position in that rundown.&nbsp;

The teen represented Jannik Sinner and Alexander Bublik at the Queen's Club Championships last week. The way that he could outperform Jannik Sinner and Alexander Bublik in tie-breakers - known to be the most high-pressure minutes in tennis - shows that Jack Draper is honored with a lot of mental strength.&nbsp;

Novak Djokovic will start his Wimbledon 2021 mission against Jack Draper on Monday. Jack Draper is making his Grand Slam debut at SW19 this year, and the match against Novak Djokovic vows to be fantastic for the youngster.&nbsp;

ASO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis-all-you-need-to-know-wimbledon-2021-mens-and-womens-singles-draws-394093" hreflang="en">Tennis: All you need to know Wimbledon 2021 men's and women's singles draws</a>

Novak Djokovic and Jack Draper will open play on Wimbledon's esteemed Center Court, as custom directs that the first match on Center Court should highlight the reigning champ. Jack Draper, who has gotten a trump card for the grasscourt Major, addressed the press on Friday where he communicated his pleasure at confronting World No. 1 on an occasion he considers the greatest stage in tennis.&nbsp;

"I'm very excited to be playing on the biggest stage in tennis against Wimbledon’s defending champion and the World No. 1. Looking forward to getting out there on Monday. I really want to go out on the court and do my best."

The 19-year-old teenager proceeded to recognize the depravity of the task before him, however simultaneously flagged his expectation to set up a decent show against Novak Djokovic.&nbsp;

"It will be a very tough game, but I will try to play my best tennis and create a lot of problems for him," he added.

Jack Draper additionally has a decent forehand pass, which might actually hurt Novak Djokovic in the event that he charges to the net. In any case, the Brit's strike isn't as solid, and Novak Djokovic would hope to misuse that wing.&nbsp;

Regardless of whether he wins or loses, however, playing before his home group at a competition like Wimbledon will unquestionably be a critical clash for Jack Draper.

Jack Draper is presently ranked 250th in the world, however, that number doesn't do equity to his ability. Jack Draper is only 19, yet he is among the top ten highest-positioned British male players, and many accept he will in the long run guarantee the best position in that rundown.

Jack Draper is presently ranked 250th in the world, however, that number doesn't do equity to his ability. Jack Draper is only 19, yet he is among the top ten highest-positioned British male players, and many accept he will in the long run guarantee the best position in that rundown. The teen represented Jannik Sinner and Alexander Bublik at the Queen's Club Championships last week. The way that he could outperform Jannik Sinner and Alexander Bublik in tie-breakers - known to be the most high-pressure minutes in tennis - shows that Jack Draper is honored with a lot of mental strength. Novak Djokovic will start his Wimbledon 2021 mission against Jack Draper on Monday. Jack Draper is making his Grand Slam debut at SW19 this year, and the match against Novak Djokovic vows to be fantastic for the youngster. ASO READ: Tennis: All you need to know Wimbledon 2021 men's and women's singles draws Novak Djokovic and Jack Draper will open play on Wimbledon's esteemed Center Court, as custom directs that the first match on Center Court should highlight the reigning champ. Jack Draper, who has gotten a trump card for the grasscourt Major, addressed the press on Friday where he communicated his pleasure at confronting World No. 1 on an occasion he considers the greatest stage in tennis. "I'm very excited to be playing on the biggest stage in tennis against Wimbledon’s defending champion and the World No. 1. Looking forward to getting out there on Monday. I really want to go out on the court and do my best." The 19-year-old teenager proceeded to recognize the depravity of the task before him, however simultaneously flagged his expectation to set up a decent show against Novak Djokovic. "It will be a very tough game, but I will try to play my best tennis and create a lot of problems for him," he added. Jack Draper additionally has a decent forehand pass, which might actually hurt Novak Djokovic in the event that he charges to the net. In any case, the Brit's strike isn't as solid, and Novak Djokovic would hope to misuse that wing. Regardless of whether he wins or loses, however, playing before his home group at a competition like Wimbledon will unquestionably be a critical clash for Jack Draper.

I will try to play my best tennis against Novak Djokovic, says Jack Draper

Wimbledon returns this year after following a two-year rest attributable in 2020 because of the pandemic, and it's practically similar to we're getting re-familiar with a tragically missing companion. Reigning champ Novak Djokovic and record eight-time victor Roger Federer have been set in inverse parts of the draw.&nbsp;The 2021 Wimbledon Championships is the 134th version of the lofty grass-court Grand Slam. The most recent portion of the competition will run from June 28 to July 11.

Rafael Nadal and Naomi Osaka obviously didn't track down that re-associate excessively critical, as the two of them chose to avoid the occasion for individual reasons. Dominic Thiem is also sitting out because of injury-related issues while reigning champ Simona Halep is missing because she isn't match-fit at this point.&nbsp;

However, in any case, the Wimbledon men's draw has two out of the three greatest men's stars - Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer - just as a greater part of the Next-gen and Next-cutting edge stars.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis-novak-djokovic-to-play-teenager-jack-draper-as-wimbledon-returns-393949" hreflang="en">Tennis: Novak Djokovic to play teenager Jack Draper as Wimbledon returns</a>

Men's Singles - Novak Djokovic is the men's singles favourite this year too. Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Dominic Thiem, Alexander Zverev, Andrey Rublev, Roger Federer, and Matteo Berrettini complete the best eight seedings.

Women's Singles - Ashleigh Barty keeps on holding the top seeding in the ladies' division. The main eight additionally incorporate Simona Halep, Aryna Sabalenka, Elina Svitolina, Sofia Kenin, Bianca Andreescu, Serena Williams, and Iga Swiatek.

<h3>Men's Draws</h3>

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic will take on Britain's Jack Draper in the first round.

Roger Federer will dispatch his bid for the 21st Slam against France's Adrian Mannarino. The Swiss could meet Pablo Carreno Busta in the fourth round before a potential quarterfinal conflict against second seed Daniil Medvedev.&nbsp;

Daniil Medvedev, looking for his first Slam, faces Jan-Lennard Struff in the opening round. The Russian could meet previous US Open boss Marin Cilic in the third round and possibly Hubert Hurkacz in the fourth.&nbsp;

Third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas opens against American Frances Tiafoe and could confront Roberto Bautista Agut in the quarterfinals, while fourth seed Alexander Zverev is projected to take on Matteo Berrettini in the last eight.&nbsp;

Two-time Wimbledon champion&nbsp;Andy Murray, a special case contestant this time, will bolt horns with 24th seed Nikoloz Basilashvili in the first round and could meet Canada's Denis Shapovalov in the third round.

<h3>Women's Draws</h3>

On the women's side, favourite Ashleigh Barty will start her journey for a first Wimbledon singles title against Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro. Ashleigh Barty could meet previous US Open hero Bianca Andreescu in the quarterfinals.&nbsp;

Bianca Andreescu opens her mission against Alize Cornet in a rematch of their last-16 experience at Berlin recently.&nbsp;

Serena Williams, seeded seventh this year, will proceed with her mission for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles title with a first-round match against Aliaksandra Sasnovich. Williams could then meet Angelique Kerber, who beat her in 2018 last, in the third round, and Ukraine's Elina Svitolina in the last eight.&nbsp;

Ashleigh Barty and Serena Williams are in a similar half and could go head to head in the elimination rounds.&nbsp;

In other first-round women's singles matches, two times Wimbledon victor Petra Kvitova takes on previous US Open hero Sloane Stephens, and recently delegated French Open boss Barbora Krejcikova faces Denmark's rising star Clara Tauson.&nbsp;

In the interim, five-time Wimbledon singles champion Venus Williams, additionally a trump card participant this year, will take on Mihaela Buzarnescu in the first round.

Wimbledon returns this year after following a two-year rest attributable in 2020 because of the pandemic, and it's practically similar to we're getting re-familiar with a tragically missing companion.

Wimbledon returns this year after following a two-year rest attributable in 2020 because of the pandemic, and it's practically similar to we're getting re-familiar with a tragically missing companion. Reigning champ Novak Djokovic and record eight-time victor Roger Federer have been set in inverse parts of the draw. The 2021 Wimbledon Championships is the 134th version of the lofty grass-court Grand Slam. The most recent portion of the competition will run from June 28 to July 11. Rafael Nadal and Naomi Osaka obviously didn't track down that re-associate excessively critical, as the two of them chose to avoid the occasion for individual reasons. Dominic Thiem is also sitting out because of injury-related issues while reigning champ Simona Halep is missing because she isn't match-fit at this point. However, in any case, the Wimbledon men's draw has two out of the three greatest men's stars - Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer - just as a greater part of the Next-gen and Next-cutting edge stars. ALSO READ: Tennis: Novak Djokovic to play teenager Jack Draper as Wimbledon returns Men's Singles - Novak Djokovic is the men's singles favourite this year too. Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Dominic Thiem, Alexander Zverev, Andrey Rublev, Roger Federer, and Matteo Berrettini complete the best eight seedings. Women's Singles - Ashleigh Barty keeps on holding the top seeding in the ladies' division. The main eight additionally incorporate Simona Halep, Aryna Sabalenka, Elina Svitolina, Sofia Kenin, Bianca Andreescu, Serena Williams, and Iga Swiatek. Men's Draws World No. 1 Novak Djokovic will take on Britain's Jack Draper in the first round. Roger Federer will dispatch his bid for the 21st Slam against France's Adrian Mannarino. The Swiss could meet Pablo Carreno Busta in the fourth round before a potential quarterfinal conflict against second seed Daniil Medvedev. Daniil Medvedev, looking for his first Slam, faces Jan-Lennard Struff in the opening round. The Russian could meet previous US Open boss Marin Cilic in the third round and possibly Hubert Hurkacz in the fourth. Third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas opens against American Frances Tiafoe and could confront Roberto Bautista Agut in the quarterfinals, while fourth seed Alexander Zverev is projected to take on Matteo Berrettini in the last eight. Two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray, a special case contestant this time, will bolt horns with 24th seed Nikoloz Basilashvili in the first round and could meet Canada's Denis Shapovalov in the third round. Women's Draws On the women's side, favourite Ashleigh Barty will start her journey for a first Wimbledon singles title against Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro. Ashleigh Barty could meet previous US Open hero Bianca Andreescu in the quarterfinals. Bianca Andreescu opens her mission against Alize Cornet in a rematch of their last-16 experience at Berlin recently. Serena Williams, seeded seventh this year, will proceed with her mission for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles title with a first-round match against Aliaksandra Sasnovich. Williams could then meet Angelique Kerber, who beat her in 2018 last, in the third round, and Ukraine's Elina Svitolina in the last eight. Ashleigh Barty and Serena Williams are in a similar half and could go head to head in the elimination rounds. In other first-round women's singles matches, two times Wimbledon victor Petra Kvitova takes on previous US Open hero Sloane Stephens, and recently delegated French Open boss Barbora Krejcikova faces Denmark's rising star Clara Tauson. In the interim, five-time Wimbledon singles champion Venus Williams, additionally a trump card participant this year, will take on Mihaela Buzarnescu in the first round.

Tennis: All you need to know Wimbledon 2021 men's and women's singles draws

Estonia`s Anett Kontaveit took a shortcut into the final of the Eastbourne grasscourt tournament as her opponent Camila Giorgi quit during the first set on Friday. 
 
There was no hint of anything wrong with Italian qualifier Giorgi as she broke back to trail 4-5 but she then told the umpire that she had an injury and could not continue. 
 
It was a sad end to a great week for world number 75 Giorgi who had taken out fifth seed Karolina Pliskova and top seed Aryna Sabalenka en route to the last four. 
 
Kontaveit will play either former French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko or Elena Rybakina, who beat Serena Williams at Roland Garros this month, in the final.

Estonia`s Anett Kontaveit took a shortcut into the final of the Eastbourne grasscourt tournament as her opponent Camila Giorgi quit during the first set on Friday.

Estonia`s Anett Kontaveit took a shortcut into the final of the Eastbourne grasscourt tournament as her opponent Camila Giorgi quit during the first set on Friday. There was no hint of anything wrong with Italian qualifier Giorgi as she broke back to trail 4-5 but she then told the umpire that she had an injury and could not continue. It was a sad end to a great week for world number 75 Giorgi who had taken out fifth seed Karolina Pliskova and top seed Aryna Sabalenka en route to the last four. Kontaveit will play either former French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko or Elena Rybakina, who beat Serena Williams at Roland Garros this month, in the final.

Tennis-Kontaveit into Eastbourne final as Giorgi quits

Defending champion Simona Halep pulled out of Wimbledon on Friday after failing to recover from a calf injury she suffered last month, the world number three Romanian said.

In May Halep exited the claycourt event in Rome after suffering a calf injury during her second-round match against Angelique Kerber and was subsequently forced to miss the French Open.

"It is with great sadness that I'm announcing my withdrawal from The Championships as my calf injury has not fully recovered," the 29-year-old, who won the title when Wimbledon was last held in 2019, said on Instagram.

"I gave it everything I had in order to be ready to play Wimbledon and after having such special memories from two years ago, I was excited and honored to step back on these beautiful courts as defending champion.

"Unfortunately, my body didn't cooperate and I'll have to save that feeling for next year."

Halep was denied a chance to defend her title when Wimbledon was cancelled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis-wrist-injury-forces-dominic-thiem-to-withdraw-from-wimbledon-2021-393848" hreflang="en">Tennis: Wrist injury forces Dominic Thiem to withdraw from Wimbledon 2021</a>

She joins world number two Naomi Osaka in withdrawing from the grasscourt Grand Slam with the Japanese also skipping Wimbledon following her withdrawal from Roland Garros due to mental health issues.

In their absence, Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka will climb up to be the number two seed behind top-ranked Australian Ash Barty with the singles draw for both men and women to be held later on Friday.

"I can honestly say that I'm really down and upset about having to take this decision," Halep added. "This period has been difficult but to miss the last two majors has made it even more challenging mentally and physically.

"We will see what the future holds but I'm hoping it will make me a stronger person and athlete."

Defending champion Simona Halep pulled out of Wimbledon on Friday after failing to recover from a calf injury she suffered last month, the world number three Romanian said.

Defending champion Simona Halep pulled out of Wimbledon on Friday after failing to recover from a calf injury she suffered last month, the world number three Romanian said. In May Halep exited the claycourt event in Rome after suffering a calf injury during her second-round match against Angelique Kerber and was subsequently forced to miss the French Open. "It is with great sadness that I'm announcing my withdrawal from The Championships as my calf injury has not fully recovered," the 29-year-old, who won the title when Wimbledon was last held in 2019, said on Instagram. "I gave it everything I had in order to be ready to play Wimbledon and after having such special memories from two years ago, I was excited and honored to step back on these beautiful courts as defending champion. "Unfortunately, my body didn't cooperate and I'll have to save that feeling for next year." Halep was denied a chance to defend her title when Wimbledon was cancelled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. ALSO READ: Tennis: Wrist injury forces Dominic Thiem to withdraw from Wimbledon 2021 She joins world number two Naomi Osaka in withdrawing from the grasscourt Grand Slam with the Japanese also skipping Wimbledon following her withdrawal from Roland Garros due to mental health issues. In their absence, Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka will climb up to be the number two seed behind top-ranked Australian Ash Barty with the singles draw for both men and women to be held later on Friday. "I can honestly say that I'm really down and upset about having to take this decision," Halep added. "This period has been difficult but to miss the last two majors has made it even more challenging mentally and physically. "We will see what the future holds but I'm hoping it will make me a stronger person and athlete."

Tennis: Defending champion Simona Halep withdraws from Wimbledon due to calf injury

Men's defending Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic will face British teenage wildcard Jack Draper in his opening match but Simona Halep, the women's winner at the last championships in 2019, will not feature after withdrawing on Friday.

World number one Djokovic is halfway to a calendar-year Grand Slam after winning the Australian and French Open titles, taking his overall tally to 19 majors.

Jack Draper, 19, will be making his Grand Slam main draw debut.

Romanian Halep announced earlier on Friday that she would be pulling out of the tournament with a calf injury that prevented her from playing at the French Open.

Serena Williams, who Halep beat to won the title in 2019, will begin her latest quest to claim a record-equalling 24 Grand Slam titles, against Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis-defending-champion-simona-halep-withdraws-from-wimbledon-with-calf-injury-393892" hreflang="en">Tennis: Defending champion Simona Halep withdraws from Wimbledon with calf injury</a>

Women's top seed Ash Barty of Australia will face a first-round match against Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro who recently returned to action having recovered from cancer.

Britain's twice champion Andy Murray, taking part in the singles for the first time since 2017 after two hip surgeries, was drawn to play Georgian 24th seed Nikoloz Basilashvili.

Eight-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer, who turns 40 this year, takes on Frenchman Adrian Mannarino in round one.

PILOT EVENT

Wimbledon is returning this year after the 2020 championships were cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The tournament is a government-approved 'pilot event' with a minimum 50% capacity, rising to a full 15,000 attendance for the men's and women's singles finals on Centre Court.

Should Djokovic avoid the first-round shock he could play South Africa's Kevin Anderson in the second round, which would be a repeat of 2018 final.

His prospective semi-final opponent is third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas who he beat in this month's French Open final.

Men's second seed Daniil Medvedev opens against Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff with a potential clash against Croatia's former runner-up Marin Cilic lurking in round three.

Serena Williams has been stuck on 23 Grand Slam titles since winning 2017 Australian Open and her love of Wimbledon's grass courts offers another opportunity to match the record of Australian Margaret Court. Her draw looks reasonably kind too.

The sixth seed's first big test could be Germany's 25th seed Angelique Kerber.

American teenager Coco Gauff, who took Wimbledon by storm when she reached the fourth round as a 15-year-old in 2019, could face Williams in the last 16. Gauff plays British wildcard, Francesca Jones, in the first round.

The standout match of the women's opening round sees twice Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, seeded 10, up against former U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens.

The action begins on Monday.

Men's defending Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic will face British teenage wildcard Jack Draper in his opening match but Simona Halep, the women's winner at the last championships in 2019, will not feature after withdrawing on Friday.

Men's defending Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic will face British teenage wildcard Jack Draper in his opening match but Simona Halep, the women's winner at the last championships in 2019, will not feature after withdrawing on Friday. World number one Djokovic is halfway to a calendar-year Grand Slam after winning the Australian and French Open titles, taking his overall tally to 19 majors. Jack Draper, 19, will be making his Grand Slam main draw debut. Romanian Halep announced earlier on Friday that she would be pulling out of the tournament with a calf injury that prevented her from playing at the French Open. Serena Williams, who Halep beat to won the title in 2019, will begin her latest quest to claim a record-equalling 24 Grand Slam titles, against Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus. ALSO READ: Tennis: Defending champion Simona Halep withdraws from Wimbledon with calf injury Women's top seed Ash Barty of Australia will face a first-round match against Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro who recently returned to action having recovered from cancer. Britain's twice champion Andy Murray, taking part in the singles for the first time since 2017 after two hip surgeries, was drawn to play Georgian 24th seed Nikoloz Basilashvili. Eight-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer, who turns 40 this year, takes on Frenchman Adrian Mannarino in round one. PILOT EVENT Wimbledon is returning this year after the 2020 championships were cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The tournament is a government-approved 'pilot event' with a minimum 50% capacity, rising to a full 15,000 attendance for the men's and women's singles finals on Centre Court. Should Djokovic avoid the first-round shock he could play South Africa's Kevin Anderson in the second round, which would be a repeat of 2018 final. His prospective semi-final opponent is third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas who he beat in this month's French Open final. Men's second seed Daniil Medvedev opens against Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff with a potential clash against Croatia's former runner-up Marin Cilic lurking in round three. Serena Williams has been stuck on 23 Grand Slam titles since winning 2017 Australian Open and her love of Wimbledon's grass courts offers another opportunity to match the record of Australian Margaret Court. Her draw looks reasonably kind too. The sixth seed's first big test could be Germany's 25th seed Angelique Kerber. American teenager Coco Gauff, who took Wimbledon by storm when she reached the fourth round as a 15-year-old in 2019, could face Williams in the last 16. Gauff plays British wildcard, Francesca Jones, in the first round. The standout match of the women's opening round sees twice Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, seeded 10, up against former U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens. The action begins on Monday.

Tennis: Novak Djokovic to play teenager Jack Draper as Wimbledon returns

For Roger Federer, Wimbledon 2021 will not only be the last Grand Slam he contests before celebrating the "big four-oh" but also a chance to put behind him the memory of his 2019 heartbreak at the grasscourt major.

The Swiss has held aloft the gilded Challenge Cup a record eight times. But equally memorably, he lost a chance to win a ninth title in 2019 when he astonishingly failed to convert two championship points against Novak Djokovic.

That near-miss prevented him from winning a record-extending 21st Grand Slam title, and since then a combination of injuries and the COVID-19 pandemic have conspired to curtail his on-court action.

When Wimbledon's favorite son walks out on the manicured lawns next week, he will be hoping his surgically repaired knees can deal with the rigors of winning seven best-of-five-set matches.

Exactly how Federer, who turns 40 in August, will be able to cope with such demands on his body is something that even he does not know because, since that fifth-set tiebreak loss to Djokovic in July 2019, he has played only 34 matches, including just eight since February 2020.

Before injuries started disrupting his career in 2016, Federer regularly contested more than 70 matches a year.

"It’s a huge challenge for me. Everybody who has multiple surgeries or a tough surgery knows what I’m talking about,” said Federer, who had left knee surgery in 2016 on a torn meniscus before going under the knife twice in 2020 on his right knee.

"Things don’t come easy. You second-guess yourself... and that’s sometimes the biggest worry: the worry of pain or the worry of how you’re going to feel the next day or when you wake up.

"All this stuff, it takes a little bit of a toll on you sometimes."

His lack of match-fitness will be severely tested not only by the Djokovics of this world -- who incidentally will be eager to flatten anyone who tries to stop him from joining Federer and Rafael Nadal on 20 majors -- but also by an army of younger and fitter players.

The likes of 20-somethings Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev no longer fear facing Federer and have beaten the Swiss great on multiple occasions.

Federer has made no secret that at this stage of his career, anything he does or does not do on a&nbsp;tennis&nbsp;court is done with the sole purpose of making sure he is in the best shape possible to make another title run at Wimbledon.

With that in mind, he quit the French Open after winning his third-round match. It was a move that annoyed many critics who felt that if anyone else had pulled out to protect their body, they would have been crucified for using another Grand Slam tournament as a dress rehearsal.

Others rushed to defend the world number eight.

"Roger has earned the right to do anything he wants in&nbsp;tennis&nbsp;right now,” American great Chris Evert said.

"Wimbledon is his dream, that’s the golden tournament for him. He should be excused for any withdrawal he has."

Fellow ESPN analyst John McEnroe said the bigger concern was that: "He played a four-hour match, won that, then defaulted. It's hard to say how he was feeling that next day if he could have gone on?"

Fast forward a few days and a second-round defeat on the grass in Halle, the earliest exit Federer has suffered in 18 appearances at the Wimbledon-warm-up event he has won 10 times, was a further setback caused by what the Swiss described as a "negative attitude".

However, with his focus clearly on equalling Martina Navratilova's overall record of nine Wimbledon titles, as Eurosport pundit Mats Wilander put it: "He'll be as fired up as the Rolling Stones playing at Wembley."

For Roger Federer, Wimbledon 2021 will not only be the last Grand Slam he contests before celebrating the "big four-oh" but also a chance to put behind him the memory of his 2019 heartbreak at the grasscourt major.

For Roger Federer, Wimbledon 2021 will not only be the last Grand Slam he contests before celebrating the "big four-oh" but also a chance to put behind him the memory of his 2019 heartbreak at the grasscourt major. The Swiss has held aloft the gilded Challenge Cup a record eight times. But equally memorably, he lost a chance to win a ninth title in 2019 when he astonishingly failed to convert two championship points against Novak Djokovic. That near-miss prevented him from winning a record-extending 21st Grand Slam title, and since then a combination of injuries and the COVID-19 pandemic have conspired to curtail his on-court action. When Wimbledon's favorite son walks out on the manicured lawns next week, he will be hoping his surgically repaired knees can deal with the rigors of winning seven best-of-five-set matches. Exactly how Federer, who turns 40 in August, will be able to cope with such demands on his body is something that even he does not know because, since that fifth-set tiebreak loss to Djokovic in July 2019, he has played only 34 matches, including just eight since February 2020. Before injuries started disrupting his career in 2016, Federer regularly contested more than 70 matches a year. "It’s a huge challenge for me. Everybody who has multiple surgeries or a tough surgery knows what I’m talking about,” said Federer, who had left knee surgery in 2016 on a torn meniscus before going under the knife twice in 2020 on his right knee. "Things don’t come easy. You second-guess yourself... and that’s sometimes the biggest worry: the worry of pain or the worry of how you’re going to feel the next day or when you wake up. "All this stuff, it takes a little bit of a toll on you sometimes." His lack of match-fitness will be severely tested not only by the Djokovics of this world -- who incidentally will be eager to flatten anyone who tries to stop him from joining Federer and Rafael Nadal on 20 majors -- but also by an army of younger and fitter players. The likes of 20-somethings Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev no longer fear facing Federer and have beaten the Swiss great on multiple occasions. Federer has made no secret that at this stage of his career, anything he does or does not do on a tennis court is done with the sole purpose of making sure he is in the best shape possible to make another title run at Wimbledon. With that in mind, he quit the French Open after winning his third-round match. It was a move that annoyed many critics who felt that if anyone else had pulled out to protect their body, they would have been crucified for using another Grand Slam tournament as a dress rehearsal. Others rushed to defend the world number eight. "Roger has earned the right to do anything he wants in tennis right now,” American great Chris Evert said. "Wimbledon is his dream, that’s the golden tournament for him. He should be excused for any withdrawal he has." Fellow ESPN analyst John McEnroe said the bigger concern was that: "He played a four-hour match, won that, then defaulted. It's hard to say how he was feeling that next day if he could have gone on?" Fast forward a few days and a second-round defeat on the grass in Halle, the earliest exit Federer has suffered in 18 appearances at the Wimbledon-warm-up event he has won 10 times, was a further setback caused by what the Swiss described as a "negative attitude". However, with his focus clearly on equalling Martina Navratilova's overall record of nine Wimbledon titles, as Eurosport pundit Mats Wilander put it: "He'll be as fired up as the Rolling Stones playing at Wembley."

Tennis: All roads lead to Wimbledon for Roger Federer

Dominic Thiem as of late took to Twitter to affirm that he has withdrawn from the 2021 Wimbledon Championships. The Austrian, who hurt his right wrist during his Mallorca second-round experience against Adrian Mannarino, unveiled that his physical issue is excessively genuine for him to play any tennis throughout the following, not many weeks.&nbsp;

Dominic Thiem understood the degree of the issue solely after visiting Dr Angel Ruiz Cotorro in Barcelona. Clinical assessments uncovered that he pulled the ligaments on the ulnar side of his right wrist, putting him down and out for in any event five weeks.&nbsp;

"After being forced to retire from his opening match at the Mallorca Open on Tuesday due to an injury to his right wrist, Dominic Thiem traveled to Barcelona and underwent further medical examinations," the statement on Thiem's Twitter handle read. "Tests found that there is a 'detachment of the posterior sheath of the ulnar side of the right wrist, an injury that will not allow him to compete in the circuit for several weeks."

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The assertion further clarified that the following five weeks will see Dominic Thiem wearing a brace over his right wrist. It is solely after that period that he can start the restoration cycle.&nbsp;

"Thiem will wear a wrist splint for 5 weeks before beginning a progressive process of specific, functional rehabilitation to regain mobility as well as muscle strength in his wrist and ultimately return to training on the court," the assertion proceeded.&nbsp;

Recently, Dominic Thiem had affirmed his investment at the ATP occasions in Hamburg, Gstaad, and Kitzbuhel. Nonetheless, the Austrian will currently need to miss that load of occasions because of the genuine idea of his physical issue.&nbsp;

It is additionally hazy whether Dominic Thiem will be back on schedule during the current year's North American hardcourt swing, which is planned to start off in August. He would need to get in some match practice before he begins his title protection at the US Open, however right now things are glancing pretty unpredictable in such a manner.&nbsp;

Dominic Thiem's assertion additionally uncovered that Dr. Holy messenger Ruiz Cotorro and his clinical group, who has additionally worked with 20-time Major champ Rafael Nadal before, will regulate his recuperation. Thiem will go through a couple of more MRIs look over the following not many days to decide the specific treatment measure.&nbsp;

"Dr. Angel Ruiz Cotorro and his medical team will supervise the progress of the injury, as Thiem will undergo further MRI scans and tests, and will decide when the player is fit to return to competition," the assertion read.&nbsp;

Dominic Thiem hopes to be back on the court soon, and he declared in his explanation that he expects to give it his best shot to make an effective rebound to the visit.&nbsp;

"I'm going to do everything the doctors say in order to recover as quickly as possible," Thiem said. "They've informed me that I might be out for several weeks, but I will do my best to be back on the court soon."

Dominic Thiem as of late took to Twitter to affirm that he has withdrawn from the 2021 Wimbledon Championships. The Austrian, who hurt his right wrist during his Mallorca second-round experience against Adrian Mannarino, unveiled that his physical issue is excessively genuine for him to play any tennis throughout the following, not many weeks.

Dominic Thiem as of late took to Twitter to affirm that he has withdrawn from the 2021 Wimbledon Championships. The Austrian, who hurt his right wrist during his Mallorca second-round experience against Adrian Mannarino, unveiled that his physical issue is excessively genuine for him to play any tennis throughout the following, not many weeks. Dominic Thiem understood the degree of the issue solely after visiting Dr Angel Ruiz Cotorro in Barcelona. Clinical assessments uncovered that he pulled the ligaments on the ulnar side of his right wrist, putting him down and out for in any event five weeks. "After being forced to retire from his opening match at the Mallorca Open on Tuesday due to an injury to his right wrist, Dominic Thiem traveled to Barcelona and underwent further medical examinations," the statement on Thiem's Twitter handle read. "Tests found that there is a 'detachment of the posterior sheath of the ulnar side of the right wrist, an injury that will not allow him to compete in the circuit for several weeks." pic.twitter.com/KOz6uzVDl0 — Dominic Thiem (@ThiemDomi) June 24, 2021 × The assertion further clarified that the following five weeks will see Dominic Thiem wearing a brace over his right wrist. It is solely after that period that he can start the restoration cycle. "Thiem will wear a wrist splint for 5 weeks before beginning a progressive process of specific, functional rehabilitation to regain mobility as well as muscle strength in his wrist and ultimately return to training on the court," the assertion proceeded. Recently, Dominic Thiem had affirmed his investment at the ATP occasions in Hamburg, Gstaad, and Kitzbuhel. Nonetheless, the Austrian will currently need to miss that load of occasions because of the genuine idea of his physical issue. It is additionally hazy whether Dominic Thiem will be back on schedule during the current year's North American hardcourt swing, which is planned to start off in August. He would need to get in some match practice before he begins his title protection at the US Open, however right now things are glancing pretty unpredictable in such a manner. Dominic Thiem's assertion additionally uncovered that Dr. Holy messenger Ruiz Cotorro and his clinical group, who has additionally worked with 20-time Major champ Rafael Nadal before, will regulate his recuperation. Thiem will go through a couple of more MRIs look over the following not many days to decide the specific treatment measure. "Dr. Angel Ruiz Cotorro and his medical team will supervise the progress of the injury, as Thiem will undergo further MRI scans and tests, and will decide when the player is fit to return to competition," the assertion read. Dominic Thiem hopes to be back on the court soon, and he declared in his explanation that he expects to give it his best shot to make an effective rebound to the visit. "I'm going to do everything the doctors say in order to recover as quickly as possible," Thiem said. "They've informed me that I might be out for several weeks, but I will do my best to be back on the court soon."

Tennis: Wrist injury forces Dominic Thiem to withdraw from Wimbledon 2021

Novak Djokovic is targeting a record-equalling 20th major and sixth Wimbledon title from next week, edging him closer to becoming only the third man to complete a calendar Grand Slam.

The world number one has already won a ninth Australian Open and second French Open this season.

That has put him halfway to emulating Don Budge (1937) and Rod Laver (1962 and 1969) in sweeping all four majors in the same year.

It is a feat that even his closest rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have never managed and will probably never achieve.

"Everything is possible," said 34-year-old Djokovic after winning the French Open earlier this month when asked if the Golden Slam of all four majors and Olympic Games gold was a realistic target.

"I've achieved some things that a lot of people thought it would be not possible for me to achieve."

Djokovic memorably captured a fifth Wimbledon in 2019, saving two championship points to defeat Federer in the longest ever final at the All England Club at four hours and 57 minutes.

He was deprived of defending his title in 2020 when Wimbledon was cancelled due to the pandemic.

However, Djokovic has been at this juncture before, winning in Australia and Paris in 2016 but coming up short at the Rio Olympics, Wimbledon and the US Open later in the year.

Djokovic has won seven of the last 11 Slams as he ramps up his assault on the record of 20 majors held jointly by Federer and Nadal.

Nadal, the Wimbledon champion in 2008 and 2010, has already withdrawn from this year's tournament, still scarred by the bruising loss to the Serb in the French Open semi-finals.

<h2>- 'Huge challenge' -</h2>

Eight-time winner Federer, meanwhile, will be 40 in August and won just one match on grass at Halle in the build-up to Wimbledon.

Federer, who underwent two knee surgeries in 2020, won the last of his eight Wimbledons in 2017 and the most recent of his 20 majors in Australia in 2018.

The Swiss star has lost three finals to Djokovic at the All England Club in 2014, 2015 and the epic 2019 clash.&nbsp;

"It's a huge challenge for me," said Federer of his comeback.

"Things don't come simple, they don't come easy."

The rest of the current top 10 have endured so far mediocre Wimbledon records.

Only 33-year-old Roberto Bautista Agut, a surprise semi-finalist two years ago, has got beyond the last 16.

Daniil Medvedev has a best of the third round, while Dominic Thiem, who made the fourth round in 2017, crashed at the first hurdle in 2018 and 2019.

Alexander Zverev had a best last 16 run in 2017 but was also a first-round loser two years ago while Andrey Rublev has yet to get past the second round.

Of the remainder of the top 10, French Open runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas and Matteo Berrettini are Djokovic's most likely threats.

Tsitsipas made the last 16 in 2018 before exiting in the first round two years ago.

The Greek, however, is one of the form players of 2021, winning titles in Monte Carlo and Lyon before forcing Djokovic to recover from two sets down in the Roland Garros final.

Queen's Club champion Matteo Berrettini is also a dangerman for Djokovic.

The Italian made the last 16 in 2019 where it took Federer to stop his progress.

He was also the first man to win the Queen's title on debut since Boris Becker in 1985 -- the German went on to win a maiden Wimbledon just weeks later.

Andy Murray, the 2013 and 2016 champion, will hope to ride a national wave of emotion at least into the second week.

But the injury-plagued Briton, a former world number one, is down at 119 in the rankings and has won just two matches all season.

Novak Djokovic is targeting a record-equalling 20th major and sixth Wimbledon title from next week, edging him closer to becoming only the third man to complete a calendar Grand Slam.

Novak Djokovic is targeting a record-equalling 20th major and sixth Wimbledon title from next week, edging him closer to becoming only the third man to complete a calendar Grand Slam. The world number one has already won a ninth Australian Open and second French Open this season. That has put him halfway to emulating Don Budge (1937) and Rod Laver (1962 and 1969) in sweeping all four majors in the same year. It is a feat that even his closest rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have never managed and will probably never achieve. "Everything is possible," said 34-year-old Djokovic after winning the French Open earlier this month when asked if the Golden Slam of all four majors and Olympic Games gold was a realistic target. "I've achieved some things that a lot of people thought it would be not possible for me to achieve." Djokovic memorably captured a fifth Wimbledon in 2019, saving two championship points to defeat Federer in the longest ever final at the All England Club at four hours and 57 minutes. He was deprived of defending his title in 2020 when Wimbledon was cancelled due to the pandemic. However, Djokovic has been at this juncture before, winning in Australia and Paris in 2016 but coming up short at the Rio Olympics, Wimbledon and the US Open later in the year. Djokovic has won seven of the last 11 Slams as he ramps up his assault on the record of 20 majors held jointly by Federer and Nadal. Nadal, the Wimbledon champion in 2008 and 2010, has already withdrawn from this year's tournament, still scarred by the bruising loss to the Serb in the French Open semi-finals. - 'Huge challenge' - Eight-time winner Federer, meanwhile, will be 40 in August and won just one match on grass at Halle in the build-up to Wimbledon. Federer, who underwent two knee surgeries in 2020, won the last of his eight Wimbledons in 2017 and the most recent of his 20 majors in Australia in 2018. The Swiss star has lost three finals to Djokovic at the All England Club in 2014, 2015 and the epic 2019 clash. "It's a huge challenge for me," said Federer of his comeback. "Things don't come simple, they don't come easy." The rest of the current top 10 have endured so far mediocre Wimbledon records. Only 33-year-old Roberto Bautista Agut, a surprise semi-finalist two years ago, has got beyond the last 16. Daniil Medvedev has a best of the third round, while Dominic Thiem, who made the fourth round in 2017, crashed at the first hurdle in 2018 and 2019. Alexander Zverev had a best last 16 run in 2017 but was also a first-round loser two years ago while Andrey Rublev has yet to get past the second round. Of the remainder of the top 10, French Open runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas and Matteo Berrettini are Djokovic's most likely threats. Tsitsipas made the last 16 in 2018 before exiting in the first round two years ago. The Greek, however, is one of the form players of 2021, winning titles in Monte Carlo and Lyon before forcing Djokovic to recover from two sets down in the Roland Garros final. Queen's Club champion Matteo Berrettini is also a dangerman for Djokovic. The Italian made the last 16 in 2019 where it took Federer to stop his progress. He was also the first man to win the Queen's title on debut since Boris Becker in 1985 -- the German went on to win a maiden Wimbledon just weeks later. Andy Murray, the 2013 and 2016 champion, will hope to ride a national wave of emotion at least into the second week. But the injury-plagued Briton, a former world number one, is down at 119 in the rankings and has won just two matches all season.

Tennis: Djokovic ready to be first among equals at Wimbledon

Milos&nbsp;Raonic&nbsp;has withdrawn from the&nbsp;Wimbledon&nbsp;championships this month following a setback in his recovery from a&nbsp;calf&nbsp;injury, the 2016 runner-up said.

The former world number three last competed in the Miami Open Masters 1000 tournament in March where he was beaten by Hubert Hurkacz in the last 16 before missing the entire claycourt season, including the French Open.

"I wanted to share that I am incredibly sad and hurt that I won't be ready to compete at&nbsp;Wimbledon&nbsp;this year," world number 18&nbsp;Raonic&nbsp;said in an Instagram post late on Saturday.

Raonic&nbsp;said that he was targeting a return to action at the grasscourt major but was unable to fully shake off the problem in time.

"I have been working hard to heal it but had a minor setback,"&nbsp;Raonic&nbsp;said.

"Therefore I won't be ready for&nbsp;Wimbledon. I will be working hard to get back as soon as possible."

Former winner and 20-times Grand Slam champion Rafa Nadal as well as the women's world number two Naomi Osaka have also pulled&nbsp;out&nbsp;of the tournament.

Wimbledon&nbsp;was the only Grand Slam to be cancelled in 2020&nbsp;due&nbsp;to the COVID-19 pandemic and will return in its usual slot this year with the main draw starting on June 28.

Milos Raonic has withdrawn from the Wimbledon championships this month following a setback in his recovery from a calf injury, the 2016 runner-up said. The former world number three last competed in the Miami Open Masters 1000 tournament in March where he was beaten by Hubert Hurkacz in the last 16 before missing the entire claycourt season, including the French Open.

Milos Raonic has withdrawn from the Wimbledon championships this month following a setback in his recovery from a calf injury, the 2016 runner-up said. The former world number three last competed in the Miami Open Masters 1000 tournament in March where he was beaten by Hubert Hurkacz in the last 16 before missing the entire claycourt season, including the French Open. "I wanted to share that I am incredibly sad and hurt that I won't be ready to compete at Wimbledon this year," world number 18 Raonic said in an Instagram post late on Saturday. Raonic said that he was targeting a return to action at the grasscourt major but was unable to fully shake off the problem in time. "I have been working hard to heal it but had a minor setback," Raonic said. "Therefore I won't be ready for Wimbledon. I will be working hard to get back as soon as possible." Former winner and 20-times Grand Slam champion Rafa Nadal as well as the women's world number two Naomi Osaka have also pulled out of the tournament. Wimbledon was the only Grand Slam to be cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and will return in its usual slot this year with the main draw starting on June 28.

Tennis-Raonic pulls out of Wimbledon due to calf injury

Fourth seed Andrey Rublev churned out another win as he overcame qualifier Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-1 3-6 6-3 to reach the final in Halle on Saturday. 
 
The Russian dropped his first set this week on the grass but responded to ease through a deciding set and book a Sunday final against either Felix Auger-Aliassime or Ugo Humbert. 
 
Rublev claimed his 33rd match win of the year - second only to Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas (39) on the ATP standings. 
 
He also took his match record in ATP 500 events to 29-2 since the Tour resumed last year after the coronavirus shutdown - a period in which he has won four titles at that level.

Fourth seed Andrey Rublev churned out another win as he overcame qualifier Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-1 3-6 6-3 to reach the final in Halle on Saturday. The Russian dropped his first set this week on the grass but responded to ease through a deciding set and book a Sunday final against either Felix Auger-Aliassime or Ugo Humbert.

Fourth seed Andrey Rublev churned out another win as he overcame qualifier Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-1 3-6 6-3 to reach the final in Halle on Saturday. The Russian dropped his first set this week on the grass but responded to ease through a deciding set and book a Sunday final against either Felix Auger-Aliassime or Ugo Humbert. Rublev claimed his 33rd match win of the year - second only to Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas (39) on the ATP standings. He also took his match record in ATP 500 events to 29-2 since the Tour resumed last year after the coronavirus shutdown - a period in which he has won four titles at that level.

Tennis-Rublev through to Halle final

Rafael Nadal took to Twitter to reveal&nbsp;that he is pulling out from the upcoming Wimbledon Championships and Tokyo Olympics. Nadal referred to the need to "pay attention to his body" after a thorough claycourt season as the explanation for his withdrawal.&nbsp;

Nadal said he had talked with his group before making the decision. The 35-year-old added that he was hoping to draw out his profession at the top, which recommends he will be significantly more specific with his timetable over the course of the following, not many years.&nbsp;

"Hi all, I have decided not to participate at this year’s Championships at Wimbledon and the Olympic Games in Tokyo," Nadal wrote. "It’s never an easy decision to take but after listening to my body and discuss it with my team I understand that it is the right decision" - he said

"The goal is to prolong my career and continue to do what makes me happy, that is to compete at the highest level and keep fighting for those professional and personal goals at the maximum level of competition" -&nbsp;he added.

Rafael Nadal is falling off a difficult clay season, where he played every one of the three Masters occasions notwithstanding Roland Garros and Barcelona. The Spaniard won the titles in Rome and Barcelona, however was packaged out of the French Open by inevitable hero Novak Djokovic.&nbsp;

Rafael Nadal brought up how the little hole between Roland Garros and Wimbledon - only fourteen days - assumed a part in his choice. He explicitly featured the way that he expected to recuperate from his works on mud throughout the most recent few months.&nbsp;

"The fact that there have only been two weeks between RG and Wimbledon didn’t make it easier on my body to recuperate after the always demanding claycourt season," Nadal said. "They have been two months of great effort and the decision I take is focused on looking at the mid and long term" -&nbsp;he said.

"Sport prevention of any kind of excess in my body is a very important factor at this stage of my career in order to try to keep fighting for the highest level of competition and titles"&nbsp;- he added.

Rafael Nadal likewise communicated his failure at not having the option to go to the Tokyo Olympics, saving a word for his Japanese fans specifically. The Spaniard, who has won two gold awards at the Games before, guaranteed that the occasion implied a ton to him. He finished strong, offering his thanks for having been deliberated with the honor of conveying the Spanish banner at the 2016 Rio Olympics.&nbsp;

"The Olympic Games always meant a lot and they were always a priority as a sports person, I found the spirit that every sportsperson in the world wants to live," Nadal wrote. "I personally had the chance to live 3 of them and had the honor to be the flag bearer for my country."

Rafael Nadal took to Twitter to reveal that he is pulling out from the upcoming Wimbledon Championships and Tokyo Olympics. Nadal referred to the need to "pay attention to his body" after a thorough claycourt season as the explanation for his withdrawal.

Rafael Nadal took to Twitter to reveal that he is pulling out from the upcoming Wimbledon Championships and Tokyo Olympics. Nadal referred to the need to "pay attention to his body" after a thorough claycourt season as the explanation for his withdrawal. Nadal said he had talked with his group before making the decision. The 35-year-old added that he was hoping to draw out his profession at the top, which recommends he will be significantly more specific with his timetable over the course of the following, not many years. "Hi all, I have decided not to participate at this year’s Championships at Wimbledon and the Olympic Games in Tokyo," Nadal wrote. "It’s never an easy decision to take but after listening to my body and discuss it with my team I understand that it is the right decision" - he said "The goal is to prolong my career and continue to do what makes me happy, that is to compete at the highest level and keep fighting for those professional and personal goals at the maximum level of competition" - he added. Rafael Nadal is falling off a difficult clay season, where he played every one of the three Masters occasions notwithstanding Roland Garros and Barcelona. The Spaniard won the titles in Rome and Barcelona, however was packaged out of the French Open by inevitable hero Novak Djokovic. Rafael Nadal brought up how the little hole between Roland Garros and Wimbledon - only fourteen days - assumed a part in his choice. He explicitly featured the way that he expected to recuperate from his works on mud throughout the most recent few months. "The fact that there have only been two weeks between RG and Wimbledon didn’t make it easier on my body to recuperate after the always demanding claycourt season," Nadal said. "They have been two months of great effort and the decision I take is focused on looking at the mid and long term" - he said. "Sport prevention of any kind of excess in my body is a very important factor at this stage of my career in order to try to keep fighting for the highest level of competition and titles" - he added. Rafael Nadal likewise communicated his failure at not having the option to go to the Tokyo Olympics, saving a word for his Japanese fans specifically. The Spaniard, who has won two gold awards at the Games before, guaranteed that the occasion implied a ton to him. He finished strong, offering his thanks for having been deliberated with the honor of conveying the Spanish banner at the 2016 Rio Olympics. "The Olympic Games always meant a lot and they were always a priority as a sports person, I found the spirit that every sportsperson in the world wants to live," Nadal wrote. "I personally had the chance to live 3 of them and had the honor to be the flag bearer for my country."

'Never An Easy Decision': Rafael Nadal pulls out of Tokyo Olympics and Wimbledon to prolong career

Two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray admits there are question marks about whether his body will hold up as he prepares to return to competitive action at Queen's Club.

Murray has struggled to return to his former level since having hip resurfacing surgery in January 2019 with niggling injuries limiting his tournament time.

He missed this year's Australian Open after testing positive for COVID-19 and has not played a match since March but is back for the grasscourt swing leading into Wimbledon.

"I feel okay. I don't feel perfect, but I have been practicing well over the last month or so, pretty consistently," the 34-year-old Scot told reporters on Monday.

"I have been training at Wimbledon, and we came out here the last few days and had a couple of good practices.

"The question mark is obviously whether the body holds up and I can't say with any great certainty right now whether that's going to happen or not."

Murray will face Benoit Paire in his first match at Queen's on Tuesday and while he has won the title five times at the traditional pre-Wimbledon event, he is not setting high expectations, rather just hoping to be able to compete.

"If my goal is to get to number one in the world or to win majors if that's the only reason why I would continue playing

tennis, which it isn't, I would have stopped three, four years ago," Murray said.

"The reason why I'm still playing is that I love playing&nbsp;tennis. I want to keep trying and still have the desire to go out there and compete and to train every day to try and improve and give myself a chance to keep going.

"Create more memories on the court and get more wins."

Asked what his expectations for Wimbledon are, the former world number one said the priority is that he stays healthy.

"Judging by what you can see on social media, a lot of people don't think that I can play and compete at this level anymore," he said. "I don't know what the expectations should be.

"I don't want to promise anything in terms of that respect, because I don't even know myself exactly. Let's wait and see what happens, but my goal and priority is to be healthy."

Two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray admits there are question marks about whether his body will hold up as he prepares to return to competitive action at Queen's Club.

Two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray admits there are question marks about whether his body will hold up as he prepares to return to competitive action at Queen's Club. Murray has struggled to return to his former level since having hip resurfacing surgery in January 2019 with niggling injuries limiting his tournament time. He missed this year's Australian Open after testing positive for COVID-19 and has not played a match since March but is back for the grasscourt swing leading into Wimbledon. "I feel okay. I don't feel perfect, but I have been practicing well over the last month or so, pretty consistently," the 34-year-old Scot told reporters on Monday. "I have been training at Wimbledon, and we came out here the last few days and had a couple of good practices. "The question mark is obviously whether the body holds up and I can't say with any great certainty right now whether that's going to happen or not." Murray will face Benoit Paire in his first match at Queen's on Tuesday and while he has won the title five times at the traditional pre-Wimbledon event, he is not setting high expectations, rather just hoping to be able to compete. "If my goal is to get to number one in the world or to win majors if that's the only reason why I would continue playing tennis, which it isn't, I would have stopped three, four years ago," Murray said. "The reason why I'm still playing is that I love playing tennis. I want to keep trying and still have the desire to go out there and compete and to train every day to try and improve and give myself a chance to keep going. "Create more memories on the court and get more wins." Asked what his expectations for Wimbledon are, the former world number one said the priority is that he stays healthy. "Judging by what you can see on social media, a lot of people don't think that I can play and compete at this level anymore," he said. "I don't know what the expectations should be. "I don't want to promise anything in terms of that respect, because I don't even know myself exactly. Let's wait and see what happens, but my goal and priority is to be healthy."

Tennis: Andy Murray says question marks remain over fitness ahead of return

Roger Federer played his first match on grass in almost two years when he took on Ilya Ivashka in the first round of the 2021 Noventi Open. Roger Federer was corroded toward the beginning and furthermore gave a few indications of nerves, however ultimately came through 7-6 (4), 7-5.&nbsp;

After his success over the Belarusian, Roger Federer emphasized his long-standing craving to excel at Wimbledon. As indicated by World No. 8, even an early loss at Halle wouldn't hurt him a lot as it would permit him one more week of training.&nbsp;

"We're all in the same boat. Roger Federer said. Everyone else hasn't played on the grass either for the last couple of years. My goals for Wimbledon are clearly quite high. But if it doesn't work out in Halle, I have another week's practice" - he said.

It was a lethargic beginning for Roger Federer in Halle, as Ilya Ivashka several breaks focuses on the Swiss' subsequent assistance round of the match. In any case, Federer saved those for certain opportune first serves and didn't confront any more break focuses the remainder of the way.&nbsp;

In his post-match presser, Roger Federer additionally communicated his joy at playing a close-perfect sudden death round, which he won 7-4. As indicated by him, winning the tie-breaker round assisted him with discovering some self-control and mitigate his nerves.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/outrageous-czech-republics-patrik-schick-scores-goal-of-euro-2020-contender-against-scotland-watch-391449" hreflang="en">Outrageous! Czech Republic's Patrik Schick scores goal of Euro 2020 contender against Scotland - Watch</a>

"I had a tough moment in the first set when he had a breakpoint so that was crucial to get out of those and then I played a really good tiebreaker which I was happy about. I think as the match went on I started to create more opportunities and started to calm my nerves a little bit; overall I think I served very well" - he added.

Roger Federer likewise asserted there is some opportunity to get better in his game, and that his back - known to foster infrequent distress on grass - felt fine. World No. 8 called attention to that at this stage, it is essential to construct match fitness and test his knees.&nbsp;

"Clearly it can always be a little better but I'm happy and excited that I was able to get through the first one. The back is good, I feel fine from that standpoint. It's just really the legs and the match fitness that I'm looking forward to and getting through breakers" - he asserted.

After his success over Ilya Ivashka, he communicated his failure at the absence of fans yet asserted he was satisfied to stamp his re-visitation of grass with a success.&nbsp;

"I love playing here. The very little crowd is a bit of a disappointment for all of us but at the same time I'm excited to be back on the green grass and getting a win is always very nice" - he concluded.

Roger Federer played his first match on grass in almost two years when he took on Ilya Ivashka in the first round of the 2021 Noventi Open. Roger Federer was corroded toward the beginning and furthermore gave a few indications of nerves, however ultimately came through 7-6 (4), 7-5.

Roger Federer played his first match on grass in almost two years when he took on Ilya Ivashka in the first round of the 2021 Noventi Open. Roger Federer was corroded toward the beginning and furthermore gave a few indications of nerves, however ultimately came through 7-6 (4), 7-5. After his success over the Belarusian, Roger Federer emphasized his long-standing craving to excel at Wimbledon. As indicated by World No. 8, even an early loss at Halle wouldn't hurt him a lot as it would permit him one more week of training. "We're all in the same boat. Roger Federer said. Everyone else hasn't played on the grass either for the last couple of years. My goals for Wimbledon are clearly quite high. But if it doesn't work out in Halle, I have another week's practice" - he said. It was a lethargic beginning for Roger Federer in Halle, as Ilya Ivashka several breaks focuses on the Swiss' subsequent assistance round of the match. In any case, Federer saved those for certain opportune first serves and didn't confront any more break focuses the remainder of the way. In his post-match presser, Roger Federer additionally communicated his joy at playing a close-perfect sudden death round, which he won 7-4. As indicated by him, winning the tie-breaker round assisted him with discovering some self-control and mitigate his nerves. ALSO READ: Outrageous! Czech Republic's Patrik Schick scores goal of Euro 2020 contender against Scotland - Watch "I had a tough moment in the first set when he had a breakpoint so that was crucial to get out of those and then I played a really good tiebreaker which I was happy about. I think as the match went on I started to create more opportunities and started to calm my nerves a little bit; overall I think I served very well" - he added. Roger Federer likewise asserted there is some opportunity to get better in his game, and that his back - known to foster infrequent distress on grass - felt fine. World No. 8 called attention to that at this stage, it is essential to construct match fitness and test his knees. "Clearly it can always be a little better but I'm happy and excited that I was able to get through the first one. The back is good, I feel fine from that standpoint. It's just really the legs and the match fitness that I'm looking forward to and getting through breakers" - he asserted. After his success over Ilya Ivashka, he communicated his failure at the absence of fans yet asserted he was satisfied to stamp his re-visitation of grass with a success. "I love playing here. The very little crowd is a bit of a disappointment for all of us but at the same time I'm excited to be back on the green grass and getting a win is always very nice" - he concluded.

Tennis: My goals for Wimbledon are clearly quite high: Roger Federer after winning Halle opener

Novak Djokovic set his sights on the Golden Grand Slam of all four majors as well as the Olympic title on Sunday with his coach insisting: "He's in great shape and has the ability to do it".

The world number one captured a second French Open and 19th Slam with a 6-7 (6/8), 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 win over Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas.

It allowed him to become the first man in the Open era, and only third in history, to claim all four Grand Slam titles on multiple occasions.

Now he has targeted being the third man to complete a calendar Grand Slam after Don Budge in 1937 and Rod Laver in 1962 and 1969.

On top of that, he also wants the Olympic gold medal to complete the Golden Grand Slam.

"Obviously his goal and our goal is to win the Olympics and then win the Grand Slam. That would be the absolutely top of this year," said coach Marian Vajda.

"But it's still far away from us. We have to still focus on the next one. But overall he's set up for this year.&nbsp;

"His priority is Wimbledon, Olympics and US Open. I think that says all."

The Golden Grand Slam has never been achieved by a man before while, in the women's game, only Steffi Graf in 1988 has swept all four majors and Olympic gold in the same year.

In Graf's case, gold came in Seoul. For Djokovic, the opportunity will come in Tokyo later this summer.

"As much as Novak is healthy, and he's healthy right now, he's in great shape, I think he has the ability to win the Grand Slam for this year. I'm pretty sure," added Vajda.

"I think it is much more than possible. He loves to play in Wimbledon and US Open."

Djokovic is already halfway to a calendar Slam having secured a record ninth Australian Open in February.

However, he has been at this juncture before, winning in Australia and Paris in 2016 but coming up short at the Rio Olympics, Wimbledon and the US Open later in the year.

Novak Djokovic set his sights on the Golden Grand Slam of all four majors as well as the Olympic title on Sunday with his coach insisting: "He's in great shape and has the ability to do it".

Novak Djokovic set his sights on the Golden Grand Slam of all four majors as well as the Olympic title on Sunday with his coach insisting: "He's in great shape and has the ability to do it". The world number one captured a second French Open and 19th Slam with a 6-7 (6/8), 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 win over Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas. It allowed him to become the first man in the Open era, and only third in history, to claim all four Grand Slam titles on multiple occasions. Now he has targeted being the third man to complete a calendar Grand Slam after Don Budge in 1937 and Rod Laver in 1962 and 1969. On top of that, he also wants the Olympic gold medal to complete the Golden Grand Slam. "Obviously his goal and our goal is to win the Olympics and then win the Grand Slam. That would be the absolutely top of this year," said coach Marian Vajda. "But it's still far away from us. We have to still focus on the next one. But overall he's set up for this year. "His priority is Wimbledon, Olympics and US Open. I think that says all." The Golden Grand Slam has never been achieved by a man before while, in the women's game, only Steffi Graf in 1988 has swept all four majors and Olympic gold in the same year. In Graf's case, gold came in Seoul. For Djokovic, the opportunity will come in Tokyo later this summer. "As much as Novak is healthy, and he's healthy right now, he's in great shape, I think he has the ability to win the Grand Slam for this year. I'm pretty sure," added Vajda. "I think it is much more than possible. He loves to play in Wimbledon and US Open." Djokovic is already halfway to a calendar Slam having secured a record ninth Australian Open in February. However, he has been at this juncture before, winning in Australia and Paris in 2016 but coming up short at the Rio Olympics, Wimbledon and the US Open later in the year.

Tennis: Djokovic eyes Golden Grand Slam after French Open victory

In a heartfelt gesture, Novak Djokovic gave his French Open winning racquet to a young boy watching courtside for “giving the right tactics”. The boy was seen jumping and screaming in joy as the Serbian ace handed over his racquet to him after winning his 19th Grand Slam title. <o:p></o:p>

The world number one became the first man in 52 years to win all the four majors twice as he came from two sets down to defeat Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-7 (6/8), 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.<o:p></o:p>

After the gruelling four-hour and 11-minute final, the 34-year-old Djokovic gave his racquet to the youngster who was then captured on camera jumping in shock at the gesture.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis-novak-djokovic-a-man-synonymous-to-the-quote-never-say-die-attitude-391306" hreflang="en">Tennis: Novak Djokovic a man synonymous to the quote 'never-say-die attitude'</a>

<o:p></o:p>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I haven’t smiled this wide in a while! 
Djokovic gifted his racquet to this young boy who kept encouraging him throughout the game ❤️ <a href="https://t.co/lQdCuJn2Jr">pic.twitter.com/lQdCuJn2Jr</a>
— Nandita / Everyday Superfoods (@saffrontrail) <a href="https://twitter.com/saffrontrail/status/1404321762024718336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2021</a></blockquote>
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"He was in my ear the entire match basically, especially when I was two sets to love down. He was encouraging me. He was actually giving me tactics, as well," said Djokovic.<o:p></o:p>

"He was like, 'Hold your serve, get an easy first ball, then dictate, go to his backhand.' He was coaching me literally.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/french-open-will-remember-last-48-hours-for-rest-of-my-life-novak-djokovic-savours-historic-win-391290" hreflang="en">French Open: Will remember last 48 hours for rest of my life - Novak Djokovic savours historic win</a><o:p></o:p>

"I found that very cute, very nice. So I felt like to give the racquet to the best person was him after the match. That was kind of my gratitude for him sticking with me and supporting me."<o:p></o:p>

Djokovic will now eye a Golden Grand Slam with Wimbledon approaching. Djokovic not only defeated Tsitsipas in the final of Roland Garros but also beat Rafael Nadal in a tiring semi-final clash two days before the summit clash.<o:p></o:p>

In a heartfelt gesture, Novak Djokovic gave his French Open winning racquet to a young boy watching courtside for “giving the right tactics”. The boy was seen jumping and screaming in joy as the Serbian ace handed over his racquet to him after winning his 19th Grand Slam title.

In a heartfelt gesture, Novak Djokovic gave his French Open winning racquet to a young boy watching courtside for “giving the right tactics”. The boy was seen jumping and screaming in joy as the Serbian ace handed over his racquet to him after winning his 19th Grand Slam title. The world number one became the first man in 52 years to win all the four majors twice as he came from two sets down to defeat Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-7 (6/8), 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4. After the gruelling four-hour and 11-minute final, the 34-year-old Djokovic gave his racquet to the youngster who was then captured on camera jumping in shock at the gesture. ALSO READ: Tennis: Novak Djokovic a man synonymous to the quote 'never-say-die attitude' I haven’t smiled this wide in a while! Djokovic gifted his racquet to this young boy who kept encouraging him throughout the game ❤️ pic.twitter.com/lQdCuJn2Jr — Nandita / Everyday Superfoods (@saffrontrail) June 14, 2021 × "He was in my ear the entire match basically, especially when I was two sets to love down. He was encouraging me. He was actually giving me tactics, as well," said Djokovic. "He was like, 'Hold your serve, get an easy first ball, then dictate, go to his backhand.' He was coaching me literally. ALSO READ: French Open: Will remember last 48 hours for rest of my life - Novak Djokovic savours historic win "I found that very cute, very nice. So I felt like to give the racquet to the best person was him after the match. That was kind of my gratitude for him sticking with me and supporting me." Djokovic will now eye a Golden Grand Slam with Wimbledon approaching. Djokovic not only defeated Tsitsipas in the final of Roland Garros but also beat Rafael Nadal in a tiring semi-final clash two days before the summit clash.

Tennis: Watch - Young fan jumps in joy as Djokovic gives French Open-winning racquet to boy 'with right tactics'

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