Photos: From Serena to Sabalenka, Djokovic to Tsitsipas — Wimbledon's players to watch

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WOMEN’S SINGLES — ASH BARTY Seeded: 1, Country: Australia, Age: 25, 2021 Match Record: 28-6, 2021 Singles Titles: 3, Career Singles Titles: 11, Grand Slam Singles Titles: 1 — French Open (2019). Aces: Stopped playing during her second-round match at the French Open because of an injured left hip. Dealt with a right arm issue last month at the Italian Open. Has made progress in past trips to the All England Club, but will she be healthy enough to make a Week 2 run this time? Match-up to watch for: Faces Carla Suarez Navarro, a 32-year-old Spaniard who recently returned to competition after being treated for cancer, in the first round. Words: “I’ve had my fair share of tears this week.” — Barty, after pulling out of Roland Garros. Image Credit: AP

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ARYNA SABALENKA Seeded: 2, Country: Belarus, Age: 23, 2021, Match Record: 29-10, 2021 Singles Titles: 2, Career Singles Titles: 10, Grand Slam Singles Titles: Zero — Best: 4th Round (2018 US Open, 2021 Australian Open). Aces: Tied for tour lead in match wins this season. Ranks sixth in aces on tour in 2021 but also fourth in double-faults. Her powerful game — via serve and groundstrokes — should make her a contender at the All England Club, but she has yet to put everything together for a full two weeks at any Grand Slam tournament. Her career mark at Wimbledon is 1-3. Match-up to watch for: Possibly might play a qualifier in each of the first three rounds. Could face French Open semi-finalist Maria Sakkari in the fourth. Words: “No. 4 — this is not No. 1. There is still lot of things to work on and to improve.” — Sabalenka, on reaching a career-high ranking in May. Image Credit: AP

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SERENA WILLIAMS Seeded: 6, Country: United States, Age: 39, 2021 Match Record: 12-4, 2021 Singles Titles: 0, Career Singles Titles: 73, Grand Slam Singles Titles: 23 — Wimbledon (7: 2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015, 2016), Australian Open (7: 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2017), French Open (3: 2002, 2013, 2015), US Open (6: 1999, 2002, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014). Aces: Holds record for most Grand Slam singles titles in the professional era. One more would put her even with Margaret Court for the most in tennis history. As usual, did not play at any grass-court tune-up tournament between the French Open — where she lost in the fourth round — and Wimbledon. Has reached Week 2 in 11 of her last 12 appearances at the All England Club (third-round loss in 2014). 77-1 career record in first-round matches at major tournaments. Match-up to watch for: Could face No. 25 Angelique Kerber in the third round, that would be a rematch of the 2018 Wimbledon final won by Kerber 6-3, 6-3. Words: “I’m kind of excited to switch surfaces.” — Williams, looking ahead to the grass after her exit on clay in Paris. Image Credit: AP

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PETRA KVITOVA Seeded: 10, Country: Czech Republic, Age: 31, 2021 Match Record: 19-8, 2021 Singles Titles: 1, Career Singles Titles: 28, Grand Slam Singles Titles: 2 — Wimbledon (2011, 2014). Aces: After reaching at least the quarter-finals five times in a row at Wimbledon, including two titles, the left-hander hasn’t been past the fourth round (and only once made it that far) in her last five appearances. Coming off an odd exit at the French Open, where she pulled out after her first-round victory because she said she fell and hurt her ankle while doing media interviews. Match-up to watch for: Faces 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens in the first round. Words: “It’s incredibly bad luck, but I will stay strong and do my best to recover in time for the grass-court season.” — Kvitova, announcing her withdrawal from Roland Garros. Image Credit: Reuters

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BARBORA KREJCIKOVA Seeded: 14, Country: Czech Republic, Age: 25, 2021 Match Record: 26-9, 2021 Singles Titles: 2, Career Singles Titles: 2, Grand Slam Singles Titles: 1 — French Open (2021). Aces: Makes her Wimbledon main-draw debut fresh off winning singles and doubles titles at the French Open two weeks ago. Had never won a tour-level tournament of any sort in singles until last month at Strasbourg, France, then topped that at Roland Garros in just the fifth singles appearance at a major of her career. Match-up to watch for: Meets 18-year-old Clara Tauson in the first round, could face Barty in the fourth. Words: “I hope I’m going to have some chances on the grass, but I don’t really know because I’m not that experienced on it. We will see.” — Krejcikova. Image Credit: Reuters

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COCO GAUFF Seeded: 20, Country: United States, Age: 17, 2021 Match Record: 27-11, 2021 Singles Titles: 1, Career Singles Titles: 2, Grand Slam Singles Titles: Zero — Best: Quarter-finals (2021 French Open). Aces: At a career-high 23rd in the WTA rankings and coming off deepest run at a Grand Slam tournament, losing to eventual champion Krejcikova in the quarter-finals in Paris. Returns to the site of her breakthrough performance: Two years ago at Wimbledon, at age 15, she became the youngest qualifier in tournament history, then beat Venus Williams in the first round and made it all the way to the fourth before losing to eventual champ Simona Halep. Match-up to watch for: Could face Serena Williams in the fourth round. Words: “My hitting partner told me this match will probably make me a champion in the future. I really do believe that.” — Gauff, after failing to convert five set points in the opening set of her loss at Roland Garros. Image Credit: Reuters

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MEN’S SINGLES — NOVAK DJOKOVIC Seeded: 1, Country: Serbia, Age: 34, 2021 Match Record: 27-3, 2021 Singles Titles: 3, Career Singles Titles: 84, Grand Slam Singles Titles: 19 — Wimbledon (5: 2011, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019), Australian Open (9: 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021), French Open (2: 2016, 2021), US Open (3: 2011, 2015, 2018). Aces: Can equal Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal (who withdrew from Wimbledon) for most Grand Slam titles in men’s tennis by getting 20th with a third consecutive trophy at the All England Club. With Australian Open and French Open championships in 2021, eyeing a calendar-year Grand Slam, something last accomplished by a man in 1969. A Golden Slam, including the Tokyo Olympics, is a possibility. Match-up to watch for: Could face the man he beat in the 2018 final, Kevin Anderson, in the second round. Words: “This year we have only two weeks between the first round of Wimbledon and the finals (in Paris), which is not ideal because you go from really two completely different surfaces, trying to make that transition as smooth as possible, as quickly and efficiently as possible.” — Djokovic, looking ahead to the grass on the day he won the French Open on clay. Image Credit: Reuters

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DANIIL MEDVEDEV Seeded: 2, Country: Russia, Age: 25, 2021 Match Record: 25-7, 2021 Singles Titles: 1, Career Singles Titles: 10, Grand Slam Singles Titles: Zero — Best: Runner-Up (2019 US Open, 2021 Australian Open). Aces: First man other than Djokovic, Nadal, Federer or Andy Murray to be ranked No. 1 or No. 2 since July 2005. Ability to make in-match adjustments is as strong as anyone’s in men’s tennis. Now that he’s shown he can win on clay — reaching the quarter-finals at the French Open after starting his career 0-4 there — will try to get to Week 2 at Wimbledon, the only Grand Slam tournament where he’s never been that far. Match-up to watch for: Could face 18-year-old wild-card entry Carlos Alcaraz in second round and 2014 US Open champion and 2017 Wimbledon runner-up Marin Cilic in third. Words: “I don’t think anybody practised on grass last two years because, well, there was no reason to do it. Tournaments are on hard and clay courts. It’s not going to be easy this year.” — Medvedev, on the lack of matches on grass since 2019. Image Credit: AFP

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STEFANOS TSITSIPAS Seeded: 3, Country: Greece, Age: 22, 2021 Match Record: 39-9, 2021 Singles Titles: 2, Career Singles Titles: 7, Grand Slam Singles Titles: Zero — Best: Runner-Up (2021 French Open). Aces: Leads ATP in match wins this season. Coming off breakthrough run to first Grand Slam final at Roland Garros, where he took the first two sets against Djokovic before losing in five. Has net skills that should translate better to grass than his pair of first-round losses in three appearances at the All England Club. Match-up to watch for: Faces Frances Tiafoe in the first round, could meet No. 10 Denis Shapovalov or No. 27 Reilly Opelka in the quarter-finals. Words: “Despite my loss today, I have faith in my game. I see no reason for me not to be holding that trophy one day.” — Tsitsipas, after his loss in the French Open final. Image Credit: Reuters

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ROGER FEDERER Seeded: 6, Country: Switzerland, Age: 39, 2021 Match Record: 5-3, 2021 Singles Titles: 0, Career Singles Titles: 103, Grand Slam Singles Titles: 20 — Wimbledon (8: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2017), Australian Open (6: 2004, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2017, 2018), French Open (1: 2009), US Open (5: 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008). Aces: Still working his way back into match shape after having two operations on his right knee in 2020. Still holds record for most Grand Slam men’s final appearances with 31. Only Jimmy Connors (with 109) has won more men’s titles in the Open era. Match-up to watch for: Faces Adrian Mannarino (Federer leads 6-0 head-to-head) in the first round and could face Richard Gasquet (Federer leads 18-2) in the second. Words: “What are my Wimbledon goals? They’re always high. They have to be high. Otherwise I wouldn’t be playing.” — Federer. Image Credit: AP

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MATTEO BERRETTINI Seeded: 7, Country: Italy, Age: 25, 2021 Match Record: 26-6, 2021 Singles Titles: 2, Career Singles Titles: 5, Grand Slam Singles Titles: Zero — Best: Semi-finals (2019 US Open). Aces: Became first man to win grass-court Queen’s Club title in tournament debut since Boris Becker in 1985. Has a classic big-hitting game built on booming serves and forehands that make him a danger on faster surfaces. Match-up to watch for: Could face No. 28 John Isner, a 2018 Wimbledon semi-finalist, in the third round. Words: “I want to do a great tournament in Wimbledon. I know it’s not going to be easy, but that’s my mentality right now.” — Berrettini, after losing to Djokovic in the French Open quarter-finals. Image Credit: AP

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ANDY MURRAY Seeded: N/A (Ranked No. 119), Country: Scotland, Age: 34, 2021 Match Record: 2-3, 2021 Singles Titles: Zero, Career Singles Titles: 46, Grand Slam Singles Titles: 3 — Wimbledon (2: 2013, 2016), US Open (1: 2012). Aces: Plays at the site of his most meaningful triumphs for the first time in four years after having two hip operations. Granted a wild-card entry. His singles championship in 2013 was the first at Wimbledon for a British man since Fred Perry in 1936. Reached at least the quarter-finals in each of his past 10 appearances at the All England Club. Match-up to watch for: Faces No. 24 Nikoloz Basilashvili in the first round. Words: w how much longer he can go if, in fact, he’s playing at 80%. It’s clear that it’s not at a hundred. If he get into the 90s, you’d see his ranking go up in a hurry because it’s clear he still wants to play.” — Murray Image Credit: AP

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