By Shifa Jahan
(Reuters) -The following are five contenders for the men’s title at Wimbledon, which begins on Monday.
JANNIK SINNER (ITALY)
* World ranking: 1
Australian Open and U.S. Open champion Sinner arrives at Wimbledon following his gut-wrenching, five-set defeat by Carlos Alcaraz in the French Open final, where he squandered three match points.
That Paris heartbreak led him to endure a few sleepless nights and he will now be hoping to heal some wounds at Wimbledon even though the world number one will arrive at the All England Club having played only two competitive matches on grass.
The defence of his Halle title ended in the last 16 after he was beaten by Kazakh Alexander Bublik.
The 23-year-old has yet to win a title since returning from his three-month doping ban seven weeks ago and he will be eager to snap his recent winless run at the home of grasscourt tennis.
CARLOS ALCARAZ (SPAIN)
* World ranking: 2
The holder returns to Wimbledon riding a career-best 18-match winning streak marked by triumphs at Rome, Roland Garros and the Queen’s Club, leaving him primed to claim a third straight title at the All England Club.
The 22-year-old, who has established himself as an all-court master, made the seamless transition from clay to grass last year when he became the sixth man in the professional era to win back-to-back Roland Garros and Wimbledon titles.
After saving three championship points en route to retaining his French Open title, the five-time Grand Slam champion will again be the man to beat at the grasscourt major.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC (SERBIA)
* World ranking: 6
Djokovic is gearing up for his 20th consecutive Wimbledon appearance and will be desperate to get his hands on the gilded Challenge Cup after coming off second best to Alcaraz in the last two finals.
Should the 38-year-old emerge triumphant, he will equal his great rival Roger Federer’s haul of eight Wimbledon trophies and finally go past Margaret Court to sit atop the all-time list of major champions on 25 titles.
Consistency has not been an issue for Djokovic at the All England Club, with the Serb reaching the final in each of the last six editions he has played and winning four of them.
Despite being in the twilight of his glorious career, Djokovic remains one of the most dangerous players on grass thanks to his stinging returns and supreme court coverage.
ALEXANDER ZVEREV (GERMANY)
* World ranking: 3
Zverev could well be running out of time in his bid to claim a maiden Grand Slam title after losing three finals but the tall German will be determined to prove himself on a surface where he is yet to win a trophy despite having the weapons to succeed.
While the 28-year-old has contested a final at each of the other three majors, he will be hoping to progress beyond the fourth round of Wimbledon for the first time.
After deep runs in Stuttgart and Halle, Zverev will hope his big serve can cause plenty of damage on grass.
TAYLOR FRITZ (UNITED STATES)
* World ranking: 5
Fritz lifted his fourth grasscourt title in Stuttgart by beating Zverev and his reputation as a dangerous floater on the surface has been cemented after two trips to the quarter-finals in the previous three editions of Wimbledon.
The U.S. Open runner-up is another player chasing his maiden Grand Slam title, hoping to become the first American man to win a major since Andy Roddick triumphed at Flushing Meadows in 2003.
The 27-year-old has a huge first serve and a strong forehand that can blow away his opponents and he will be eager to make good use of his powers over the next fortnight.
(Reporting by Shifa Jahan in Bengaluru, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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