WIMBLEDON, England – Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray were placed in the Wimbledon bracket during Friday’s draw despite having recently withdrawn from operations.
This is no guarantee that the 37-year-old former All England Club champion will actually compete in the event which begins on Monday. But Djokovic at least looked in practice this week as if he was ready to go, less than a month after having surgery on a torn meniscus in his right knee. He won seven of his men’s record 24 Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon.
Murray, a two-time grass-court trophy winner, made it clear on Thursday that he would wait until the last moment to decide whether or not to play and that he was most likely to do so in doubles – where he and his older brother Jamie , were awarded a wildcard entry – than in singles. He had a cyst removed from his spinal cord last weekend.
Unseeded Murray’s first round singles match against Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic will be scheduled for Tuesday, giving the Scot another day to try and prepare. It was in a match against Machac at the Miami Open in March that Murray tore ligaments in his left ankle, one of a series of injuries he suffered in the latter stages of his career. Murray says he plans to retire after, he hopes, participating in Wimbledon and the Paris Olympics, which begin next month.
Djokovic is also scheduled to start on Tuesday, facing qualifier Vit Kopriva of the Czech Republic.
The men’s quarterfinals could see No. 1 Jannik Sinner against No. 5 Daniil Medvedev and current champion Carlos Alcaraz against No. 8 Casper Ruud in the top half of the bracket, with No. 2 Djokovic versus No. 7 Hubert Hurkacz, and No. 4 Alexander Zverev vs. No. 6 Andrey Rublev in the bottom half.
This sets up a possible semi-final between Sinner, 22, and Alcaraz, 21. They are already developing a great rivalry; Alcaraz beat Sinner in the French Open semifinals this month en route to the title.
There was a bit of confusion during the women’s draw – overseen by the tournament’s new referee, Denise Parnell – when several names were placed on the wrong lines and had to be shuffled.
Top-seeded Iga Swiatek never made it past the quarterfinals at the All England Club and was given a path that could be filled with former Grand Slam champions.
Her initial opponent will be 2020 Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin, who eliminated Coco Gauff in the first round at Wimbledon a year ago – less than three months before Gauff won the US Open. Swiatek could face 2018 Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber in the third round, 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in the fourth, and reigning Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova in the quarterfinals. Ostapenko is 4-0 against Swiatek over their careers.
The other potential women’s quarterfinalists are 2022 winner Elena Rybakina against 5th seed Jessica Pegula in the top half of the bracket with Swiatek-Vondrousova, and 2nd Gauff against 7th Jasmine Paolini, and 3rd Aryna Sabalenka vs. .No. 8 Zheng Qinwen in the lower half.
Gauff’s initial opponent will be another American, Caroline Dolehide. Other women’s first round matchups include 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu against 22nd seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, four-time major champion Naomi Osaka against Diane Parry, and two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka against 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens.
In the men’s draw, Alcaraz will open his title defense against Mark Lajal, who will make his debut in the Grand Slam main draw after earning a place in the qualifiers. Sinner starts against Yannick Hanfmann, who is 0-2 in Slam matches, and could face 2021 Wimbledon runner-up Matteo Berrettini in the second round.
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This story originally appeared on Time.com read the full story
