Sinner to win, Britons to blunder: Our expert Wimbledon predictions

The quintessentially British sporting fortnight is back and you may be asking yourself, what is going to happen at Wimbledon this year? Our experts tell you who they think will win, what they hope to see and how they think the Britons will do…

Men’s winner

Jannik Sinner

A total no-brainer. A ridiculous win-loss record of 37-3 this season. I would take Sinner over the rest of the field.

Jannik Sinner

I fear this is going to be echoing what others have said but, despite his shock collapse in the Roland Garros second round because of a combination of heat and illness, it is impossible to look beyond Sinner. When he is firing, his movement is just so good, and given the temperatures are due to drop, it is hard to see how he will not retain his title.

Jannik Sinner

With Carlos Alcaraz injured, Sinner is primed to retain his crown: too consistent, too powerful and simply too relentless for the rest.

Jannik Sinner

Hard to see past the Italian, especially after what happened at the French Open. With conditions forecast to be cooler, it should suit Sinner and help him successfully defend his title.

Women’s winner

Jessica Pegula

 The women’s draw is about as tricky as it gets to call. But perhaps it could be Pegula’s turn? She is compact and speedy with great hands, like 2019 champion Simona Halep.

Jessica Pegula

In recent years, the women’s draw has been a lot more open than the men’s, but I am going to push the boat out and say Pegula. She delivered a “bagel” set to world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka in Berlin and this could be the ideal time to find form.

Aryna Sabalenka 

The Belarusian has never won Wimbledon. But, aged 28, she now feels perfectly placed to add the crown to her tally of two triumphs apiece in the Australian and US Opens.

Naomi Osaka

The Japanese has looked in fine form on grass this week and, if she can come through the opening rounds and meet Sabalenka in the fourth, I think she can rise to the occasion to win and then go on to claim the title.

How the Britons will do

The outlook is very gloomy indeed. Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper both come in with fitness worries, and the draw has been extremely unkind. We have a lot of first-round hopefuls – 21 in all – but the mortality rate over the opening two days could well approach bubonic-plague territory.

Raducanu’s fitness concerns deliver a serious blow to British chances, especially combined with Draper’s difficult first-round draw. It is hard to see who (if any) will manage to make it to the second week.

The draw has been horrible to the Britons; there is a real fear that no locals will reach the second week for the first time since 2023. After her fine run at Queen’s, Raducanu is unfortunate that she is due to play No 1 seed Sabalenka in the third round. On the men’s side, Draper has a hellish first-round draw against Taylor Fritz. Cameron Norrie is due to play Félix Auger Aliassime in the third round.

There are 21 Britons in the singles draw but only one – Draper – has a chance of reaching the second week. But for him to do that, he will need to beat Fritz in the first round. Expect at least half of the 21 to not make the second round.

Surprise package

Alexandra Eala

The best player to emerge from the Philippines, Eala draws enormous crowds wherever she goes. She could face Serena Williams in the second round in a match to evoke truly global interest.

Alexandra Eala

It could be time for a new face to have a deep run in SW19 and Eala has announced herself this grass-court season. With more than two million followers on social media she is likely to be well supported by any Filipinos in London and knocked out world No 2 Elena Rybakina in Berlin, while also winning a challenger event in Birmingham.

Madison Keys 

The American is far more dangerous than her status as 26th seed suggests. Last year’s Australian Open champion has the serve and baseline power to go deep.

Ben Shelton

Seems weird to call the fourth seed a surprise, but the American’s game is so well suited to the grass. His big serve, huge forehand, athleticism and sharp hands at the net make him a major threat if he brings his A-game. He reached the quarters last year and should be aiming to go a couple steps further.

Things I’d like to see…

Greedy players should be showing their appreciation for Wimbledon’s 20 per cent annual increase in prize money, rather than biting the hand that feeds them by restricting their interview appearances.

It might be too much to ask for a repeat of Maja Chwalinska’s extraordinary run from qualifying to the French Open final, but I would love to see someone go from qualifying and earn a few significant wins. The British crowd is always so good at rooting for the underdog and it would be good to see an upset or two.

Stan Wawrinka winning a couple of matches during his final appearance in SW19.

For Serena Williams to reach the third round and play Iga Swiatek. Then we will get a real look at whether this comeback is here for the long term.