2025 Wimbledon - Gentlemen’s Singles Preview

2025 Wimbledon - Gentlemen’s Singles Preview 

The following is my prediction of how my predicted Gentlemen’s Singles semi finalists at this year’s Wimbledon will fare.

The four who have been given my green light to semi final delight, or rather the dreaded curse of this writer’s selection, are:

Jannik Sinner 

Novak Djokovic 

Daniil Medvedev 

Carlos Alcaras

The journey of Sinner is where we start.

The world number one, and top seed, is still reeling from his fifth straight loss to Alcaras, this time from two sets up in the Roland Garros final.

A bitter pill to swallow.

Carlos isn’t an immediate concern on the Wimbledon grass - he could be waiting on the other side of the net on the second Sunday.

Although Sinner’s Wimbledon history doesn’t all that bode well - best is a semi final in 2023, and he lost to Medvedev last year in the quarters,

The draw is potentially more kind in 2025.

First up is Luca Nardi - never made it past the first round here.

Then either Tseng Chun-hsin - same story, or Aleksandar Vukic - has beaten him both times they’ve met.

Drawn to play Canadian Denis Shapovalov in the third round, and Shapovalov has won the only time they played.

First round Australian Open in 2021. Dismiss that since Sinner has won the past two Australian Opens.

Round of sixteen throws up some interesting possibilities - Grigor Dimitrov (19) is a former semi finalist - extremely former -2014

Now the Bulgarian just makes fourth round exits - eg 2024 and 2025

In this section is unseeded Corentin Moutet. The Frenchman has just made the final on the Mallorca grass. 

Tommy Paul (13) also appears, his best Wimbledon last year’s qualifier final, dumped by the champion Carlos.

Lorenzo Musetti (7) was a surprise semi finalist last year and a crowd favourite, but Sinner will not play favourites when they surely will meet in a quarter final this year.

So as the Smiling Italian assassin says a farewell to all his tearful victims on his road to the semis, it’s time to say hello to his 2025 Roland Garros semi final prey -  the pension pushing master in the twilight of a reasonable career Novak Djokovic (6).

Carlos has had the measure of the old man in the past couple of Wimbledons and luckily it’s the Italian and not the Spaniard who Novak will be facing, if not returning serve, in the aperitif to the main course, that which is dined in the second week on centre court.

First for Djokovic is Alexandre Müller - played him once and beat him.

Two wildcard Brits battle for the right to lose in round two.

Funnily enough, Evans won against Djokovic on clay in 2021.

Djokovic will have the chance to even the score.

Jay Clarke will satisfy himself that he will still not have lost to the great man, having not met him on court.

After settling the debt with Evans, third round will logically be a match against American Alex Michelsen (30), a semi finalist in Mallorca.

Although Alex de Minaur (11) has been out of form, he is the pick of his section of the draw, and should be the round of sixteen opponent for Djokovic.

Unfortunately, de Minaur was forced out of a quarter final with Djokovic in last years Wimbledon through injury. He had earlier in the year claimed his most significant career victory in the United Cup, over the very Novak.

The demon poses a more angelic posture for the joker to polish off and advance to the quarters.

Jack Draper (4) is the shining star of British tennis and should be a Wimbledon quarter finalist. Jack was only six when Novak won his first Grams Slam title, and just nine when Novak lifted his first Wimbledon crown.

Draper has two second rounds and a first round (2021 loss to Djokovic) to brag about from Wimbledon, but he did improve his major results at the US Open with a semi final last year.

Djokovic will nevertheless repeat his Wimbledon success from four years ago, and eliminate Draper, only a little later in the process.

Djokovic into another semi, his 14th here.

Daniil Medvedev (9) was the Wimbledon semi finalist defeated by eventual champion Alcaraz in both 2023 and 2024.

Why should he be considered one of the final four again this year ?

Well that is a stat worth noting for starters.

Despite being title less this year, Medvedev has found form on grass, defeating Zverev in the Halle semis, before falling to Alexander Bublik in the final.

He opens against Benjamin Bonzi, who he lost to eight years ago on clay in Roland Garros. Grass here and Daniil won’t recall that misdemeanour.

Second round should be Aussie Jordan Thompson - never played.

After dispatching him, another Australian will be a tougher test.

Alexei Popyrin (20) has defeated the Russian once in five attempts - the 2024 Paris Masters.

The first clash between the pair happened six years ago in the second round of Wimbledon, and Medvedev will relive that fond memory.

Two potential riveting moments of the tournament come in successive matches featuring Medvedev. Round of sixteen - he must overcome Taylor Fritz (4), currently in the Eastbourne final.

Then in the quarters its Alexander Zverev (3).

1-1 in matches against Fritz, the American winning a round robin clash in last year’s ATP finals.

The Zverev rivalry extends to 20 matches, with Medvedev winning 13, including the last five.

Daniil, even with some super hurdles to jump, will land in his third Wimbledon semi.

Who will Medvedev face in the semis ?

As fate will dictate, Carlos Alcaraz (2) is also in the bottom half of the draw, and it is my precarious expectation that those two will again meet and fight for a spot in the final.

Carlos begins with a win over Fabio Fognini - he has a 2-0 winning record over the Italian.

Then it’s the best of a group of qualifiers, before a third round against potentially Félix Auger-Aliassime (25).

Félix in head to head won the first three (2021-2022). Carlos has won the past four, three in 2024.

Round of,sixteen a clash, according to the draw, with either Andrey Rublev (14) or Stefanos Tsitsipas (24).

I’d prefer Rublev, since he won the Halle tournament - ideal preparation.

Holger Rune (8) was a Wimbledon quarter finalist in 2023, and that is as far as he will go after,Carlos deals, with him 

Semi final predictions:

Jannik Sinner (1) defeats Novak Djokovic (6)

Carlos Alcaraz (2) defeats Daniil Medvedev (9)

Final prediction:

Carlos Alcaraz (2)  defeats Jannik Sinner (1)