LONDON: Alexander Zverev placed himself among the serious contenders for the Wimbledon title on Saturday, insisting that this year’s showpiece “is the most open in 20 years.”
The world number four has never got past the last 16 at the All England Club.
However, with Roger Federer retired, Rafael Nadal resting and both Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray carrying injuries, the 27-year-old predicts a power vacuum in south-west London.
“I think this is the most open Wimbledon Championship that we maybe had in 20 years in terms of favorites, in terms of potential winners,” said Zverev.
“I think there’s multiple guys who have a very decent chance of going deep and very decent chance of winning the tournament.
“I don’t think it has been like that for maybe 20 years since before Roger started playing, right? After Roger came Rafa, Novak, Andy. I really feel it’s different this year.”
Since Lleyton Hewitt claimed the 2002 Wimbledon title, the tournament was dominated by Federer (eight titles), Djokovic (seven), Nadal (two) and Murray (two).
Carlos Alcaraz’s victory over Djokovic in the 2023 championship match finally broke the ‘Big Four’ stranglehold.
Djokovic and Murray are 37 and both arrive at the tournament fresh from bouts of surgery — Djokovic on his right knee while Murray needed an operation to remove a cyst on his back.
“It’s the first time I really feel like I’m here to be a competitor, to maybe win the title,” said Zverev.
“I didn’t feel like that previous years when I came here. I didn’t feel like I was capable. I didn’t believe I was capable.”
Zverev has suffered two heart-breaking defeats in Grand Slam finals.
At the 2020 US Open, he surrendered a two sets lead against Dominic Thiem while at this year’s French Open, he slipped to a five-set loss to Alcaraz from two sets to one up.
His two fourth round losses at Wimbledon were also five-setters against Milos Raonic in 2017 and Felix Auger-Aliassime in 2023.
“This is a tournament where maybe I need a bit more luck and maybe a few things to go my way, a few things to happen,” he added.
“More than maybe at other Grand Slams. If those things all come into place, if all those things maybe go my way for once, do I believe I can win? Then yes, I can.”
Once his Wimbledon campaign is over, Zverev will return to Roland Garros in Paris to defend his Olympic title.
“The Olympics is probably the most difficult trophy to win in tennis for us because we have that tournament once every four years,” said Zverev.
“If you’re not performing during that week, you have to wait another four years. Where at Grand Slams or other events, we have multiple per year.”
Zverev says ‘most open Wimbledon in 20 years’
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Zverev says ‘most open Wimbledon in 20 years’

- The world number four has never got past the last 16 at the All England Club
- “I think this is the most open Wimbledon Championship that we maybe had in 20 years in terms of favorites, in terms of potential winners,” said Zverev
Three-time Grand Slam finalist Jabeur announces break from tennis

- Tunisia’s Jabeur has struggled with her form in recent months
- “Right now, I feel it’s time to take a step back and finally put myself first,” she said
TUNIS: Three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur is taking a break from competitive tennis, the 30-year-old said in a social media post on Thursday.
Tunisia’s Jabeur, the first Arab woman to reach a Grand Slam final, has struggled with her form in recent months, failing to get past the third round of a major this year.
The two-time Wimbledon finalist’s campaign came to a disappointing end at the All England Club last month as she retired from her first-round clash against Viktoriya Tomova, unable to continue after a long medical timeout.
The former world number two suffers from asthma and experienced breathing difficulties at this year’s Australian Open.
Jabeur, often called the ‘minister of happiness’ for her cheerful personality, said she was not feeling truly happy on the court.
“For the past two years, I’ve been pushing myself so hard, fighting through injuries and facing many other challenges. But deep down, I haven’t truly felt happy on the court for some time now,” she said in a statement.
“Tennis is such a beautiful sport. But right now, I feel it’s time to take a step back and finally put myself first: to breathe, to heal, and to rediscover the joy of simply living.”
Jabeur, married to former fencer Karim Kamoun, has also been open about her wish to start a family.
“Thank you to all my fans for understanding. Your support and love mean the world to me. I carry it with me always,” she added.
Scheffler ‘couldn’t care less’ about being British Open favorite

- The world number one has never seriously threatened to win a Claret Jug
- “I could not care any less about being the favorite or not being the favorite,” he said
PORTRUSH, UK: Scottie Scheffler said on Tuesday he does “not care” about being the tournament favorite as he prepares for his latest tilt at a maiden British Open title this week at Royal Portrush.
The world number one has never seriously threatened to win a Claret Jug, but is again enjoying a run of supreme form and arrives in Northern Ireland as the PGA champion.
The American has emphatically rebounded from a slow start to the year after suffering a freak hand injury cutting himself on a wine glass, reeling off 10 successive top-10 finishes including three victories.
“I could not care any less about being the favorite or not being the favorite,” he said.
“We all start even par and the tournament starts on Thursday. That’s pretty much all that matters.”
Scheffler produced his best British Open finish last year with a tie for seventh, but ended his tournament at Troon in ignominious style with an embarrassing topped tee shot on the 18th en route to a closing double-bogey.
He has never missed the cut at the links major before, though, and believes he has what it takes to lift the Claret Jug.
“In terms of links golf, I love the style of golf. I think it’s really fun and you have to be creative,” Scheffler added.
“You have to hit a lot of really good shots. There’s a challenge to it, but I think it’s a lot of fun.
“We’ll see how the weather turns out this week. Weather has a pretty dramatic effect on how the golf course is going to play.”
Scheffler won nine titles last season, including the Masters and the Olympic gold medal.
His third major title at the PGA Championship in May is one of his three victories so far this year, but he says he doesn’t set himself specific targets.
“I don’t look at wins and losses or stuff like that.
“I don’t sit down at the beginning of the year and say I want to win X number of times; I want to win this many majors; I want to win this many tournament events. That’s not something I do.
“That’s not something that works for me.”
Jannik Sinner: Quiet man of tennis basks in the limelight of Wimbledon glory

- Jannik Sinner is the quiet man of tennis who has become a big noise, burnishing his legacy on Sunday by winning his first Wimbledon title
LONDON: Jannik Sinner is the quiet man of tennis who has become a big noise, burnishing his legacy on Sunday by winning his first Wimbledon title.
The Italian beat his fierce rival Carlos Alcaraz 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in the latest instalment of their captivating rivalry to claim his fourth Grand Slam at the age of 23.
The pair are the new dominant forces in men’s tennis, sharing the past seven Grand Slams between them as the memory of the “Big Three” era fades.
While Alcaraz is the flashy showman of the game, adored by the fans for his high-risk, high-reward tennis, Sinner stays ice-cold on the court and mild-mannered off it.
His game is based on relentless power and accuracy from the baseline, resembling that of 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic.
The Italian is getting used to life at the top, reaching his fourth successive major final at Wimbledon this year — a run that started with the US Open last season.
Sinner defended his Australian Open title in Melbourne in January but his career was put on hold after that as he served a three-month ban for twice testing positive for banned anabolic steroid clostebol last year.
Sinner has always maintained the product entered his system unintentionally through a massage from his physiotherapist, who had used a spray containing it to treat a cut.
The World Anti-Doping Agency said “Sinner did not intend to cheat” but that he would serve his suspension as he is responsible for the actions of his entourage.
Sinner returned to the court in May, reaching the final of the Italian Open, where he was beaten by Alcaraz.
Next on his schedule was the French Open and again he reached the title match, this time suffering heartbreak as Alcaraz came back from two sets down, saving three match points to defend his title.
That gave the Spaniard an 8-4 lead in the rivalry between the pair and was his fifth straight win.
But the tables were turned on Sunday as Sinner showed impressive mental strength to come back after losing the first set.
Sinner was born in German-speaking San Candido, in northern Italy, near the border with Austria.
A career in professional tennis was not a given.
He was a champion skier as a youngster and still enjoys the sport in the off-season. He was also a keen footballer.
The right-hander, who stands six feet 3 inches (191 centimeters) tall, won his first title indoors in Sofia in 2020.
The 2024 season was his breakthrough year as he collected his first Grand Slam, the Australian Open, and followed up with seven other titles including the US Open.
He became world number one — and the first Italian to reach top spot — in June last year.
Sinner’s super-power is his extraordinary ability to stay calm on court.
“I know he’s just 23 years of age, but sometimes it feels like he’s much older and wiser than what we are,” said his coach Darren Cahill. “He’s an incredible young man.”
Sinner makes no secret of the fact that he loves the job he has chosen.
“I’m very lucky because tennis started off a hobby when I was young, and now it becomes my job,” he said.
“In my mind it’s still a hobby. I love to go on court and just play. There is no better place to do it than in big stadiums with packed crowd.”
Iga Swiatek destroys Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 to win first Wimbledon title

- Swiatek, 24, is just the second player in the Open era to win a major without losing a game in the final since Steffi Graf humbled Natalia Zvereva at the 1988 French Open
LONDON: Iga Swiatek demolished Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 in the most one-sided women’s Wimbledon final for 114 years to win her sixth Grand Slam title.
The Polish eighth seed was in charge from the first point and wrapped up victory in just 57 minutes in a brutal display of precision hitting on Center Court.
It is the first time a woman has won a final at Wimbledon without dropping a game since 1911, when Britain’s Dorothea Lambert Chambers triumphed by the same scoreline.
And Swiatek, 24, is just the second player in the Open era to win a major without losing a game in the final since Steffi Graf humbled Natalia Zvereva at the 1988 French Open.
“It seems super surreal,” said Swiatek, who is the first Wimbledon singles champion from Poland and has now won majors on all surfaces.
“I didn’t even dream, for me it was way too far. I feel like I am already an experienced player after winning the Slams before but I never expected this one.
“This year I really, really enjoyed it and feel I improved my form here.
“I am always going to remember the opening of champagne bottles between serves. It is a sound that will keep me awake at night.”
Swiatek lost just one set during the entire tournament as she won her first trophy on grass, two weeks after reaching the final of the grass-court event at Bad Homburg.
US 13th seed Anisimova was expected to prove a stern test after ousting world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals, but Swiatek performed a demolition job.
Anisimova made a nervous start in hot conditions on Center Court, with Catherine, Princess of Wales, watching from the Royal Box.
She was broken in the first game, soon slipping 2-0 behind and the signs looked ominous.
The American appeared to have found her feet in her next service game but the merciless Swiatek refused to give ground and recovered to move 3-0 ahead when Anisimova double-faulted.
At 4-0 down Anisimova was facing a first-set wipe-out but she was powerless to halt the rampant Swiatek, who sealed the opener 6-0 in just 25 minutes.
The American won just six points on her serve in the first set and committed 14 unforced errors.
An increasingly desperate Anisimova could not stem the tide in the second set, double-faulting again in the third game to give her opponent game point and then netting a backhand.
The crowd got behind her but to no avail as Swiatek kept up her level, serving out to win and celebrating before consoling her devastated opponent.
Anisimova made 28 unforced errors in the 12 games.
Swiatek is Wimbledon’s eighth consecutive first-time women’s champion since Serena Williams won her seventh and final title at the All England Club in 2016.
She has won all six major finals in which she has competed.
Swiatek, who now has 100 career Grand Slam match wins, has won the French Open four times and also the US Open, in 2022.
Her previous best performance at Wimbledon was a run to the quarter-finals in 2023.
The distraught Anisimova left court briefly before returning for the trophy presentation.
The American, who lost in qualifying last year, broke down in tears again during her speech on court, calling Swiatek an “incredible player.”
“I know I didn’t have enough today but I’ll keep putting in the work,” she said.
“I keep believing in myself and I hope to be back here one day. Thank you everyone.”
Swiatek and Anisimova battle to be new queen of Wimbledon

- Five-time Grand Slam winner Swiatek had previously never gone beyond the quarter-finals at the All England Club
- No player has retained the crown since the now-retired Serena Williams won her seventh and final Wimbledon title in 2016
LONDON: Iga Swiatek and Amanda Anisimova clash in the Wimbledon final on Saturday with a new women’s champion guaranteed for the eighth consecutive year.
Five-time Grand Slam winner Swiatek had previously never gone beyond the quarter-finals at the All England Club while US 13th seed Anisimova is preparing for her first major final.
No player has retained the crown since the now-retired Serena Williams won her seventh and final Wimbledon title in 2016.
Aryna Sabalenka started as the hot favorite after reaching the past three Grand Slam finals but faltered in a gripping semifinal against Anisimova.
Poland’s Swiatek is seeded eighth at Wimbledon following a disappointing first half of the season, though she is back up to fourth in the rankings after reaching the final of the grass-court Bad Homburg tournament.
That run, together with her surge through the draw at All England Club, suggests the 24-year-old is cured of her grass-court allergy.
Initially she went under the radar at Wimbledon, with the focus on Sabalenka and French Open champion Coco Gauff, but she kept winning while the top seeds tumbled, dropping just one set on route to the final.
Swiatek brushed aside former Olympic champion Belinda Bencic 6-2, 6-0 in Thursday’s semifinal.
Four of her five Grand Slam titles have come on the clay of Roland Garros and she won the 2022 US Open on hard courts.
But she is finally showing an affinity with the lawns of Wimbledon, a development that has shocked even her.
“Honestly, I never even dreamed that it’s going to be possible for me to play in the final,” Swiatek said.
“So I’m just super-excited and proud of myself and, I don’t know, tennis keeps surprising me.
“I’ve been enjoying just this new feeling of being a bit more comfortable on grass.”
Swiatek has won all five of her Grand Slam finals, but standing in the way of a sixth major title and a cheque for $4 million (£3 million) is Anisimova.
The 23-year-old American shattered Sabalenka’s title bid with a shock 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 win on Thursday.
Anisimova has overcome many obstacles to make her maiden Grand Slam final.
She reached the French Open semifinals in 2019 at the age of just 17.
But in 2023 she took an eight-month break from the court for mental health reasons, tumbling out the top 400.
This time last year, she was on the comeback trail but was ranked too low to get into the Wimbledon main draw and fell in qualifying.
“If you told me I would be in the final of Wimbledon, I would not believe you. It’s indescribable to be honest,” she said.
Anisimova, whose parents emigrated from Russia in the 1990s, added: “I think it goes to show that it is possible.
“I think that’s a really special message that I think I’ve been able to show because when I took my break, a lot of people told me that you would never make it to the top again if you take so much time away from the game.”
Anisimova won the Qatar Open in February and showed she was comfortable on grass by reaching the Queen’s Club final in June.
She is guaranteed to reach the top 10 for the first time when the rankings are updated on Monday.
The two players have never met professionally, though they did face each other as juniors, with Swiatek coming out on top.
“I did lose that match against her, unfortunately,” said Anisimova. “I remember a lot of coaches were saying that she’s going to be a big deal one day. Obviously they were right.
“I’m sure it will be an amazing match. Getting to compete against an unbelievable player again is going to be super special.”