Wimbledon 2025 is set to captivate tennis fans as the tournament kicks off today at the All England Club. With Carlos Alcaraz absent due to a wrist injury, the spotlight falls on returning legends, British hopes, and technological controversies.
Serena Williams Returns After Four-Year Absence
Serena Williams, now 44, makes a highly anticipated return to SW19, playing both singles and doubles alongside her sister Venus. She received a wildcard into the singles draw and faces world No. 53 Maya Joint in the first round. Her serve has looked sharp in warm-up events, but questions linger about her movement against elite opponents. A potential third-round clash with defending champion Iga Swiatek looms. Williams last won a singles match at Wimbledon in 2019.
Andy Murray Joins Jack Draper's Coaching Team
Andy Murray, the 2013 Wimbledon champion, is expected to be in Jack Draper's coaching box for the first time since his own title win. The partnership has been developing at the National Tennis Centre, though Draper's injury issues have limited competitive play. Draper, 24, has never advanced past the second round at Wimbledon and faces a tough first-round match against sixth seed Taylor Fritz, a semi-finalist in 2024.
Novak Djokovic's Best Chance at Grand Slam No. 25
Novak Djokovic, a seven-time Wimbledon champion, enters as the seventh seed and sees the grass courts as his prime opportunity to secure a 25th major title, especially with Alcaraz out. He has not played since a third-round loss at the French Open to Joao Fonseca, whom he could face again in the fourth round. Djokovic would avoid Jannik Sinner until the semi-finals. Since 2016, only Alcaraz and Sinner have beaten him at Wimbledon in completed matches.
Electric Line Calling Faces Scrutiny After Glitches
Wimbledon adopted Electronic Line Calling (ELC) last year, replacing line judges after 147 years. However, the system faced issues, including being accidentally switched off during a match between Sonay Kartal and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova on Centre Court, leading to a controversial call. Pavlyuchenkova said, "They stole the game from me. They stole it." Emma Raducanu called the technology "dodgy," and Belinda Bencic said players "don't trust it." During qualifying, a power outage caused by heat halted play for nearly 90 minutes at Roehampton. Cooler temperatures are forecast, and organizers are confident of smoother operations.
