The Next Wimbledon Champions? Part 3- Wawrinka, Konta, Kyrgios, Muguruza, Djokovic
The last of our possible Wimbledon champions have been chosen. Some of these names are familiar, some may not be, and although it has been tough to select the final names that go on this list, there are some inherent reasons to why they are considered to be some of the stronger contenders this year.
Wawrinka: It would be a mistake to ever consider Stan the Man out of the run at any of the Grand Slams, especially after he manages to reach the finals at Roland Garros, losing to Nadal, a player who every one knows is short of a freak of nature on clay. Stan the Man is also renowned for playing much better at Grand Slams than he does at other tournaments, and with there being a power vacuum that hasn’t been seen in a while in men’s tennis, he is bound to take advantage of this opportunity.
Although Wawrinka has yet to win a Wimbledon title, there is no doubt that his strong baseline style of play, serves, and all court game if he chooses to use it, will help him tremendously. The sheer force and push of his balls is enough to throw many opponents of their game, and push them far behind the baseline, an advantage that will be useful if paired with a low cutting slice, or an out of the blue drop shot.
If Wawrinka is able to control his errors and use his slices and drop shots wisely, he will be a dominating force on grass. It is important though for him to remain mentally stable and not make silly mistakes like he did in the French Open Final.
Konta: Konta, Britain’s number one tennis player is on the rise and may be a serious threat for the Wimbledon title. The home ground should give her an advantage. She will be cheered for, she will know the courts, and she should feel comfortable with where she is. On the flip side, just like Murray, she may experience large amounts of pressure and stress from not only the expectations of a country, but also from a large amount of media coverage. Konta however, is far from mentally weak and should be able to handle the pressure well.
Konta has a game style that suits the hard and fast courts, and the player herself has acknowledged that the faster courts are better for her. Grass may then be a surface that will suit her. She also has a very fast and aggressive playing style, and though she may lack in power, she makes up for it by striking the ball earlier than her peers, enabling her to take control of the points. This strategy is bound to prove fruitful on grass.
Konta recently reached the finals of the Nottingham Open, losing in three sets close sets to Donna Vekic, which shows that she has had enough practice on grass, and is mentally ready to compete at Wimbledon. The rest of the draw should watch out for this one.
Kyrgios: Okay, Kyrgios here is more of an honorable mention. He has the skill and the talent. He is capable of winning if he actually puts his mind to it and actually wants to win. The major problem though is that he hasn’t exactly been performing well of late, and he seems to be hassled by injuries no matter where he goes.
In fact, he just retired at the Queen’s Club Championship in the Round of 32 against Donald Young after losing the first set, and claims to be recuperating so that he can strike at Wimbledon. Kyrgios has the serves, the power, and the aggressive nature that you need to win, and if he can control himself he is likely to do extremely well. Balance is exactly what Kyrgios will have to display, both mentally and physically.
It is possible, which is why he is mentioned on the list, but Kyrgios really needs to get himself together.
Muguruza: Muguruza has a playing style that differs from most of her Spanish peers, in the sense that her game does not have that much top spin, and is not defensive. Instead, she has managed to use her height to formulate an aggressive and attacking game. It is very high risk, and at times she can be rather erratic, making more errors than she should, therefore losing her advantages, but when she is able to control her mistakes, Muguruza is an exceptionally strong player.
Her playing style is well suited for the fast surfaces of grass, and she definitely has the mental fortitude to withstand the pressure and length of Grand Slams, since she has one Roland Garros title to her name. Muguruza has been performing consistently well, and has reached the quarterfinals of the Birmingham Classic, where she will be playing Coco Vandeweghe. Already, Muguruza’s preparations for Wimbledon are well under way.
It would not be surprising if she managed to change her Grand Slam count from one to two.
Djokovic: Djokovic hasn’t been having the best of season, in fact he has been having one of the worst seasons he’s seen in quiet some time, and although he hasn’t been playing his best tennis, but you never know exactly when he is going to bounce back.
Djokovic is still a lingering threat as long as he is playing at any tournament. Just the amount of experience and mental strength that he can exude is enough to win matches, even when he feels that his game has reached an all time low.
Djokovic’s game style is known to everyone, a game that is known for consistency and being like a wall, and while there may be some cracks and dents here and there, the wall is still not broken.
And here we come to an end to our prospective Wimbledon champions, names to look out for, and underdogs who may just become the people to beat. Things will only be sure once Wimbledon begins.