Five storylines to watch at 2025 Wimbledon

The 2025 Wimbledon kicks off on Monday, June 30, and will run through Sunday, July 13. Carlos Alcaraz is trying to become the fourth man in the Open Era to three-peat at the Championships, and the first since Bjorn Borg to complete the Roland Garros-Wimbledon double in consecutive years. 

Since all eyes will be on the Spaniard, here are five non-Alcaraz storylines to watch over the next few weeks:

Is the GOAT entering his final Wimbledon?

Novak Djokovic has lost four matches at majors to Jannik Sinner and Alcaraz over the past 18 months, proving he's unable to keep pace with the sport's dominant new duo. Following his loss to Sinner at Roland-Garros, he sent shockwaves through the tennis world by hinting he may have played his final French Open. Knowing Djokovic, he's not the sort to make such statements unless he genuinely believes the end is nigh. 

The seven-time Wimbledon champion — and indisputable GOAT (greatest of all time) of men's tennis — has nothing left to prove, but it'd be a shame to see him not reach at least one more major final. Even fans at the All England's Tennis Club, with whom he's had a rocky relationship for years, would welcome one final hurrah. As the sixth seed — his lowest since 2018 — Djokovic will have a challenging path, with potential clashes against Jack Draper in the QF, Sinner in the SF and Alcaraz in the final.

Can Coco Gauff break through on grass?

The 21-year-old American has been dominant on hard and clay courts, but her problems on grass persist. Fresh off her maiden French Open title, she lost in the first round to Xinyu Wang at Berlin, her only grass-court event in preparation for The Championships. 

Last year, Gauff lost in the fourth round at Wimbledon, a year after being ousted in the opening tie by fellow American Sofia Kenin. She has never advanced past the fourth round at SW19. Many believe she'll need to make adjustments to her game, specifically using less topspin and incorporating more volley strokes, to improve her chances on grass. She is slated to run into Iga Swiatek in the quarters if the two women make it that far. 

The same question applies to Sinner...

The World No. 1 has won three of the last six majors — two Australian and one U.S. Open — all on hard courts, but his performances on grass leave a lot to be desired. Recent results include a second-round loss at Halle last week and a QF loss at last year's Wimbledon. If the Italian truly wants to continue on his trajectory as an all-time great, he must make a deeper run at Wimbledon, or else risk being labeled a one-court specialist. 

The likes of Djokovic and Rafael Nadal struggled on the grass-court major in their early years but eventually captured multiple titles at SW19. He has a relatively easy path before potentially facing Ben Shelton or Lorenzo Musetti in the QF, and either Draper or Djokovic in the SF.   

Is Bublik's Cinderella run for real?

No player is a bigger wild card at Wimbledon than World No. 30 Alexander Bublik, who had a losing record on the Tour before winning the recent Halle title, where he stunned Sinner and Daniil Medvedev, shortly after reaching the final eight at the French Open. He has the serve and shot-making to challenge anyone on grass. 

Some have questioned his drive to be great. At 28, he's likely starting to realize it's now or never. In 2023, he pushed Andrey Rublev to five sets in the fourth round, his best finish at SW19. He has the momentum to go further this year. Watch out for a potential Bublik vs. Draper match in the third round, the most anticipated men's tie of the first week. 

Put up or shut up time for Taylor Fritz

Among top-ranked players, the World No. 5 played the most events in this year's grass-court swing, besting Alexander Zverev in the Stuttgart Open final, going three rounds at Queen's Club, and making another deep run at Eastbourne. Will his preparation meet the opportunity on the biggest stage? Despite his affinity for grass, he has never advanced past the final eight at the Championships. 

The American is likely still haunted by painful memories of his QF defeat to Mussetti last year, when he failed to convert on three set points before losing in five sets. He proved naysayers wrong by reaching the final of last year's U.S. Open. The stage is set for him to shock the world again. At 27, he won't get many more chances.