Wimbledon 2024: Sinner with Alcaraz, Medvedev, Ruud and Dimitrov, Djokovic with Zverev, Rublev, Hurkacz and De Minaur
We've been saying it for weeks: the ATP circuit is opening up, and the tournaments are becoming less and less closed.
However, as was the case at the French Open in June, this 2024 edition of Wimbledon promises to be particularly indecisive. Well, to say the least, the draw has turned up the heat.
While both halves of the draw appear to be fairly tight, the top half of the draw - Sinner's - is perhaps even more difficult than Djokovic's.
Jannik Sinner will have to play his very best tennis if he is to win a second Grand Slam title.
After a seemingly straightforward first match, he could well be put to the test in the second round with a potential duel against Matteo Berrettini, a finalist here in 2021.
In the second week, the games are fairly open, but he will probably have to face the likes of Shelton, Shapovalov or Jarry (in the Round of 16).
From the quarter-finals onwards, it's a real obstacle course, theoretically. First of all, he could face one of the main outsiders at this Wimbledon: Grigor Dimitrov. For a place in the final, he is likely to face another tough opponent, as he could come up against Alcaraz, Paul, Bublik or Ruud.
So, if the world number 1 wants to reach the Wimbledon final, he has no choice but to play his best tennis.
In the bottom half of the draw, Djokovic has been a little more spared, but he can't afford to fall asleep either. After opening matches that were well within his reach, things could well get tougher.
He could face Holger Rune or Karen Khachanov in his fourth match, before potentially facing De Minaur or Hurkacz in the quarters and Rublev, Tsitsipas or Zverev in the semis.
Whichever of the two players makes the final in just over two weeks' time, it is certain that they will have sold their skins dearly.
And given the current instability in men's tennis, it's highly likely that there will be plenty of surprises and exploits to shake up this third round of Grand Slam matches. Hostilities begin in just under three days' time.