Felix Auger-Aliassime (Canada)
As the youngest player to crack the top 25 since former Wimbledon champion Lleyton Hewitt in 1999, Felix Auger-Aliassime is on a tear. A year ago, the Canadian was ranked outside the top 150 but a breakout 2019 has the 18-year-old poised to make a splash at SW19. Auger-Aliassime made his third tour final in Stuttgart leading in and went on to become the youngest semi-finalist at Queen’s in two decades, posting wins over the likes of Stefanos Tsitsipas, Nick Kyrgios and Grigor Dimitrov. Seeded No.19, he opens against compatriot Vasek Pospisil, a player he defeated at Indian Wells last year.
Alexei Popyrin (Australia)
Rising Australian Alexei Popyrin did it the hard way, winning through three rounds of qualifying to book his Wimbledon main draw berth. Last week, the 19-year-old became only the third teenager to be currently ranked in the top 100. Before June, the Sydney-born teen had not played a match on grass since his junior days three years ago but went on to push former Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic in the opening round in Stuttgart. With former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash called in to hone his grass court game, Popyrin is prepared to make his mark early when he meets Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta in the first round.
Miomir Kecmanovic (Serbia)
The second-youngest player in the top 100, Miomir Kecmanovic heads the next generation of Serbian stars. The 19-year-old will rise to a career-high world No.67 on Monday after reaching his first tour final in Antalya on grass on Friday, in a match which he held championship point before falling to Lorenzo Sonego. Kecmanovic attributes a training with the Serbian Davis Cup team ahead of a quarter-final against Great Britain three years ago for helping him finish 2016 as the world’s top-ranked junior. He faces Roberto Carballes Baena in his Wimbledon debut.
Corentin Moutet (France)
The second of the French 20-year-olds in the top 100 – also left-handed – Corentin Moutet enjoyed a breakout run at his home Grand Slam last month when he reached the third round. He came up short against Argentine Juan Ignacio Londero in five sets on the Parisian clay but soon found his feet on grass as he won through three rounds of qualifying to book his first Wimbledon main draw berth. The poetry-loving Frenchman takes on former world No.3 and Wimbledon semi-finalist Grigor Dimitrov first.
Ugo Humbert (France)
One of two French 20-year-olds in the top 100, the left-handed Ugo Humbert reached his first tour semi-final in Marseille in February, when he pulled off an upset of then world No.13 Croatian Borna Coric en route. The Frenchman won through qualifying to make his Grand Slam debut at last year’s US Open, where he won a round and took a set off Stan Wawrinka. He came up short in the opening round of this year’s Australian Open to compatriot Jeremy Chardy in the first match decided by an AO super tie-break in January. Humbert faces No.16 seed and countryman Gael Monfils in the first round.
Casper Ruud (Norway)
Casper Ruud has family history to draw on as the lone Norwegian in the top 300. The 20-year-old’s coach and father, Christian Ruud, was also the sole flag-bearer for the Nordic nation throughout his career. On Tuesday, Ruud will attempt to do something Dad never managed in five attempts – passing the first round at Wimbledon. The world No.60, who skipped grass court lead-up events for a clay court Challenger in the Czech Republic faces a tough opener against last year’s semi-finalist John Isner.
Lloyd Harris (South Africa)
Following his run to a maiden Wimbledon final last year, Kevin Anderson hoped his run would one day inspire a fellow South African to achieve the same. Cape Town’s 22-year-old Lloyd Harris is one such prospect who will be scanning intently the replays of his more established compatriot’s quarter-final upset of Roger Federer at last year’s Championships. Harris has been practising with Anderson at the All England Club this week and will make his Wimbledon debut against eight-time champion Federer on Tuesday. Harris won his first Grand Slam main draw match at Roland-Garros against Lukas Rosol.
Reilly Opelka (United States)
The equal tallest player on tour – that’s 6ft 11in – and 2015 Wimbledon boys’ singles champion makes his long-awaited main draw debut this year, having fallen in qualifying last year. The 21-year-old contested his first Grand Slam at this year’s Australian Open where he felled countryman John Isner for the second top 10 win of his career. He repeated his upset of Isner en route to his maiden tour title at the New York Open a month later, which prompted US super coach Paul Annacone’s assessment that Opelka was destined for the top 20 given his serve. He meets Germany’s Cedrik-Marcel Stebe first.
