The Wimbledon 2021 men's singles draw revealed a host of exciting opening match-ups. Here are five must-see first rounds coming up on Monday and Tuesday at SW19.
Nick Kyrgios v Ugo Humbert
Australia's Nick Kyrgios has played just six singles matches this year and one of them was a thrilling 5-7, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(2), 6-4 victory over Ugo Humbert in the second round of the Australian Open in February.
Kyrgios, a quarter-finalist at Wimbledon in 2014, is making his first trip outside Australia since the pandemic suspended the Tour in March 2020.
Formerly ranked as high as No.13 in the world but currently down to No.61 due to inactivity, Kyrgios will take on an in-form Humbert, who clinched the title on the grass courts of Halle just last week.
The French lefty, seeded 21 this fortnight, is already a three-time title winner at the age of 22. Between Kyrgios’ firepower, showmanship and grass court prowess, and Humbert’s sizzling form and brutal shot-making, this first round is not to be missed.
Stefanos Tsitsipas v Frances Tiafoe
No.3 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas faces a tricky opener against American world No.56 Frances Tiafoe, whose grass court campaign in the build-up to The Championships included a title run at the Nottingham Challenger and a quarter-final appearance at Queen's.
The duo have never squared off at tour level in a main draw, but the Greek world No.4 owns two victories over Tiafoe – at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan in 2018, and in qualifying in Tokyo the year before.
Tsitsipas has made the semi-finals or better in his last three Grand Slam outings, including a runner-up finish at Roland-Garros earlier this month, while Tiafoe’s best result at a Grand Slam was reaching the quarter-finals at the 2019 Australian Open.
Novak Djokovic v Jack Draper
What an opportunity this will be for British teenager Jack Draper to kick off Centre Court play at Wimbledon on Monday against champion and world No.1 Novak Djokovic.
The 19-year-old wild card, ranked a career-high 250 in the world, notched two impressive top-40 victories over Jannik Sinner and Alexander Bublik en route to the quarter-finals at Queens last week.
It will no doubt be a Wimbledon main draw debut to remember for Draper, who was a runner-up in boys’ singles at The Championships in 2018.
Djokovic, a five-time winner at SW19, is looking to equal Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal’s all-time men’s record of 20 Grand Slams won this fortnight, having picked up his 19th major at Roland-Garros earlier this month.
Roger Federer v Adrian Mannarino
Roger Federer’s chase for a record-extending ninth Wimbledon crown and a 21st Grand Slam trophy begins with a potentially complicated test against French lefty Adrian Mannarino.
Federer, who has contested just eight matches in 2021, did not have the warm-up he would have hoped for ahead of Wimbledon as he fell to Felix Auger-Aliassime in the second round in Halle.
The Swiss No.6 seed owns a clean 6-0 head-to-head record against Mannarino – including two wins at Wimbledon – but France's world No.42 can be a serious threat on grass, and has made the last-16 stage at the Championships on three occasions.
Andy Murray v Nikoloz Basilashvili
Two-time champion Andy Murray has been handed a first meeting with No.24 seed Nikoloz Basilashvili, whose strong 2021 includes a title triumph in Munich last month, and a trip to the semi-finals – as a qualifier – in Halle last week.
Murray is playing singles at Wimbledon for the first time since 2017, having dealt with multiple hip surgeries over the past few years, and has only played five tour-level matches so far this season.
Basilashvili’s best previous result at Wimbledon came on his debut in 2015 when he made the third round, and he hasn’t advanced past the second round since.
Murray on the other hand boasts an impressive 85 per cent winning record at the All England Club (57-10 win-loss) and has reached the quarter-finals or better on each of his last 10 singles appearances here.
