Misc Tennis

Wimbledon 2023: When does it start? Who is playing? All you need to know

Elena Rybakina with the Wimbledon women's trophy in 2022

Elena Rybakina won her first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2022

Wimbledon is just around the corner, with the best players in the world already beginning their grass-court preparations.

BBC Sport rounds up all you need to know about this year’s tournament.

When is Wimbledon?

Wimbledon takes place from 3 to 16 July at the All England Club in London.

This year’s tournament will be the 136th edition of the Championships. The women’s singles final takes place on Saturday, 15 July, with the men’s final on the Sunday.

Who is playing?

World number one and defending champion Novak Djokovic will be seeking an eighth men’s singles Wimbledon title to equal Roger Federer’s record.

The Serb is also on course for a calendar Grand Slam – where a player wins all four of the majors in the same year – having already won the Australian Open and French Open.

Challengers for the title could include last year’s runner-up Nick Kyrgios, US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz and rising star Holger Rune.

In the women’s draw, Elena Rybakina will be aiming to defend her title from last year, but will face tough competition from Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka.

World number one and French Open winner Iga Swiatek will also be in contention, along with 2022 runner-up Ons Jabeur and American Coco Gauff.

Which British players are competing?

Cameron Norrie is the highest-ranked British player in either singles draw and made the semi-finals at the All England Club last year.

He is joined by two-time champion Andy Murray, who is enjoying some good grass-court form with back-to-back titles in Challenger events on the surface, and British number two Dan Evans.

There will be no Emma Raducanu in the women’s draw, with the Briton continuing her recovery from hand and ankle surgery.

Katie Boulter is the British women’s number one but, as she was outside the top 100 when the entry list was drawn up, has had to rely on a wildcard to compete at Wimbledon. Harriet Dart, Heather Watson, Jodie Burrage and Katie Swan have also received wildcards to the main draw.

There were also wildcards for Britons Liam Broady,Jan Choinski, Arthur Fery, George Loffhagen and Ryan Peniston in the men’s singles main draw.

A wildcard gives players direct entry to either the main draw or qualifying. To qualify, lower-ranked players need to win three matches to reach the main draw.

There will also be a strong British contingent in the doubles, with Neal Skupski, Joe Salisbury and Lloyd Glasspool ranked among the world’s top 10 men’s…

Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at BBC Sport – Tennis…