Wimbledon 2021: Who will win, odds, favourites and schedule

The grass-court Grand Slam is back after it was postponed in 2020

Novak Djokovic will be back at Wimbledon aiming for a sixth title (PA Archive)

After a two year absence, Wimbledon is back.

The tennis championships makes its return to the British sporting calendar after it was postponed a year ago due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Novak Djokovic is aiming to defend his Wimbledon crown and win a record-equalling 20^th Grand Slam men’s title. Having lifted the past two Wimbledon men’s singles titles and claimed both the Australian Open and French Open already in 2021, the Serb is the overwhelming favourite to lift the trophy again on Sunday 11 July.

“I have put myself in a good position to go for the Golden Slam (all four majors plus Olympic gold in a single year). I don’t have an issue to say that I’m going for the title in Wimbledon,” the 34-year-old said. “Of course I am.”

There will be a new champion in the women’s bracket, as Romanian Simona Halep was forced to withdraw with a calf injury, joining four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka and Spanish great Rafael Nadal on the sidelines. Seeing a new name on a women’s Grand slam trophy would not be a surprise – there have been 13 different winners in the past 17 majors.

After losing to Halep in the 2019 final and falling to Angelique Kerber the year before, Serena Williams is back and vying for a record-equalling 24^th Grand Slam singles title – but the 40-year-old will have to get through world number one Ashleigh Barty and Poland’s Iga Swiatek, who won the French Open in 2020.

There are reasons to watch the grass-court extravaganza even with so many absent big names. Two-time champion Andy Murray will make his long-awaited and highly anticipated comeback in Wimbledon singles. The former world number one has not competed in the singles competition since 2017 due to injury and the pandemic.

In Johanna Konta, Dan Evans and Cameron Norrie, there will also be three British singles players seeded for the first time since 1978.

The tournament is also part of the government’s Event Research Programme, meaning it will operate at 50% capacity across the grounds before building to full capacity of 15,000 on Centre Court for the finals weekend.

When is Wimbledon on?

Coverage will be on the BBC from Monday 28 June, where play will begin on the outside courts from 11:00am BST with Djokovic opening up Centre Court as tradition dictates at 1:30pm.

Who are the favourites?

In the men’s single draw, it is difficult to look past Djokovic drawing level with Nadal and Roger Federer on 20 Grand Slams, particularly with the Spaniard absent. The likes of Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev will all threaten while Matteo Berrettini showed off his strong serve to win Queen’s. Don’t count Federer out either.

In the women’s singles bracket, established names like Williams and Barty will lead the pack, along with two-time champion Petra Kvitova and 2017 winner Garbine Muguruza. Like the men’s half, young names will be itching to leave their mark and win Wimbledon including Aryna Sabalenka (23), Iga Swiatek (20) and American Cori Gauff (17), who stunned Venus Williams in the first round two years ago when she was just 15.

Odds

Wimbledon men’s singles winner

Novak Djokovic 5/6

Daniil Medvedev 7/1

Stefanos Tsitsipas 7/1

Roger Federer 9/1

Matteo Berrettini 11/1

Wimbledon women’s singles winner

Serena Williams 6/1

Ashleigh Barty 7/1

Aryna Sabalenka 10/1

Petra Kvitova 12/1

Garine Muguruza 12/1