As a child, Novak Djokovic always dreamed of winning Wimbledon above all the grand slams, despite not setting foot on a grass court until the age of 17.
Despite being a latecomer to the surface, it is here where he has found himself perhaps most at ease.
He last lost a match on Centre Court in the 2013 final against Andy Murray, and it is hard to look much beyond him as the men’s singles winner at the end of the coming fortnight.
Doing so would mean a fifth straight title at SW19 and put him level with Roger Federer in the record books with eight Wimbledon crowns. It would also complete part three of the calendar slam, something he has long aspired to but never managed to pull off.
The 36-year-old’s performance in winning the French Open was akin to turning back the clock, his movement on court, not to mention his staying power, suggesting there are plenty more additions to come to his current 23 grand slam titles.
The clay has always been his weakest surface, the one where he is most prone to an early exit. Wimbledon is the antithesis.
The first man on Centre Court today against Pedro Cachin, Djokovic has already spoken of damage limitation in the opening week.
Of that ambition, he said: “I have had plenty of grand slams where I pretty much dominate the early rounds. I don’t want to spend too much energy.”
As ever, his warm-up to Wimbledon has been limited. After Paris, he took time off with his family, and his sole playing time on the grass has been some exhibition tennis in London at the Hurlingham Club last week.
And yet he always arrives at Wimbledon as though immediately at ease on the grass. His coach, Goran Ivanisevic, alluded to his grand slam mindset after the Roland Garros win, saying how Djokovic was an entirely different beast in his mental approach to the slams.
It is bizarre to think he ever struggled at Wimbledon. Asked about his mastery of the grass in the tournament build-up, he said: “I never played on the grass courts before I was 17 but I always dreamed of winning Wimbledon. That was always a goal. When I started playing on grass for the first few years, I actually thought I was doing pretty well. I got to the top 100 in the world for the first time here at Wimbledon.
“Then, for several years, I did struggle to really take my game on the grass courts to the next level, because naturally for me it feels better to slide. So, I had to learn to move, how to walk, how to play, how to read the bounces. It does take time more than any other surface to really get used to it.”
Perhaps his biggest threat is a man who is still trying to get to grips with it in Carlos Alcaraz.
In Paris, the Spaniard had been tipped to topple Djokovic only for cramping to deny him in what was shaping up to be a classic semi-final. But the 20-year-old, who claimed to have no expectations on the grass when he arrived in London after the French, is now the Queen’s champion and believes he poses the biggest threat to Djokovic.
The pair are scheduled to meet in the final, and Alcaraz has his work cut out — along with his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero — to work out how to unpick Djokovic.
Alcaraz said: “On grass, he does things really easy. He moves really well, he hits the ball cleanly. It’s a mix of everything. I would say that he doesn’t do anything wrong and it’s tough to find some weaknesses.”
Unlike in the men’s tournament, there is no overwhelming favourite in the women’s.
British hopes will rest primarily with Cameron Norrie, a semi-finalist last year, and Andy Murray, who has long spoken of his desire for run deep into the second week this year.
Unlike in the men’s tournament, there is no overwhelming favourite in the women’s.
Iga Swiatek is clearly the dominant force in the women’s game but is yet to look fully comfortable on grass — although one suspects that will come in time. Plus, she was nursing a stomach bug at the end of last week.
Defending champion Elena Rybakina has been struggling with an illness herself since the French Open but has been practising regularly over the last week at Wimbledon.
Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka ought to be in contention, so too former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova. Both have looked good in 2023, while fans’ favourite Coco Gauff appears to be returning to form at just the right time.
