Wimbledon Predictions and Best Bets: The Ultimate Grass Court Challenge

• Defending champion Alcaraz a worthy favourite

• American Fritz has potential to end 25-year wait

• Can Shnaider land another ladies’ title upset?

The third - and arguably most prestigious - Grand Slam tournament of the season gets under way on Monday.

The grasscourts of Wimbledon require a different skillset to other surfaces - certainly the tennis you watch over the next fortnight will be played differently to that was on show at the recent French Open.

Carlos Alcaraz is a master of both, however, and he starts as favorite to win a third successive title in London but could there be one last hurrah for seven-time champion Novak Djokovic, who may be playing the event for the last time?

On the women’s side, Aryna Sabalenka is the market leader but she’s yet to make the Wimbledon final so perhaps former champion Elena Rybakina can reclaim her crown. Or will there be another champion at big odds, as was the case 12 months ago when Barbora Krejcikova stunned the sport?

Wimbledon Men’s Singles Picks

Most Likely Winner – Carlos Alcaraz (+125) at bet365

Alcaraz’s position as favorite is fully justified. He won this title in 2023 and 2024 and warmed up for this year’s tournament with victory on the grass at Queen’s Club recently. That success extended his winning run to a career-best 18 matches, one which took in the French Open title when, significantly, he again defeated arch rival Jannik Sinner. Alcaraz has now won five in a row at tour level against the world number one and the manner of that victory (the Spaniard saved three championship points) may also have inflicted some psychological damage. Looks the man they all have to beat.

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Contender – Taylor Fritz (+4500) at FanDuel

It’s now 25 years since an American won the Wimbledon men’s singles, Pete Sampras claiming the last of his seven titles. Fritz looks the best hope for the US this time around. He may not be right up there among the favorites but the Californian arrives having won the title in Stuttgart - his fourth career grasscourt trophy - and enjoyed a good run at Eastbourne. His big serve remains a strong weapon on this surface and it’s helped him reach two quarter-finals in the past. Looks in a decent part of the draw, as long as he can see off early threats in Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and Gabriel Diallo.

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Outsider – Ugo Humbert (+23000) at FanDuel

The Frenchman probably warrants more respect them he’s getting from the oddsmakers. With his strong lefty serve and attacking mindset, he’s always been best suited to the slicker surfaces, as shown by his list of title wins, which include Marseille earlier this year. The grass event in Halle is on that list and while Humbert hasn’t been to the business end of this tournament before, he’s twice made the last 16, including last season when he had eventual champ Alcaraz in trouble for a bit and arguably should have forced a deciding set. Looks well placed to take advantage of any slip-ups from top seed Sinner.

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Potential R1 upset – Arthur Rinderknech to Beat Alex Zverev

I’m writing this shortly after the draw with not many odds up on the first-round matches but Rinderknech is a player with potential at what will be a big price. While Zverev did make the Stuttgart final earlier this month, he’s not a player really at home on grass. That’s shown in his Wimbledon record - he’s yet to go past the last 16 here. Rinderknech has a strong first serve which should win him some cheap points, as he showed when beating fellow big server Ben Shelton at Queen’s Club where he reached the last eight. Zverev has often started Slams slowly in the past and a repeat here could leave him in trouble.

Wimbledon Ladies’ Singles Picks

Most Likely Winner – Elena Rybakina (+600) at BetMGM

The ladies’ singles draw looks much more open than the men’s and it’s not hard to pick holes in the leading contenders. Aryna Sabalenka came close to getting the pick in this category but the world number one is yet to make the Wimbledon final and has certainly been less convincing on this surface than the others. At more than twice the price, Rybakina gets the nod instead. She knows how to win here having done so in 2022 and her big serve is used to the best effect on grass. She’s been back to the semis and quarters since too so backers of the Kazakh look likely to get a run for their money. Came within a final-set tie-break of beating Sabalenka in Berlin recently and looks well drawn in the opposite half.

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Contender – Elina Svitolina (+5000) at BetMGM

Those who perform well in the warm-up events on grass always see their odds slashed - that’s been the case with both Marketa Vondrousova and Iga Swiatek, both of whom should be considered ‘contenders’. However, I’m going with the bigger-priced Svitolina, who is another player who has performed consistently well at Wimbledon in the past - she’s made the quarter-finals (at least) in three of her last four visits. She’s one of the best defenders on the tour and has great counter-punching ability. She’s only played two grasscourt warm-up matches but I don’t think she’ll be too disappointed with her displays in Bad Homburg where she beat Den Bosch champion Elise Mertens before losing to Beatriz Haddad Maia in a final-set tie-break.

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Outsider – Diana Shnaider (+9500) at FanDuel

Barbora Krejcikova and Marketa Vondrousova have won Wimbledon at massive prices in the past two years, so it’s worth considering who might repeat the trick this season. Step forward Shnaider, who is potentially going under the radar. This is the world number 12 but you wouldn’t think it looking at the odds. The Russian hasn’t starred at any of the warm-up events but she’s still beaten some good players in Magdalena Frech, Katie Boulter and Donna Vekic, as well as taking sets off Madison Keys and Vondrousova. Last year, Shnaider won the title in Bad Homburg - she can play on grass.

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Potential R1 Upset – Xinyu Wang to Beat Karolina Muchova

Injuries and Muchova go hand in hand and the Czech star has again been hit hard by them in 2025. She’s played only three matches since Miami in March and lost two of them. The win came in a tight tussle with world number 152 Maddison Inglis at Queen’s Club before she lost to a qualifier. At Wimbledon, Muchova must face Wang, a player who has just reached the final in Berlin where she beat Coco Gauff, among others.

How to Watch Wimbledon 2025

• What: Wimbledon tennis

• Location: All England Club, Wimbledon, London, England, UK

• Time: Monday June 30 to Sunday July 13

• How To Watch: ESPN and Tennis Channel