Most of the favorites are battling either funks or physical issues (or both). The marquee player in the field is 44 years old. We're coming off maybe the most chaotic Grand Slam tournament in ages.
The 2026 edition of the Wimbledon Championships has arrived at a very strange time. (Well, it arrived at the same time as always, but you get the idea.) With Carlos Alcaraz still out with an injury, Jannik Sinner is an overwhelming favorite in any men's tournament he enters, but his body betrayed him -- and not for the first time -- at the French Open, cracking open the door for a first-time Slam champ. And on the women's side, the best player by far has been bageled in deciding sets multiple times over the last month or so, the defending champion can't stay in fifth gear for very long, and the quickest-rising players haven't won a Slam before.
And then there's Serena. Serena!
This is a weird time in the tennis world, but it should make for a fascinating fortnight. Let's talk about 20 favorites (or simply fascinating figures) you'd be well-served to follow.
The favorites
Jannik Sinner
Tennis Abstract odds: 58.6%
First potential top-10 opponent: No. 8 Daniil Medvedev (quarterfinals)
The last time we saw Jannik Sinner, he was falling apart physically in a stunning collapse against Juan Manuel Cerundolo in the French Open. It ended a 30-match winning streak and served as a reminder of the fitness issues Sinner has suffered plenty of times in his career.