The oldest tennis tournament in the world commences today for two weeks of action-packed coverage.
Since 1877, the All England Club has opened its doors to players and spectators from all over the world.
After being hit by Coronavirus these past two years, a sense of normality appears to be returning.
The famous early morning queues are back for the first time in three years, along with full attendance crowds.
But the big question is: who is going to win the women’s and men’s singles championships?
Women’s title up for grabs
Last year’s champion, Ash Barty has since retired and hung up her racquet for good it seems.
So, tradition normally states that the defending champion open play on centre court.
Instead, on Tuesday, this honour will fall to the current world number one Iga Świątek, who has impressively absorbed the power vaccum at the top of women’s tennis and owned it.
The Pole has won six tournaments on the trot and boasts a 35-match win streak, tying the record set by Venus Williams in 2000.
She will be the one to beat, even if grass isn’t her best surface.
Other contenders are of course Venus’ little sister, Serena Williams, who has won seven titles at SW19.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion may be 40 and approaching the end of her career, but can you ever write her off?
She knows how to win and go deep at the Majors.
It’s her fitness and lack of match play that will be the main concern.
She hasn’t played since limping out a year ago at the same venue in her opening round match against Aliaksandra Sasnovich.
The Serena camp and Serena fans will probably think a triumph is very unlikely and just to see her back playing is a bonus.
Last week she got some matches in at Eastbourne with doubles partner Ons Jabeur who is having a stunning season.
The world number two recently won on grass in Berlin beating Belinda Bencic in the final and also won a maiden Masters 1000 in Madrid.
The Tunisian will certainly be one to watch.
Another contender could well be the French Open finalist Coco Gauff who shot to prominence on this surface three years ago.
The American is also in good form and will fancy her chances of going deep into week two.
Men’s title dominated by the usual suspects
As always, can you really look any further than the usual contenders of Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
For the first time in his career, the Spaniard has won the first two Grand Slams of the year, hoovering up the Australian and French Open titles.
Having need injections in his foot last month to participate in Paris, the 22-time Grand Slam champion has since had treatment that seems to have eased the pain, he had been in.
Having not played last year at Wimbledon due to injury and making a first appearance since 2019, it will be interesting to see how Nadal fares.
He reached the quarter-finals that year, going down to Roger Federer in a high-quality match.
Whilst narrowly losing the year before in the semis to Djokovic so it seems Nadal has found his groove again on grass but whether he can win the third leg of the calendar Grand Slam, is another matter.
But Rafa is certainly eyeing history this fortnight.
Standing in his way is Djokovic, considered the best grass court player currently. Although Federer in his prime would stake a claim to that having won a record eight Wimbledon singles titles, overtaking seven-time winner Pete Sampras.
The Serb has had a poor season for his standards after the COVID drama in Australia but will also fancy his own chances.
The major challenger to the apple cart is Matteo Berrettini, who is on a high after winning back-to-back grass-court tournaments at Stuttgart and Queen’s.
The Italian is difficult to beat and only lost to Djokovic last year at the Grand Slams.
He’s looking good after three months out with a hand injury and after making the final last year, he will be quietly confident of going all the way this time.
