Let’s kickstart the second week of the grass slam with some Wimbledon 2023 Day 8 Predictions. Who do you think will win today?

Wimbledon 2023 Day 8 Predictions

Before we get into the predictions for day 8 of Wimbledon 2023, we should summarize yesterday’s predictions.

My Day 7 Predictions Summary

Bublik to beat Rublev in 4 sets
Swiatek to beat Bencic in 2 sets
Djokovic to beat Hurkacz in 3 sets
Pegula to beat Tsurenko in 3 sets
Sinner to beat Galan in 3 sets
Svitolina to beat Azarenka in 3 sets

Day 7 Results

Rublev beat Bublik in 5 sets – 0 points
Swiatek beat Bencic in 3 sets – 1 point
Djokovic vs Hurkacz suspended
Pegula beat Tsurenko in 2 sets – 1 points
Sinner beat Galan in 3 sets – 2 points
Svitolina beat Azarenka in 3 sets – 2 points

Out of a possible 10 points on offer, I ended up with 6 points. Let’s see if I (or you!) can beat this score with my Day 8 predictions.

Elena Rybakina (3) vs Beatriz Haddad Maia (13)

The defending champion keeps getting better with each round. She dispatched Brit, Katie Boulter 6-1, 6-1 with some quality serving and big-ball striking. The Kazakh now faces Haddas Maia for a place in the quarter-final. Before this fortnight, Haddad Maia had struggled to replicate last year’s grass-court form, which saw her win back-to-back titles in Nottingham and Birmingham. However, the Brazilian seems to be returning to her very best, picking up solid wins against Sorana Cirstea and Yulia Putinseva. Before Rybakina’s last performance against Boulter, I would have said Haddad Maia had a chance to win this match. However, the Kazakh keeps improving with every match and I expect this to continue.

Prediction – Rybakina to win in two sets

Ons Jabeur (6) vs Petra Kvitova (9)

A mouth-watering match between last year’s finalist and a two-time Wimbledon champion. After a nervy start to the tournament, Kvitova has found her groove with back-to-back straight sets wins. Jabeur dug in deep to beat the resurgent Bianca Andreescu in 3 tight sets to continue her run and give herself another chance to make another Wimbledon final. This is an intriguing matchup. Kvitova will look to use her lefty serve and forehand to attack Jabeur’s weaker backhand. The Tunisian will undoubtedly unleash her box of tricks to keep Kvitova off-balance and out of her hitting zone.

Prediction – Jabeur to win in 3 sets

Carlos Alcaraz (1) vs Matteo Berrettini

The world number 1 faces his toughest test yet against the ‘Hammer’ Matteo Berrettini. Berrettini has impressively worked his way into the tournament, beating the likes of Alex de Mianur and Alexander Zverev to reach yet another fourth round at the All-England Club. The 2021 Wimbledon finalist seems to be finding his best form after a few tough months out with injury. Alcaraz came through a tough match against big-hitting Nicolas Jarry in four sets and will need to employ similar tactics against Berrettini. The Italian has already beaten Alcaraz in the third round of the 2022 Australian Open, so this should give him confidence. Alcaraz is a better player than he was only a year ago, but as good as he is, he will struggle to break the Berrettini serve. I think the Italian will come out on top in the battle of the Queen’s champions.

Prediction – Berrettini to win in 5 sets

Daniil Medvedev (3) vs Jiri Lehecka

Medvedev seems to be finding his feet on the grass. The Russian put on a solid display against the tricky Marton Fucsovics but will need to be equally good if he is to knock out the young Czech, Jiri Lehecka. In only his second main-draw appearance at the SW19, Lehecka easily beat the 28th seed, Francisco Cerundolo in 3 sets and fought past 16th seed Tommy Paul in 5 gruelling sets. This will be his toughest challenge so far. Medvedev is not as invincible as he is on hard-courts, but he is still one of the best players in the world so should come through this match.

Prediction – Medvedev to win in four sets

Aryna Sabalenka (2) vs Ekaterina Alexandrova (21)

Sabalenka will be looking to make her second consecutive quarter-final at the All England Club. The Belarusian cannot overlook Alexandrova who is a formable player on the green surface, with two grass-court court titles to her name. The players have battled each other five times and it is Alexandrova who’s got the better of the rivalry, winning three matches to Sabalenka two. Having said this, there’s few players who can match Sabalenka on grass and I struggle to see Alexandrova consistently breaking the almost unbreakable serve of the Belarusian.

Prediction – Sabalenka to win in 2 sets

Holger Rune (6) vs Grigor Dimitrov (21)

If you’re looking for highlight reels, this is the match to tune in to. Rune came through a rollercoaster of a match against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, winning 10-8 in the final set tie-break. The young Dane now faces a seemingly somewhat revived Grigor Dimitrov. The 2014 Wimbledon semi-finalist Dimitrov easily dispatched Tiafoe in 3 sets and is yet to drop a set all tournament. He will use his killer slices to make the Dane uncomfortable. However, Rune has a higher level of tennis, and if he is physically ready for this match, I expect him to hit his way through the Bulgarian.

Prediction – Rune to win in 5 sets

Madison Keys (25) vs Mirra Andreeva

Andreeva’s fairy-tale run continues. The 16-year-old has produced some breathtaking tennis to defeat the more experienced Potapova in the third-round. She now faces the hard-hitting Madison Keys. Keys is a great grass-court player having won three career titles on the surface and having reached the quarter-final stage of Wimbledon in 2015. As good as Andreeva has been, this will be a step too far for the Russian.

Prediction – Keys to win in 2 sets

Stefanos Tsitsipas (5) vs Chris Eubanks

Tsitsipas hasn’t been playing his best tennis this tournament but has managed to withstand two five-set matches against major champions Dominic Thiem and Andy Murray on his way to a first fourth-round appearance at the All England Club since 2018. Chris Eubanks had had a dream run this fortnight. In only his first main-draw appearance at SW19, the American beat last year’s semi-finalist Cameron Norrie and fought past Christopher O’Connell. Eubanks will make the Greek work for this win.

Prediction – Tsitsipas to win in 4 sets

What are your predictions?

Alex Mann has been doing daily predictions during the first week of Wimbledon. Here is his Wimbledon 2023 Week 1 Prediction Summary.

Wimbledon 2023 Week 1 Predictions

If you’re wondering how well I’ve done predicting the first week of Wimbledon matches, take a look at the predictions table.

The scoring system:
1 point for correctly predicting the winner of the match
1 bonus point for correctly predicting the number of sets the winner took to win the match

Let us add it up! Alex could have had 106 points maximum and managed to get 76. This is a correct ratio of 71%, not bad!

It would be fun if you join him in predicting the second week of Wimbledon 2023 in the same format. Maybe run some kind of competition among tennis nerds in the future? Let us know in the comments if this is something you are interested in.

Jessica Pegula (4) vs Lesia Tsurenko

Wimbledon is the only major where Pegula hasn’t made the quarter-final stage. She has a chance to change that against Tsurenko. Tsurenko herself entered the history books in her third-round match. The Ukrainian won the longest-ever women’s singles tiebreak in major history, as she defeated Ana Bogdan, 20-18 in the final set tiebreak. A grueling 3 hours and 40 minutes of play surely has to take its toll on the Ukrainian. Tsurenko is the more experienced grass court player but Pegula is the better player so this could be another long match.

Prediction- Pegula to win in 3 sets

Jannik Sinner (8) vs Daniel Galan

Sinner is quietly making a hideaway through the draw and has only dropped one set so far in the tournament. Galan has done well to reach the fourth-round with two impressive wins over big-serving, Oscar Otte and Mikael Ymer. However, this will be a step too far for the Colombian.

Prediction – Sinner to win in 3 sets

Victoria Azarenka (19) vs Elina Svitolina

A throwback match between the two-time major winner Azarenka and the former world number 3, Svitolina. This fortnight, both players have reminded us they can still challenge for the biggest titles in the world. Azarenka produced a stunning performance to knock out Kasatkina in straight sets. The same can be said for Svitolina who stopped the run of Sofia Kenin. Azarenka leads the head-to-head convincingly, 5-0 but I wouldn’t read too much into it as they’ve played very little in recent years. This match could go either way but I’m going to give the edge to Svitolina.

Prediction – Svitolina to win in 3 sets

What are your predictions for today’s action at Wimbledon?

It’s day 6 of Wimbledon and we have players like Alcaraz and Jabeur in action. Here are our Wimbledon 2023 Day 6 Predictions.

Wimbledon 2023 Day 6 Predictions

Some exciting matches today! Let’s start with the world number one. If you are into tennis betting, don’t bet more than you can afford to lose and go for a serious provider like these tennis betting websites.

*Featured photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images.

Carlos Alcaraz (1) vs Nicolas Jarry (25)

Alcaraz has been playing great tennis on grass this week, having not dropped a set so far in the tournament. His opponent Jarry is more known as a clay-court specialist, having won all his three ATP titles on the red surface. However, the Chilean notched a solid win against Jason Kubler in the second round so can’t be underestimated. This should be fairly straightforward for the world number 1.

Prediction – Alcaraz to win in 3 sets

Ons Jabeur (6) vs Bianca Andreescu

Arguably the match of the day sees last year’s finalist Ons Jabeur take on the 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu. The Tunisian has been on top form so far, dropping only eight games over the first two matches. Andreescu’s journey to the third-round has been a little more tricky. She battled against Anna Bondar in the first-round and in the second-round, scrapped past 26th seed Anhelina Kalinina. Andreescu came back from 2-5 down in the third set to win 10-7 in the match tiebreak. This is the Canadian’s first time in the third round of Wimbledon but she will face her toughest test yet against Jabeur. If Andreescu can get back to her 2019 winning level, she certainly has a chance in this match, but Jabeur will be extremely hard to beat.

Prediction – Jabeur to win in 2 sets

Elena Rybakina (3) vs Katie Boulter

Rybakina continues the defense of her title after a nervy win against Alize Cornet. The Kazakh wasn’t at her best, racking up too many unforced errors and double faults. Boulter also came through a tough three-set match against Viktoriya Tomova. Rybakina must cut out these errors against Boulter, who will take any opportunities she is given. However, even with the British crowd behind her, Boulter will fall short in two competitive sets.

Prediction – Rybakina to win in 2 sets

Daniil Medvedev (3) vs Marton Fucsovics

In the second-round, Medvedev put in a solid performance to beat Adrian Mannarino in three sets. The world number 3 will look to progress to the fourth round of Wimbledon for only the second time in his career but first has to get past in-form Marton Fuscovics. Fucsovics had an impressive straight-sets win against the 24th seed, Tallon Griekspoor in the first-round and backed this up with a four-set win over Marcos Giron. The Hungarian, a former Wimbledon quarter-finalist, has the grass-court experience to trouble Medvedev. I think Fucsovics will win a set, but Medvedev seems to be finding some form this week so should win this match.

Prediction – Medvedev to win in 4 sets

Aryna Sabalenka (2) vs Anna Blinkova

The world number 2 came back from a set down to fend off Varvara Gracheva and reach the third round. Sabalenka was not at her best, comfortably losing the first set 6-2. However, she raised her level when she needed to, scraping through the second set, taking it 7-5. Once she secured the break early in the third set, it was one-way traffic for the Belarusian. She will need to play better against Blinkova who knocked out the 29th seed, Begu.

Prediction – Sabalenka to win in two sets

Alexander Zverev (19) vs Matteo Berrettini

Zverev and Berrettini close the action on Day 6 of The Championships. Both major finalists seem to be returning to their old best as they continue their comeback from injury. In his first appearance at the All England Club since 2021, Zverev has put in two solid performances to reach the third round. Berrettini has also surprised me this week. Having played little tennis this year, the Italian knocked out the tough Sonego in the first round and backed it up against the in-form Alex de Minaur. Zverev leads the head-to-head 4-1, but this will be their first battle on grass. Both players have some of the best serves on tour, so expect aces. Zverev will look to exploit the Berrettini backhand, which can be a liability, while the Italian will use his slice to keep the ball out of the German’s hitting zone. This is a 50/50 match, but given it’s being played on grass, I will give the slight edge to Berrettini.

Prediction – Berrettini to win in 4 sets

Madison Keys (25) vs Marta Kostyuk

The big-hitting American has been playing very well this fortnight. Her best result at Wimbledon came back in 2015 when she reached the quarter-finals. Kostyuk has also been in-form, defeating Sakkari in the first round and an injured Badosa in the second. Keys’ game is built for grass, so she will overpower the Ukrainian youngster.

Prediction – Keys to win in 2 sets

Anastasia Potapova (22) vs Mira Andreeva

Can the 16-year-old continue her magical run or will the 22nd seed reach the fourth round of a major for the first time? Andreeva has been exceptional to get this far given her lack of grass-court experience. This will be a tight match but I give the edge to the 2016 girls Wimbledon champion, Potapova.

Prediction – Potapova to win in 3 sets

Frances Tiafoe (10) vs Grigor Dimitrov (21)

This will be a closely contested match. Both players haven’t dropped a set so far this fortnight and know how to play well on the grass so it could go either way. Expect a flurry of drop shots and serves and volleys.

Prediction – Tiafoe to win in 4 sets

What do you think of these Wimbledon predictions? Please comment below with your own!

Another exciting day at the third Grand Slam of the year. Here are our Wimbledon 2023 Day 5 Predictions, courtesy of Alex Mann.

Wimbledon 2023 Day 5 Predictions

To check the order of play, you can go to the Wimbledon official website.

Carlos Alcaraz (1) vs Alexandre Muller

After a two-day rest, the world number 1 returns to the courts of Wimbledon to face Frenchman Alexandre Muller. Muller put in an excellent performance to defeat fellow countryman, Arthur Rinderknech in four sets to reach the second round of a major for only the second time in his career. He will need to play his best-ever tennis if he is to take out Alcaraz. Alcaraz dropped only seven games in his first-round match as he sent Jeremy Chardy into his singles retirement. I expect this to be another demolition job from the young Spaniard.

Prediction – Alcaraz to win in 3 sets

Stefanos Tsitsipas (5) vs Andy Murray

Tsitsipas and Murray continue their battle, held over from yesterday. The Brit leads two sets to 1, but this is far from a gone conclusion. Murray will continue to exploit the Greek’s backhand which was a liability at times during the first three sets. Tsitsipas, on the other hand, will be looking to bring his forehand into play at every opportunity to dictate the points and pile pressure on Murray’s service games. I will have to stick with yesterday’s prediction.

Prediction – Murray to win in 5 sets

Iga Swiatek (1) vs Petra Martic

Swiatek will be hoping for another near-perfect performance against Martic. In the first-round, the world number 1 dispatched Sara Sorribes Tormo 6-2, 6-0 while Martic had to come back from a set down to beat Diane Parry 4-6, 6-3, 6-3. Swiatek has a 2-0 head to head against Martic and I expect the Pole to make it three in a row.

Prediction – Swiatek to win in 2 sets

Novak Djokovic (1) vs Stan Wawrinka

Djokovic came through a tough three-set match against the serve and volley Jordan Thompson, winning 6-3, 7-6, 7-5. He now faces former 3-time major winner Stan Wawrinka who backed up his stellar performance against Ruusuvuori, defeating 29th seed Etcheverry in four sets. Wimbledon is the only major title missing from Wawrinka’s collection. His best result at the All England Club was back in 2015 and 2015 when he made back-back quarter-finals. However, two of his three major wins have come against Djokovic so he knows how to beat the Serb. Unfortunately for Wawrinka, he’s not the same player he once was and Djokovic is arguably better than ever.

Prediction – Djokovic to win in three sets

Aryna Sabalenka (2) vs Varvara Gracheva

Gracheva produced a stunning upset in the first-round beating seasoned gras-courter Camila Giorgi. Sabalenka looks to be playing some of her best tennis, even this early in the tournament. The Belarusian dropped four games during her first-round win. This will be another Sabalenka masterclass.

Prediction – Sabalenka to win in 2 sets

Cameron Norrie (12) vs Chris Eubanks

The Brit came through a tough four-set match in the first-round and this won’t be much easier. Eubanks is at a career high of 43 in the world and won the grass tournament in Mallorca last week. This will be a tussle but Norrie has the higher level of tennis, so should come through this match.

Prediction – Norrie in 4 sets

Ons Jabeur (6) vs Zhuoxuan Bai

Ons Jabeur will look to conjure her magic against the world number 191. Bai won three matches to qualify for her first major tournament and backed this up with a great two sets win against Ysaline Bonaventure. Bai has nothing to lose in this match so could be a danger if Jabeur is slightly off. However, the Tunisian looked very impressive in her first-round match and is one of the best grass-court players in the world so should win this convincingly.

Prediction – Jabeur to win in two sets

Wimbledon is heating up! (Hopefully, after some pesky rain). Here is Alex Mann with his Wimbledon 2023 Day 4 Predictions.

Wimbledon 2023 Day 4 Predictions

If you’re into tennis betting (never bet more than you can afford to lose), check out some betting advice here before you place a bet on Wimbledon.

Center Court

Casper Ruud (4) vs Liam Broady

The number 4 seed, Ruud faces a tough test against Brit Liam Broady. Ruud has previously voiced his dislike for the grass but put in a solid performance against Lokoli in the first round. Broady, ranked 142 in the world, is much more comfortable on the grass, which he showed in his impressive straight-sets win against Lestienne. With the help of the British crowd, I expect Broady to rise to the occasion and take the set. Ruud’s level of tennis is just too good and will play well enough to win the match.

Prediction – Ruud to win in 4 sets

Elena Rybakina (3) vs Alize Cornet

The defending champion returned from a slow start against Shelby Rogers to win in three sets. Rybakina now faces the giant killer Alize Cornet. At last year’s tournament, the Frenchwomen ended Iga Swiatek’s 37-match unbeaten run in the third-round. Cornet is always a threat on this surface and will fight for everything Ryabkina throws at her. However, Rybakina is ready to play her best tennis and will overpower Cornet.

Prediction – Rybakina to win in 2 sets

Stefanos Tsitsipas (5) vs Andy Murray

Stefanos will return to the court less than 24 hours later to face two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray. The Greek completed his marathon match against Dominic Thiem last night, defeating the Australian in five grueling sets to win the final set tie-break. Thiem is not known for his grass-court prowess, and has been struggling for match wins in the last year, so it’s surprising it took Tsitsipas five sets to come through this match. He needs to play his best today, as Murray is in form. The Brit played brilliantly from start to finish against fellow countryman Ryan Peniston and will fancy his chances against the Greek.

Prediction – Murray to win in 5 sets

Court 1

Alexander Zverev (19) vs Gijs Brouwer

Zverev finally gets to kick-start his 2023 Wimbledon campaign after his match was delayed due to yesterday’s rain. The German has made a successful return from injury, reaching the semi-final of last month’s French Open. Zverev narrowly lost out to Bublik in the semi-final of Halle, so should be ready to put in an excellent performance against Gijs Brouwer. The Dutchman won three matches last week to qualify for his first main draw at Wimbledon, so will be up for this battle but Zverev should win this one fairly comfortably.

Prediction – Zverev to win in three sets

Donna Vekic (20) vs Sloane Stephens

Donna Vekic will look to continue her impressive 2023 with a win against the 2017 US Open champion, Sloane Stephens. Stephens reached the Wimbledon quarter-final stage ten years ago but has failed to make it past the third-round since. The American has the game to beat anyone, but has often failed to deliver on the biggest stages. Grass is also her weakest surface. Vekic, on the other hand, has been extremely consistent this year and is more suited to the grass than the American, so it would take a major winning performance from Stephens to beat her.

Prediction – Vekic to win in 2 sets

Jessica Pegula (4) vs Cristina Bucsa

Pegula had to dig in deep to win her first-round match in three-sets against Lauren Davis. The same can be said for Busca, who squeezed through her opening round match against Rakhimova, winning 11-9 in the final set tie-break. Although grass is not Pegula’s best surface, she is the higher ranked player and should win.

Prediction – Pegula to win in 2 sets

Matches to watch

Elise Mertens (28) vs Elina Svitolina

This match has been rescheduled due to yesterday’s rain.

The 28th seed, Elise Mertens, faces Elina Svitolina. Svitolina dispatched Venus Williams in the first-round while Mertens defeated Viktoria Kuzmova. Both players have grass-court pedigree with Mertens reaching the fourth-round of the tournament in 2019 and 2022 while Svitolina reached the semi-final stage in 2019. This will be an intriguing match and could go either way.

Prediction – Svitolina to win in 3 sets

Daniil Medvedev (3) vs Adrian Mannarino

Medvedev had to come through a tough three-set match against British wildcard Arthur Fery in the first round. Mannarino will fancy his chances as he has twice beaten the world number 3 on the grass. There may be some scrappy tennis, but Medvedev will survive for another day.

Prediction – Medvedev to win in 4 sets

Marie Bouzkova (32) vs Anett Kontaveit

The former world number 2 Kontaveit is playing in her last tournament of her career. Can she continue her run against the 32 seed Bouzkova? The Estonian will give it everything and I think it will be enough to win.

Prediction – Kontaveit to win in 3 sets

Belina Bencic (14) vs Danielle Collins

Before this tournament, Bencic and Collins hadn’t played since their first-round losses at the French Open. Given their lack of matchplay, this battle could go either way. I will give the slight edge to Bencic, given her previous success on grass, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the American snatches a victory.

Prediction – Bencic to win in 3 sets

Barbora Krejcikova (10) vs Mira Andreeva

The 16-year-old Andreeva has had an impressive run in her first-ever appearance at the All England Club. She’s won four matches on the trot, including a tough three-set win against Xiyu Wang yesterday. However, Andreeva hasn’t yet faced someone as highly ranked and as competent on the grass as Krejcikova. The Czech’s all-around game will be too good for the young Russian.

Prediction – Krejcikova to win in 2 sets

Alex Mann is back with his Wimbledon 2023 Day 2 Predictions. Today we have Andy Murray and Elena Rybakina and a blockbuster match Tsitsipas vs Thiem.

Wimbledon 2023 – Day 2 Predictions

Centre Court

Let’s start with the matches taking place on the Centre Court. If you are curious about betting on any of these matches, you can check our article Understanding the Odds.

Elena Rybakina (3) vs Shelby Rogers

Elena Rybakina begins her title defense against the tricky Shelby Rogers. Since winning the title here last year, the Kazak went on to reach this Australian Open final and won two Masters 1000 titles at Indian Wells and Rome. She has been plagued with a virus in recent months and had to pull out of the third round of Roland Garros but seems to have now recovered. This won’t be the first time the players have shared a court at Wimbledon. Rybakina beat Rogers 6-1, 6-4 in the third round of the 2021 Championships. Rogers hasn’t played much tennis in recent months so may be rusty. I expect Rogers to push Rybakina, but the defending champion will win in two sets.

Prediction – Rybakina to win in 2 sets

Andy Murray vs Ryan Peniston

It’s been ten years since Andy Murray became the first British man to win the singles title at Wimbledon since Fred Perry in 1936. Now the Brit returns to Centre court once again and faces off against another Brit, Ryan Peniston. Peniston, ranked 259 in the world, has produced his best tennis on the grass. Last year, he defeated Casper Ruud at Queen’s and beat Ugo Humbert this year. Murray has been in excellent form this grass-court season, winning back-to-back challenger titles at Surbiton and Nottingham. Peniston will be up for this match and will challenge Murray, but the three-time major winner is just an all-round better player so will be the victor in this all-British battle.

Prediction – Murray to win in 4 sets

Aryna Sabalenka (2) vs Panna Udvardy

The Australian Open champion begins her campaign for her second major title of the year. Sabalenka wasn’t able to play last year’s tournament due to the ban on Belarusian players, so will be eager to make up for lost time. Sabalenka’s game is tailor made for grass. When her serve and crushing groundstrokes are in full swing, it is hard to stop her. The last time she competed at the All England Club, she reached the semi-final.

Since then, her consistency and all-round game has improved, so enters this tournament in her best ever form.

Prediction – Sabalenka to win in 2 sets

Court 1

On court one we have our world number one in action, Carlos Alcaraz.

Carlos Alcaraz (1) vs Jeremy Chardy

The world number one begins his quest for major title number two against the French veteran, Jeremy Chardy. Last week’s win in Queen’s proved how quickly Alcaraz has adapted to the grass and this should be no different at Wimbledon. The young Spaniard reached the fourth round last year, losing out to Jannik Sinner in four sets. The Frenchman has said that he’s to retire from singles after Wimbledon, so it seems fitting that Chardy gets to play Alcaraz on court 1. Wimbledon holds a special place in Chardy’s heart as he won the boys singles title in 2005. This will undoubtedly be an emotional match.

Prediction – Alcaraz to win in 3 sets

Ons Jabeur vs Magdalena Frech

Last year’s finalist Ons Jabeur looks to go one further and take home the title. She first needs to get by Pole Magdalena Frech. Frech is in form, having reached the quarter-final of Birmingham a few weeks ago , narrowly losing out to Ostapenko, who went on to win the title. This is not an easy first-round match for Jabeur who hasn’t had the best grass-court preparations this year. However, Jabeur is the kind of player who doesn’t need rhythm to do well. Her game is built around breaking her opponent’s rhythm and she will certainly do this to Frech.

Prediction – Jabeur to win in two sets

Cameron Norrie (12) vs Tomas Machac

Brit, Cameron Norrie closes the action on court 1 as he takes on the young Czech, Tomas Machac. Norrie reached the semi-final of Wimbledon last year and has made the third-round or better of the last five majors. Machac, on the other hand, is playing in first main draw at SW19, having won three matches to qualify. Norrie’s experience should help him to come through this match without too many hiccups.

Prediction – Norrie to win in three sets

Matches to watch

Stefanos Tsitsipas (5) vs Dominic Thiem

On paper, this match screams fireworks. The two-time major finalist Tsitsipas goes up against the 2020 US Open champion Thiem in a battle of the one-handers. Both players are looking to gain much-needed momentum this fortnight. Thiem is still in the process of making his comeback and this match could be his chance to remind everyone of why he is a major champion. Tsitsipas has also struggled over recent months, so a win would give him confidence he can challenge at this tournament. The Greek will look to be aggressive and use his serve and volley to rush the Austrian’s game. Thiem will also need to stay on the front foot and not give Tsitsipas time to dictate.

Prediction – Tsitsipas to win in 4 sets

Maria Sakkari (8) vs Marta Kostyuk

A mouth-watering first-round encounter. Sakkari reached the semi-final of the grass-court tournament in Berlin, so has form leading into this match. Kostyuk, now 21, has struggled for consistency after her breakthrough at the 2018 Australian Open as a 15-year-old. However, the Ukrainian is a solid grass-court player and has the game to upset the Greek. I’m going with Kostyuk to cause the upset.

Prediction – Kostyuk to win in 3 sets

Karolina Muchova (16) vs Jule Niemeier

The recent French Open finalist and two-time Wimbledon quarter-finalist, Karolina Muchova goes up against last year’s semi-finalist, Jule Niemeier. Muchova will need to use her variety and exquisite volleys to keep Niemeier off balance. If not, the German has the game to overpower the Czech.

Prediction – Muchova to win in two sets

Let’s start our Wimbledon 2023 Predictions with the matches taking place on Centre Court. if you are interested in betting on tennis, check out some options. We have also listed the most common mistakes when betting on tennis. We advise anyone betting never to bet more than they can afford to lose and never bother a player about it. It is just supposed to be a fun way of adding some extra stake to the game.

If you want to check out the Wimbledon draw, here is the link to the official website and its order of play.

Centre Court

Novak Djokovic (2) vs Pedro Cachin

The defending champion opens up this year’s action on Centre Court and faces world number 67, Pedro Cachin. Although Djokovic hasn’t played since his victory at Roland Garros, the Serb rarely needs much time to adapt from the high-bouncing clay courts to the slick grass. It may take Djokovic some time to find his groove, but I don’t see how Cachin can cause the 23-time major winner any problems.

Prediction – Djokovic to win in 3 sets

Venus Williams vs Elina Svitolina

The first mouth-watering match of the tournament sees the five-time Wimbledon singles champion Venus Williams take on the former world number 3 Elina Svitolina. Svitolina has made a successful return to the tour, reaching the quarter-final in Roland Garros. Venus also made her return to the tour at Birmingham and rolled back the years to defeat Camila Giorgi in three tight sets. I could see this match going either way but I’m going to go with the 43-year-old American.

Prediction – Williams to win in 3 sets

Jannik Sinner (8) vs Juan Manuel Cerundolo

Jannik Sinner will close centre court on the first day of this year’s championships as he takes on the Argentine, Juan Manuel Cerundolo. Sinner reached the quarter-final at last year’s tournament so will be looking to build upon this result. Cerundolo will be making his Wimbledon debut and what a debut it is to be playing on Centre Court. Cerundolo has one ATP title to his name and has won seven challengers titles, all on the clay. The Argentine’s lack of grass-court experience will play a major factor and if Sinner is fit, this will be a straightforward win for the Italian.

Prediction – Sinner to win in 3 sets

Court 1

Iga Swiatek (1) vs Lin Zhu

The world number 1 begins her Wimbledon campaign on court 1 and takes on China’s Lin Zhu. The Pole reached the semi-final of last week’s tour event in Bad Homburg but had to pull out due to illness. Zhu narrowly missed out on being seeded at this year’s tournament, so if Swiatek is still not fully recovered, Zhu will take advantage. Having said this, Swiatek has the ability to play her best when it matters most, so I only see one-way traffic here.

Prediction – Swiatek to win in 2 sets

Casper Ruud (4) vs Laurent Lokoli

The French Open finalist, Ruud, hasn’t played any warm-up events this year and grass is by far his least favourite surface. His best result at the All England Club came at last year’s event where he reached the second round. I think Ruud has the quality to win this match, but it won’t be easy. His opponent Laurent Lokoli won three straight matches to qualify for this year’s tournament. I expect Ruud to come through this match, but it will be tough.

Prediction – Ruud to win in 4 sets

Coco Gauff (7) vs Sofia Kenin

The all-American battle between the world number 7, Coco Gauff and the 2020 Australian Open champion, Sofia Kenin will surely entertain the crowd on court 1. It was in 2019 when a 15-year-old Coco made her magical breakthrough, reaching the fourth round of the tournament. Since then, she has reached a major singles final and risen to a career-high of number 4 in the WTA rankings. Kenin’s trajectory has taken the opposite path. After her spectacular season in 2020, which saw her lift her first major title and reach the Roland Garros final, she’s struggled for match wins ever since and has fallen outside the world’s top 100. Kenin has found some form this past week, winning three matches to qualify for this year’s competition. Could this be a comeback win for Kenin or a reminder of why Gauff is one of this year’s contenders for the title.

Prediction – Gauff to win in 3 sets

Matches to watch

There some excellent matches to watch also on the other courts on day 1 of Wimbledon 2023. Here are more Wimbledon 2023 predictions.

Donna Vekic (20) vs Shuai Zhang

Vekic is a seasoned grass-courter but faces a tough first-round match against former Wimbledon quarter-finalist Shuai Zhang.

Prediction – Vekic to win in 2 sets

Veronika Kudermetova (12) vs Kaia Kanepi

The 12th seed recently reached the final of the grass-court event Rosmalen Open. She opens up against the 38-year-old veteran and two-time Wimbledon quarter-finalist, Kaia Kanepi.

Prediction – Kudermetova to win in two sets

Stan Wawrinka vs Emil Ruusuvuori

Three-time major winner Stan the Man is back and plays Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori. Ruusuvuori comes into Wimbledon with some form, defeating Jannik Sinner on the grass courts of ‘s-Hertogenbosch. However, Wawrinka has the game and the firepower to hit through Ruusuvuori. Expect this to be a marathon match between the newcomer and the veteran.

Prediction – Wawrinka to win in 5 sets

Jordan Thompson vs Brandon Nakashima

Nakashima reached the fourth round last year, narrowly losing out to Nick Kyrgios in five sets. He faces another Aussie this time around in, Jordan Thompson. Thompson plays particularly well on the grass, so this will be another gruelling match.

Prediction – Thompson to win in 4 sets