3 ATP Dark Horses That Can Challenge Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic & Others’ Wimbledon Quest

Wimbledon is a tournament that has witnessed some incredible underdog stories over the years. From an unseeded 17-year-old Boris Becker shocking everyone and winning the tournament in 1985 to Goran Ivanisevic winning the coveted title in 2001 while being ranked No. 125.

And there are possibilities of an unexpected breakthrough this year as well, especially when it comes to the ATP side. There are multiple unseeded players who are capable of flipping the draw on its head by causing major upsets.

Here are the three unseeded players who can go on to have a dark horse run at the SW19 and make it to the later stages.

1. Jack Draper

The World No. 160 is one of Britain’s biggest hopes heading into the upcoming edition of Wimbledon. Despite being out of action for long periods during the ongoing season, Jack Draper put in a strong performance as he made his return to the courts after more than two months at the Eastbourne Open.

Draper racked up impressive wins against the likes of Marcos Giron, Jack Pinnington Jones, and Gabriel Diallo. He didn’t drop a set on his way to the semifinals and was being considered as one of the favorites to win the ATP 250 event. However, a 7-5, 6-3 defeat to Ugo Humbert brought his campaign to an end.

Though Draper is not a serve-and-volleyer, his playstyle is still effective on grass. His heavy serve, strong forehand, and brilliant court coverage make him a dangerous player on the surface, and he will be aiming for a strong campaign at Wimbledon. His confidence will only be elevated with the home crowd being behind him.

This will also be the first Grand Slam where Draper will play under the guidance of Andy Murray. It can also be the last time that the latter will be present in the 24-year-old’s coaching team, as he had only joined for the grass swing. The Brit will begin his SW19 campaign with the clash against Taylor Fritz that is scheduled to be held on Tuesday. Draper currently leads the H2H record by 3-2.

2. Francisco Cerundolo

Though he is known to prefer clay over grass, Francisco Cerundolo does have the potential to succeed at Wimbledon. The Argentine had recently won his second title on grass at the HSBC Championships.

It was also the biggest title of his career, as he had never won an ATP 500 title before. This will be Cerundolo’s sixth campaign at the Grand Slam. He has never made it past the second round at the SW19 before and will be aiming to surpass his previous best this time around.

Ranked No. 21, Cerundolo clearly has the potential to go on a winning run at the Grand Slam. Having been defeated in the opening round last year, the 27-year-old will be aiming for a much better result in the upcoming edition.

He will begin his campaign with the clash against Spain’s Jaume Munar in the opening round.

3. Grigor Dimitrov

Grigor Dimitrov hasn’t had a great season so far, especially when it comes to Grand Slams. After being knocked out in the first round of the Australian Open, he wasn’t even able to make it to the main draw of the French Open and lost to Jaime Faria in the opening round of qualifying.

But despite this, Dimitrov can never be ruled out of the equation on grass. The Bulgarian boasts a solid win-rate of almost 60% on the surface. Not to mention that he had reached the R16 of Wimbledon last year and was on the verge of defeating Jannik Sinner. He was leading 6-3, 7-5, and 2-2 when he ended up partially tearing his right pectoral muscle and was forced to withdraw.

After not winning a single match on clay this season, he managed to improve his form in the ongoing grass swing. He has already racked up four wins so far. Dimitrov reached the quarterfinals at the Challenger event in Dublin and the Mallorca Championships.

He will now be in action at Wimbledon, where he has earned a wildcard entry into the main draw. He is set to lock horns against Australia’s Dane Sweeny in the first round of the SW19.

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