Wimbledon Conditions
Grass-court tennis is definitely unique. The courts are slicker and faster than most, and the ball doesn’t bounce as high as it does elsewhere. Tennis Abstract’s Surface Speed ratings have Wimbledon at 1.12. That means that players hit 12% more aces at Wimbledon in 2024 than they did on tour-average surfaces. Naturally, these courts favor big servers, but you can’t just be a servebot. Variety goes a long way on grass, which is why players that can play at the net, utilize slice shots and hit good dropshots also play well at this time of year.
The conditions do change over the course of the tournament, though. Earlier in the tournament, when the grass looks verdant, things are much faster. As the grass becomes a little more worn, things slow down significantly, and the bounces can be all over the place. That’s why players with adaptability tend to do well at Wimbledon.
Wimbledon Players To Watch
Alexander Bublik (25-1): Will the “Summer of Bublik” continue? The 28-year-old went to the quarterfinals at Roland Garros, beating Alex de Minaur and Draper along the way. Then, Bublik won the Terra Wortman Open in Halle, going through Sinner, Tomas Machac, Karen Khachanov and Medvedev in the final four matches.
Bublik has always enjoyed playing on grass, where he is 38-19 in his career. His massive serve, aggressive baseline game and ability to hit dropshots makes opponents extremely uneasy. He also seems to be more focused than ever.
If you count a championship run in a Turin Challenger in May, Bublik has won 14 of his last 16 matches. He’s one of the hottest players in tennis, and he’s going to be a popular pick to win in SW19. I’m not sure he’ll be able to maintain this level, but I’m looking forward to watching the show.