High seeds aim for top honors at Wimbledon with variety of approaches

This year's third Grand Slam tennis tournament, the Wimbledon Championships, will get underway at the All England Club in London on Monday.

In the men's singles competition, top seed Jannik Sinner will face Italian compatriot and World No. 94 Luca Nardi in the opening round.

"I feel good. I feel especially mentally I feel in a very good spot … I'm here to play tennis. I'm here to show that I can play some good tennis also on grass," the World No. 1 said.

Sinner has won three major titles in his career, two at the Australian Open and one at the US Open. The 23-year-old's best performance so far at Wimbledon has been advancing to the semifinals in 2023, when he was knocked out in straight sets by 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic.

The Serbian was then beaten by Carlos Alcaraz in a five-set battle in the final. The 22-year-old Spaniard also stood between Sinner and a breakthrough French Open trophy in early June. If Sinner is to get revenge at Wimbledon, he will need to reach the final first.

Alcaraz, the two-time defending champion and No. 2 seed, will meet an Italian in the first round as well – 38-year-old Fabio Fognini. The World No. 2, who is seeking his sixth Grand Slam trophy and third straight at Wimbledon, says he headed to London with the intention of winning.

"I'm coming here thinking that I really want to win the title, I really want to lift the trophy. I'm not thinking about how many players have done it, winning three or three Wimbledon (titles) in a row. I am just thinking about ... okay I just want to ... to be ready," Alcaraz said at a press conference..

"I just want to prepare myself in the best way possible, just to start the tournament with a lot of confidence. Obviously I feel a lot confident right now. Just thinking about still going forward, still doing the good things and start the tournament," he added.

In contrast to the two youngsters, Djokovic is looking to extend his Grand Slam title-winning total to a record-breaking 25 at the age of 38. The No. 6 seed will take on Alexandre Muller of France in the first round. The Serbian is in the same half of the draw as Sinner, who has beaten him four straight times.

"Whether it could be my last dance, I'm not sure, as I'm not sure about Roland-Garros or any other Slam that I play next, but my wish is to play for several more years," Djokovic told reporters.

"I love to be healthy physically and also mentally, motivated to keep on playing at the highest level, so that's the goal, but you never know at this stage," he noted. "And yes, I would probably agree that Wimbledon could be the best chance, because of the results I had, because of how I feel, how I play in Wimbledon, just getting that extra push mentally and motivation to perform the best tennis at the highest level."

On the women's side, top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka will clash with Canadian qualifier Carson Branstine in the opening round. Although the Belarusian has three Grand Slam trophies to her name, she has never progressed to the final at Wimbledon. The 27-year-old's best showing was reaching the semifinals in 2021 and 2023. She missed last summer's tournament due to a shoulder injury.

Sabalenka has never played Branstine before, and made plans to discuss tactics with her team and watch videos of some of her opponent's previous matches to familiarize herself with what to expect on the court.

"It's not easy to face someone you've never seen before," she said. "I know that I'll be prepared for her game."

Second-seeded Coco Gauff, who has won two Grand Slam titles, has not been dominant at Wimbledon either. Her best runs have extended to the round of 16 three times, including last summer. She will go up against Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine in her first match.

The American defeated Sabalenka in the French Open final in early June. The Belarusian was very frustrated with the loss, describing it as the worst title match she had ever played. She reached out to apologize later, and the 21-year-old said she is happy to turn the page.

"I preach love, I preach light," Gauff noted. "I just want us to be Kumbaya, live happily, hakuna matata, and be happy here."