With the French Open having just concluded, players now have to cope with the quick turnaround as the grass court swing gets underway and Wimbledon closes in.

The race to SW19 has already begun in earnest with grass-court events having started on the ATP Tour in both Stuttgart and Hertogenbosch.

Wimbledon, the third Grand Slam event of the season, is only three weeks away and that doesn't leave long for preparations to be finalised.

Novak Djokovic claimed his 23rd Grand Slam title at the French Open, enabling him to return to world number one, and the Serb is 8/11 to follow up with victory at Wimbledon.

Djokovic has won the grass court major on seven occasions, which includes each of the last four renewals.

Novak Djokovic

Having won Wimbledon on seven occasions and now going for a fifth straight success at SW19, Djokovic is always the man to beat during the grass court season.

The world number one has not lost a competitive match on grass since losing to Marin Cilic in the Queen's Club final way back in 2018.

The 36-year-old will still have high hopes of completing a calendar Grand Slam after recording major triumphs in Australia and France and he has won his last 28 encounters at Wimbledon.

In fact, Djokovic has lost only 10 of his 96 Wimbledon assignments down the years and the fired-up Serb will be determined to win at the All England Club for an eighth time, which would equal Roger Federer's record. He is 8/11 to complete the feat.

Matteo Berrettini

Matteo Berrettini has been plagued by injury and illness in recent seasons and will be desperate to make up for lost time, having been forced to miss Wimbledon last year.

That was extremely unfortunate as Berrettini looked a serious title contender going into last season's event, having won warm-up tournaments on grass in Stuttgart and at Queen's Club.

Berrettini had won at Queen's Club in 2021 too, highlighting himself as a grass-court specialist, before making his maiden Grand Slam final at Wimbledon.

Despite taking the opening set, Berrettini was eventually beaten by Djokovic, but it showed his capabilities and with that experience under his belt, it was hoped he could kick on.

That hasn't been the case so far and although it has been a disappointing season for the former world number six, a return to Wimbledon could spark a revival and he is 9/1 to take the title.

Nick Kyrgios

The charismatic Nick Kyrgios does things his own way and, while he is a difficult player to have complete faith in, the Australian tends to enjoy competing at Wimbledon.

It was a long time coming, but the eccentric Australian made his maiden Grand Slam final at Wimbledon last year and although comfortably beaten by Djokovic, it was a reminder of the ability he possesses.

Kyrgios built on that to take a title in Washington and make the quarter-finals of the US Open, suggesting he may have turned a corner.

The 28-year-old is set to make his first competitive start this year in Stuttgart this week, giving him just under three weeks to finalise his Wimbledon preparations. He is 14/1 to go one better this year.

Jannik Sinner

In what was only his second-ever appearance at Wimbledon, Sinner made the quarter-finals last year and nearly pulled off one of the greatest wins of his career so far.

The Italian had already come past three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka, big-serving American John Isner and current world number two Carlos Alcaraz in the early rounds.

And then faced with the challenge of Djokovic in his quarter-final encounter, the Italian took the opening two sets 7-5 6-2 before being overhauled by the experienced Serb in five.

However at only 21 years of age, it was still an almighty effort and suggested better could be to come for Sinner at the grass-court major.

The world number nine has the game to flourish at the All England Club and he is 12/1 to reward his followers at Wimbledon this summer.

Taylor Fritz

Big servers tend to thrive at Wimbledon and that looks to be the case with giant American Taylor Fritz, who is 28/1 to taste a maiden Grand Slam title in London this year.

Fritz made the quarter-finals last season, his best effort at a Grand Slam competition to date, and only fine margins stopped him from going that bit further.

Having won his opening four assignments in straight sets, Fritz locked horns with 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal in the last-eight.

Fritz led two sets to one, but Nadal completed a dramatic comeback in a deciding set tiebreak, leaving the American distraught after four hours and 20 minutes of play.

Prior to Wimbledon, Fritz had taken a grass court title at Eastbourne which suggests the 25-year-old has the weapons needed to be a revelation on the surface.

bet365 News Team

• Novak Djokovic
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