Wimbledon will get underway in the scorching heat on Monday and British hopes lie with Jack Draper, while Emma Raducanuwill hope for a memorable tournament.
Raducanu, who starts her campaign against fellow Brit Mimi Xu, is determined to rediscover her joy on court, and she is ready to embrace the soaring temperatures.
Draper, now ranked fourth in the world, has emerged as a genuine contender to lift the coveted trophy, and he starts against Argentina’s Sebastian Baez on Tuesday.
Seven-time champion Novak Djokovic, meanwhile, is looking at Wimbledon as a chance to win a record-extending 25th grand slam title.
Now aged 38, Djokovic, the sixth seed this year, is unsure whether this will be his last appearance in SW19, and he plans to take it one competition at a time.
Boris Becker, who won three Wimbledon titles, has provided insight for Mail Sport on Raducanu’s improvement, Draper’s bid for greatness and the next generation…
Jack Draper represents Britain’s greatest hope when Wimbledon gets underway
Emma Raducanu is hopeful of rediscovering her joy on court despite the soaring temperatures
Here, Boris Becker has provided unique insight into SW19 ahead of the showpiece
BORIS ON… EMMA RADUCANU
Emma has played better this year. Her focus is more on tennis than it was before. On her good day, she is still an unbelievable talent and she is still a baby at 22 years of age. The British media should be a lot nicer to her.
I feel for her because I know what she has gone through. It is very difficult to handle the trappings of fame and fortune. I think it is a miracle that I survived, so it’s almost normal what happened to Emma.
Everyone wants a piece of you. You lose your privacy and you don’t know how to handle it. It’s very, very difficult. It’s nothing to do with the forehand and the backhand. It’s the side effects that winning and the money and fame has on you.
Literally the next day, you lose the life you have known. It’s difficult to accept and it’s difficult to navigate and manage. That’s why defending my Wimbledon title as an 18 year-old is by far my biggest achievement. Nothing even comes close it.
If you have won a major once, there is no reason you can’t do it again. But you have to spend time on the practice court, play the tournaments, be injury free and, most importantly, have a support team that has the same goal.
In tennis you have to mature quickly to survive. But Emma is doing a much better job this year than she has the last two years.
Raducanu has played better this year and, on a good day, she is an unbelievable talent
I feel for her because it is very difficult to handle the trappings of fame and fortune
BORIS ON… JACK DRAPER
I expect great things from Jack. You guys are lucky to have such a well-spoken, well-educated, huge talent. Grass is something he can really do well on.
I don’t know if you can still call him a dark horse. I would have him on the list as one of the favourites to win Wimbledon. Even if it’s not this year, he’s always going to be on the list now.
I really like his attitude, work ethic and discipline. I watched him win Indian Wells in March and the way he handled the biggest moment of his life so far was an example to young players. He knew it was a great day but the work isn’t done yet. His head is firmly on his shoulders. It would be sensational if he won Wimbledon one day.
I would have Draper on the list as one of the favourites to win Wimbledon – it would be sensational if he did one day
His head is firmly on his shoulders and he is an example to young players in the sport
BORIS ON… THE NEW GENERATION
After the retirement of Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal, and now with Novak Djokovic slowing down a little bit, I was worried about who would carry the torch.
But with Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Draper – and I want to include Arthur Fils, Ben Shelton, Holger Rune, Joao Fonseca and Jakub Mensik – you have players who will carry the game into the next generation.
Alcaraz is a genius. When he plays his best, nobody can touch him. But he’s not as consistent as Sinner.
At Wimbledon, Sinner hasn’t done that well yet, but all eyes will be on him. I know him well and he is a fine young man.
Sometimes you have to remind people that he was actually cleared of doping. Yes, he had a doping ban but that’s because he took responsibility for his physio putting the spray on his finger.
I think that gets lost in the detail a little bit by people who were not aware of the situation. Whoever doesn’t know the facts shouldn’t be talking about it.
Carlos Alcaraz is among the talented group of players who can carry the next generation
At Wimbledon, Jannik Sinner hasn’t done that well yet, but all eyes will be on him
BORIS ON… NOVAK DJOKOVIC
I always had in my mind that Novak is going to get one more run at Wimbledon. He is in his swansong. I don’t think he will play another five years, but I’d love to see him win another one.
We had a couple of great years together when I was his coach. As a player, you want to speak to someone who understands the game at the highest level.
Top players surround themselves with people that know what they are talking about. That’s why when I heard about him working with Andy Murray, I thought it would fit very well.
Novak plays only to win Grand Slams now. He has got 24 majors so I’m sure he wants to add at least one more. And I think his highest chance is at Wimbledon.
Novak Djokovic is in his swansong but his highest chance of another grand slam is at SW19
Djokovic, a top player, has got 24 majors so I’m sure he wants to add at least one more
We had two years together – top players surround themselves with people that know what they are talking about
BORIS ON… COACHING
I’d like to think I still have the knowledge to speak to a 21 or 22-year-old. I am 57, but I have children a similar age, so I understand what they’re going through.
I have a good relationship with all these players. There is a respect and understanding that I know a thing or two.
Coaching is tough every week, it’s a difficult job. So I’d rather be part of a team, as a mentor or supervisor, to go to the majors and be at training camps. Tennis will always be my first love, whether as an analyst, commentator, coach or mentor.
Boris Becker, who is a Laureus World Sports Academy member, was speaking to DAVID COVERDALE