Roger Federer is the defending champion at Wimbledon, and he’ll be under considerable pressure to defend the title he earned with his back-to-back wins over world No. 1 Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. By design, Federer enters Wimbledon having played just eight tournaments this year. Clinging to No. 3 but rapidly approaching the age of 32, the all-time Grand Slam singles champ is trying to find the right balance between playing and resting/practicing in order to increase his longevity. He’s already declared that he hopes to play until the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. That date will seem far, far away should Federer be unable to collect enough ranking points to remain among the top seven or eight while playing that reduced schedule (although he could certainly add tournaments to his schedule should he need the points), and he’s defending a whopping 2000 points at Wimbledon.
Why He’ll Win:
Wimbledon is a kind of “home base” for Federer. It’s partly because the grass is friendly to his game, but also because he’s always felt so comfortable and confident there.
Why He Won’t:
With all those ranking points to defend, and few tournaments in which he can make up for any screw-up or shortfall, Federer will be under enormous pressure.
Bottom Line:
The grass courts will enable Federer to play relatively quick points, and also protect him from undue physical stress. But he seems to have fallen off the pace set by his main rivals.
Click on each player's photo to see our thoughts on their Wimbledon prospects.