3 reasons why Wimbledon has lost some of its luster this year

The 135th edition of Wimbledon began on a gloomy note as many of the first-round matches were either delayed or rescheduled due to rain. On Centre Court, top seed Novak Djokovic began his quest for a seventh title, looking far off his best. He scraped through in four sets against World No. 81 Kwon Soon-woo. British tennis stars were on a roll later on as teenage sensation Emma Radacanu and two-time champion Andy Murray comfortably won their first-round matches.

Every season, the start of Wimbledon brings a lot of excitement amongst fans. But this year, things seem different. Here are three reasons why Wimbledon 2022 has lost some of its luster:

#3 Ban on Russian players and injuries

The absence of World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev and other top stars from Russia like Andrey Rublev, Karen Khachanov and Daria Kasatkina has left many fans and former players disappointed. Most Russian players are baseliners who tend to play long rallies. These kinds of matches will surely be missed at this year's Championships.

World No 1 Daniil Medvedev was banned from playing at Wimbledon

World No. 2 Alexander Zverev and former US Open champion Dominic Thiem are out due to ankle and wrist injuries, respectively. Their absence has weakened the playing field even further. Fans are used to seeing all the top players in action at the oldest Grand Slam. But this year they would have been disappointed to see five out of the top 20 men's players missing due to either bans or injury.

#2 Last-minute withdrawals by top players due to COVID-19

Most fans buy tickets to watch their favorite players in action. If they suddenly find out that a player has withdrawn or a match is canceled, it can be a massive disappointment. Unfortunately, Marin Cilic and Matteo Berretteni were forced to withdraw before their first-round matches on Tuesday after testing positive for COVID-19.

Berretteni made a remarkable comeback from injury last month by winning two titles on grass. Marin Cilic was also in great form as he reached the semifinals at the French Open and Queen's Club. While many had expected the Italian to challenge Novak Djokovic for the title, the tall Croatian was expected to make a deep run as well.

Unfortunately, this isn't likely to be the last withdrawal from Wimbledon due to COVID-19. Berrettini and Cilic were seen practicing with Nadal and Djokovic, respectively, leading many to fear that the two great champions might also contract the virus.

#1 Roger Federer factor and Serena Williams' first-round exit

Roger Federer has wowed audiences with his elegant stroke-making and amazing movement at Wimbledon over the last two decades. The Swiss superstar not only holds the record for most number of titles (8) at the grasscourt Major among men, but also holds the record for most number of match wins at Wimbledon (105). The 40-year-old is still recovering from a knee injury, which forced him to withdraw from the grasscourt Major for the first time in his career.

The Swiss maestro's aura will certainly be missed on Centre Court.

Serena Williams made headlines when she decided to take a wildcard into the British Major. The seven-time champion was expected to roll back the clock and wow fans with her power-packed game. Unfortunately, she was unable to cross the first hurdle, losing a hard-fought match against French player Harmony Tan in three sets on Tuesday.