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Wimbledon returns after a two-year hiatus owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. Defending champion Novak Djokovic and record eight-time winner Roger Federer have been placed in opposite halves of the draw.
Fresh off his second Roland Garros title, top seed Djokovic will launch his bid for a Wimbledon three-peat against British teenager Jack Draper. Meanwhile, Federer, making his 22nd consecutive appearance at the grasscourt Major, will take on Frenchman Adrian Mannarino.
Two-time champion Andy Murray faces a tricky opener in the shape of big-serving Nikoloz Basilashvili, while former Grand Slam semifinalists Grigor Dimitrov and Fernando Verdasco also lock horns in the first round.
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So without further ado, here are five blockbuster first-round matchups to look forward to at 2021 Wimbledon:
#5 Novak Djokovic (1) vs Jack Draper
Two-time defending champion Novak Djokovic begins his quest for a record-equalling 20th Grand Slam title against local wildcard Jack Draper.
Considering the gulf in class between the two players, this appears to be a mismatch on paper. But a grueling claycourt campaign followed by a short two-week turnaround leaves Djokovic in a tricky position ahead of his Wimbledon opener against the British teenager.
The 2018 Wimbledon boys' singles runner-up is high on confidence after making an impressive run at Queen's. The 19-year-old big-serving southpaw ousted Jannik Sinner and Alexander Bublik en route to the last eight.
Draper has a game tailor-made for grass, but he would have his task cut out against five-time champion Djokovic.
The World No. 1 has never lost in the first round at a Grand Slam outside the Australian Open (2005, 2006). Though a Draper win is almost beyond the realms of possibility considering the form Djokovic is in, the Brit has game to take a set or two off the Serb and make it a discomfiting afternoon for the top seed.
#4 Andy Murray vs Nikoloz Basilashvili
Making his 13th appearance at Wimbledon but his first in four years, wildcard Andy Murray will open against the big-serving Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili.
Murray has a formidable grasscourt resume, winning two titles at Wimbledon and making at least the quarterfinals in his last 10 appearances at the tournament. But the Scot has been plagued by injuries in the last couple of years and hasn't hit his stride since knee surgery.
The 34-year-old made an early exit at Queen's last week, losing to Matteo Berrettini in the second round, in his first grasscourt tournament in over two years.
Considering Murray's movement is still suspect and he is woefully short of match practice, Basilashvili is one of the worst opponents the Scot could have drawn. The Georgian boasts a strong baseline game built on big serves and booming groundstrokes.
If Basilashvili serves big and clamps down on unforced errors, he could hand Murray his first-ever first-round exit at Wimbledon.
#3 Jan-Lennard Struff vs Daniil Medvedev (2)
Second seed Daniil Medvedev faces a formidable challenge first up against big-serving German Jan-Lennard Struff.
Though the 10-time titlist holds a 3-1 head-to-head advantage against Struff, he lost their most recent meeting -- in the first-round of the 2021 Halle Open two weeks ago. For all his hard-court prowess and new-found confidence on clay, Medvedev has had middling returns on grass.
The Russian has never gone past the third round in three previous visits to Wimbledon. The same holds true for Struff as well, but the German, with his big serves and huge groundstrokes, can deal plenty of damage on grass.
Suffice to say, it's a tricky opener for the 25-year-old Russian, who is bidding to become the new World No. 1.
#2 Stefanos Tsitsipas (3) vs Frances Tiafoe
Stefanos Tsitsipas was on the brink of a maiden Grand Slam title when he led Novak Djokovic by two sets in the Roland Garros final earlier this month.
But the young Greek failed to land the knockout punch and succumbed to a five-set loss. Despite that, he has had a fabulous 2021 campaign. The 22-year-old has won a tour-leading 39 matches this year, which includes titles in Lyon and Monte-Carlo, and a run to the Australian Open semifinals.
Tsitsipas, who is the third seed at Wimbledon this year, faces a tricky opener in big-serving American Frances Tiafoe. Tiafoe is currently outside the top 50, but his recent run to to the quarterfinals Queen's shows he has the ability to perform on grass.
A junior champion at Wimbledon five years ago, Tsitsipas has an all-round game that serves him well on all surfaces. So it is a tad surprising that the Greek, who has a single-handed backhand, has suffered two first-round exits in three appearances at Wimbledon.
Against Tiafoe, Tsitsipas will have to be positive from the get-go and look to impose himself on his opponent. If there is a lingering hangover after a long claycourt season, the Greek could well be one of the high-profile casualties in the first round.
But if Tsitsipas survives the first round and makes a deep run, he could meet Djokovic in the semifinals.
#1 Ugo Humbert (21) vs Nick Kyrgios
Ugo Humbert vs Nick Kyrgios is undoubtedly the match to look out for in the first round of Wimbledon. Both players have big serves and explosive games that work well on grass.
Humbert, 22, is high on confidence, having won his first grasscourt title at Halle two weeks ago. Kyrgios, on the other hand, has not played since a third-round loss to Dominic Thiem at the Australian Open.
Their head-to-head record is split at one apiece, with both meetings taking place on hardcourt. Despite his lack of matches, Kyrgios can draw confidence from his five-set win over the French left-hander at the Australian Open this year.
Kyrgios made a stunning debut at Wimbledon in 2014, ousting Rafael Nadal en route to the quarterfinals. However, he has made the second week at the tournament only twice in his next five visits.
Humbert, meanwhile, made the fourth round on his Wimbledon debut in 2019, going down to eventual champion Djokovic in straight sets.
Going by recent form, Humbert is expected to win this clash, either in four or five sets. But the match could easily go Kyrgios' way if the Australian finds his mojo.
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