5 players to watch out for this Wimbledon

As the most popular and also the most controversial of the Grand Slams catches speed, we bring you a low-down of players to watch out for this year.

Wimbledon 2015 has been in the news now for a while, thanks to the controversies around it (with several players unhappy with the seeding system) and the unpredictability that it has become synonymous with.

Before you settle down with your strawberries, cream and Pimm’s to catch all the action, we bring you a round-up of players to watch out for, not only for their game but also for the drama they bring to the court with their quirky fashion choices.

Novak Djokovic

He may have suffered a disappointing defeat at the hands of Stan Wawrinka in the recently held French Open final, but the Wimbledon gentlemen’s singles defending champion remains the tournament favourite this year as well. And considering his top-class form that helped him beat Roger Federer at the Indian Wells Masters and Rafael Nadal at the French Open, it’s hard to argue against that.

Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal would be aiming for a spectacular comeback

He may have had a rather disappointing spell of late, with early exits from Queen’s and the French Open, but Nadal’s poor form might just have him fight even harder for the coveted title. His dry run also has fans rooting for a stunning comeback.

We look forward to seeing the clay-court specialist prove that he is as good on grass, while revelling in the drama he brings to the court with his rather animated display of emotions and his trademark fitting tees and vibrant headbands.

Petra Kvitova

Kvitova, defending champion, with the Venus Rosewater Dish at Wimbledon 2014

With a No. 2 WTA ranking and two Wimbledon titles in her kitty already, Kvitova is the second favourite among the women in the tournament this year, right behind Serena Williams. An illness saw her pull out of the Eastbourne tournament, but the 25-year-old Czech tennis star has vowed to defend her title with all her might.

Considering her fast left-hand serves and her affinity to grass courts, we don’t see why she shouldn’t.

Stan Wawrinka

Wawrinka with the winners’ trophy following the 2015 Australian Open

Riding high on his recent French Open win, two-time Grand Slam winner Stan Wawrinka is as much talked about for his tennis skills as he is for the unusual shorts (often infamously referred to as Miss Muffet shorts) he dons on the court. The 30-year-old Swiss champion moved up four notches in the ATP rankings – from No. 8 to No. 4, and we can’t wait to see what he brings to Wimbledon this year, both in terms of the game and his quirky style.

Serena Williams

Williams played Timea Babos of Hungary on Day Three of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships 2015

It would be remiss of us to not include ‘The Queen of the Court’ in our list of players to watch out for. The five-time Wimbledon champion, who currently enjoys the top spot in the WTA rankings, is as much talked about for her powerful serves, groundstrokes and swings as she is about her oft-bizarre outfits on court – be it the Lane Bryant black lycra catsuit at the 2002 US Open or the white trench coat she wore during the warm-up for her opening match at Wimbledon in 2008.

This post was originally published on Solly Sport Life.