GRASSCOURT season is at its peak with the All-England Club preparing for the first day of action at Wimbledon tonight. Both the gentlemen’s and ladies singles kick off and will run for the next two weeks and we preview the huge Grand Slam event.

GENTLEMEN’S SINGLES

Top seed: Jannik Sinner (Italy)

Italian Jannik Sinner enters a Grand Slam as the world number one, and kicks off his campaign with a first round match against German Yannick Hanfmann. It does not get easier for him from there, with Italian Matteo Berrettini and then Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor – two known talented grasscourters – likely opponents in the next two rounds.

After that, he has a likely fourth round match with American Ben Shelton, while Russian Daniil Medvedev has landed in his quarter, and then young rival Carlos Alcaraz on a crash course for the semi-final. The top half of the draw looms as the stacked one for the top eight seeds, which makes Sinner’s draw a tough one.

Defending champion: Carlos Alcaraz (Spain)

Though Spaniards are not always renowned with the English grasscourts, Alcaraz is a different beast. He has learnt to become a damaging grasscourt player and looms as a huge threat to Sinner’s race to the title. He takes on Estonian qualifier Mark Lajal in the first round, before one of Austrian Sebastian Ofner or Australian Aleksandar Vukic in the Round of 64. American Frances Tiafoe follows that, with the in-form Tommy Paul or eighth seeded Casper Ruud potential quarter finals opponents.

Other threats:

It is impossible to ignore the threat that seven-time winner Novak Djokovic poses, even if he is underdone. German Alexander Zverev has never reached past a fourth round at Wimbledon, but is in good form of late, and will be looking to go one better than his Roland Garros Grand Slam final.

Of the local hopes, Jack Draper is looming large, while the likes of Andrey Rublev and Stefanos Tsitsipas always have to be considered even if others are more favoured on grass. The All-England Club will enjoy watching Sir Andy Murray for what will almost certainly be the last time. The multiple Grand Slam champion takes on Czech Tomas Machac in the first round.

LADIES SINGLES

Top seed: Iga Swiatek (Poland)

There is no rest for the wicked, and certainly none for the world number one who has to start off her Wimbledon campaign against Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin. Either Croatian Petra Martic or local wildcard Francesca Jones is a second round opponent, with Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva or Czech 27th seed Katerina Siniakova after that.

The dangerous Jelena Ostapenko or Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia – both former top five players – have landed in Swiatek’s eighth of the draw, while Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova is sixth seed at the event and on a crash course for a quarter final with Swiatek. Another Wimbledon champion in Elena Rybakina or Jessica Pegula are among the potential semi-final options.

Defender champion: Marketa Vondrousova (Czech Republic)

Vondrousova broke through for her first ever Grand Slam title, defeating Tunisian Ons Jabeur in the final last year. She faces Spaniard Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the first round this year, while Maria Camila Osorio Serrano or Lauren Davis are waiting in the second round. A blockbuster potential fourth rounder with Danielle Collins looms large, before Swiatek after that.

Other threats:

World number three Aryna Sabalenka is searching for her second Grand Slam of the year and is always a danger, looming in the third quarter for the draw. She has the likes of Dayana Yastremska, Mirra Andreeva, Maria Sakkari and Qinwen Zheng in her quarter. Rybakina as a past winner would be right up there with Swiatek and Sabalenka, and has a reasonably favourable draw.

World number two Coco Gauff must be a threat if she can produce her best form and keep her serving consistent, while local talent Katie Boulter is the pick of the Brits, and comes in as 32nd seed, but does boast a tough draw. Reigning semi-finalist Elina Svitolina took out Swiatek last year, while one can never discount a revival from Victoria Azarenka, who is a two-time semi-finalist the All-England club, albeit in 2011-12.