The men’s draw for the upcoming Wimbledon championships has officially been announced, with defending champion Carlos Alcaraz set to play Fabio Fognini in the first round.
Alcaraz can avoid Novak Djokovic until the final once again this year, as the Serb finds himself in Jannik Sinner‘s half of the draw.
Sinner will face compatriot Luca Nardi in his first-round matchup, and could meet Tommy Paul, Ben Shelton, and Lorenzo Musetti en route to the semi-final.
The third quarter of the draw, which doesn’t include Alcaraz, Sinner or Djokovic, presents a huge opportunity for several ATP stars to reach a maiden Wimbledon final.
One of those stars is the Stuttgart Open champion, Taylor Fritz, who now has the chance to do what no American man has done in 25 years.
Taylor Fritz has the chance to end 25-year-long American drought
The last time a US man emerged victorious at Wimbledon was in 2000, when Pete Sampras won his seventh title in SW19.
Andy Roddick has come close, reaching three finals between 2004 and 2009, each time losing to Roger Federer.
Since Roddick’s last attempt against Federer, however, there hasn’t been an American finalist at the All England Club.
That could all now change, as Fritz has been given a promising path to the final, as he tops the third quarter of the draw seeded fifth.
Despite a potential first-round banana skin against big server Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, his biggest hurdle en route to the semi-finals is Alexander Zverev, whom he has won his last five meetings with.
It won’t be easy, but Fritz has proven what he is capable of on grass and is capable of going all the way in July.
Pete Sampras’ seventh and final Wimbledon title in 2000
Sampras dominated at Wimbledon in the 90s, securing a three-peat from 1993 to 1995, and winning four in a row from 1997 to 2000.
In 2000, he won for the final time, defeating Patrick Rafter in the final over four sets to hold the famous trophy aloft on Centre Court.
His seventh Wimbledon crown matched the record for the most in men’s singles history, previously held by William Renshaw.
The triumph also marked Sampras’ 13th Grand Slam title, which put him first all-time, as he surpassed Roy Emerson.
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