by Everybody focuses on the favorites in Grand Slam tournaments, but this article is dedicated to the best Wimbledon 2023 sleepers. Here are some players who ahve the potential to upset the odds and win the tournament.
If you want more information about the big guns, you should check my traditional Wimbledon 2023 betting preview focused on the most likely winners. With that in mind, let’s turn our attention to dark horses that could go all the way.
Holger Rune
- Odds to win: +2000
- Age: 20
- ATP Ranking: 6th
Everyone needs to take Holger Rune a lot more seriously. The 20-year-old prodigy from Denmark is tremendously talented and will only get better. With four singles titles in his young career (including the 2023 BMW Open), I expect Rune to continue his path to greatness.
Rune has also beaten some of the best players on earth, although he’s still relatively new to the big stage. He’s got victories over Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev, Jannik Sinner and Casper Ruud!
Since his breakout performance at the 2022 French Open, Rune has continued to climb the ranks. Despite a few shortcomings over the past year, he’s still playing excellent tennis and has reached sixth in the ATP rankings (a personal best).
The main concern with Rune is that he’s yet to perform well in this tournament. He’s also never gotten past the first round of Wimbledon in his career. Could the young Danish prodigy change the narrative this year? I think he’ll be much better than expected, and a deep run is on the cards.
Audrey Rublev
- Odds to win: +4000
- Age: 25
- ATP Ranking: 7th
Andrey Rublev has been criminally underrated during his entire career. The 25-year-old competitor from Russia has won 13 singles titles since 2017. He’s now one of my top sleepers for Wimbledon 2023 because of his tenacity and aggressiveness on the court.
In terms of recent form, Rublev has played pretty well throughout the year. He made it to the Australian Open quarterfinals and captured the Monte-Carlo Masters title. Rublev has also been winning matches because of his incredible forehand and consistency on every surface.
Here’s a statistic that you can’t ignore: Rublev ranks fifth in total aces so far in 2023. He knows how to get aggressive, and his energy is always high whenever he plays. Although Rublev also often experiences a lot of unforced errors, he still won’t make things easy for his opponents.
His style suits the grass courts of Wimbledon. If Rublev is at his best, he will be very hard to stop. The odds of +4000 for him to lift the title are way too high.
Nick Kyrgios
- Odds to win: +1800
- Age: 28
- ATP Ranking: 31st
All the top tennis sportsbooks are declaring Nick Kyrgios a Wimbledon underdog as well. His recent form hasn’t been very stellar, and injuries have kept him off the court in 2023. However, when Kyrgios is at his best, he can beat anyone.
A persistent knee issue has prevented Kyrgios from participating in multiple tournaments in 2023. He was also in pain while competing in the Stuttgart Open and urged fans to be patient with his progress. Kyrgios lost to Wu Yibing in straight sets.
Let’s not forget about Kyrgios’ magical run at Wimbledon last year. It was the first Grand Slam final in which he competed during his career. Although Kyrgios lost to Novak Djokovic, he also defeated Rafael Nadal and Stefanos Tsitsipas to get there.
Is Kyrgios healthy enough to be mong all the viable Wimbledon 2023 sleepers? I think he’s going to do everything within his power to compete. The Australian star can be immense on grass, so the potential for a surprising charge is there.
Barbora Krejcikova
- Odds to win: +2200
- Age: 27
- WTA Ranking: 12th
The former women’s French Open champion also enters Wimbledon as a true underdog in 2023. Barbora Krejcikova isn’t the most consistent player, but she’s a solid competitor capable of winning a Grand Slam. She’s also got six singles titles in her career.
Krejcikova also has victories over the top female players in 2023, including Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek. Furthermore, she won the Dubai Tennis Championships back in February, defeating the world number one in the final match.
Unfortunately, a poor showing at Roland-Garros in early June indicates a huge drop-off in Krejcikova’s form. She didn’t get past the first round, losing to Lesia Tsurenko in two sets.
You often see female players fail to meet the expectations in one Grand Slam, only to explode in the next. That’s what I expect from Krejcikova at Wimbledon 2023.
Petra Kvitova
- Odds to win: +2500
- Age: 33
- WTA Ranking: 9th
Petra Kvitova hasn’t delivered the most consistent results in the last several years. However, the two-time Wimbledon champion recently won her biggest singles title since 2018. Kvitova was the Miami Open winner in early April, defeating Elena Rybakina in two sets.
Here’s what I like about Kvitova: she can be unstoppable when the momentum is on her side. The veteran has multiple Grand Slam titles in her career to prove that. She knows what it takes to win at the highest levels of pro tennis.
Kvitova also deserves a lot of recognition and praise for her accomplishments. She’s been among the best players of her generation, having captured 30 singles titles in her career. Her performance in Miami also proves that she’s still a true contender.
Getting back to championship form has been a struggle for Kvitova. She hasn’t won Wimbledon since 2014; her best finish since then was a fourth-round appearance in 2019. Could Kvitova snag another Grand Slam title? Yes, and her chances are higher than the odds suggest.
