WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Get ready for Wimbledon before play begins on Monday with a guide that tells you everything you need to know about how to watch the grass-court Grand Slam tennis tournament, what the betting odds are, what the schedule is, who the defending champions are and more:
— In the U.S.: Tennis Channel, ESPN
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WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Get ready for Wimbledon before play begins on Monday with a guide that tells you everything you need to know about how to watch the grass-court Grand Slam tennis tournament, what the betting odds are, what the schedule is, who the defending champions are and more:
Italy's Jannik Sinner plays a shot on the practice court at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club ahead of the Wimbledon Championships, which begins on July 1st, in London, Friday June 28, 2024. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)
Tennis players train as a member of ground staff waters the plants at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London, Friday, June 28, 2024. The Wimbledon Championships begin on July 1. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Poland's Iga Swiatek plays a volley on the practice court at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club ahead of the Wimbledon Championships, which begins on July 1st, in London, Friday June 28, 2024. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)
Novak Djokovic of Serbia serves during a training session on Court 2 at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London, Friday, June 28, 2024. The Wimbledon Championships begin on July 1. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
FILE - Andy Murray of Britain wipes his face as he is injured during his men's singles match on day five of The Queen's Club tennis tournament, in London, Wednesday, June 19, 2024. Two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray still had not decided as of Thursday whether he will be able to compete at the grass-court Grand Slam tournament that begins next week and he is likelier to enter doubles than singles if he can play at all after recent surgery to remove a cyst on his spinal cord. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz walks after a training session at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon ahead of the Wimbledon Championships, London, Tuesday, June 25, 2024. The tournament starts July 1st. (John Walton/PA via AP)
Novak Djokovic during a training session at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon ahead of the Wimbledon Championships, which begins on July 1st, on Tuesday June 25, 2024. (John Walton/PA via AP)
Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka practicing at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon ahead of the Wimbledon Championships, which begins on July 1st, Wednesday June 26, 2024. (John Walton//PA via AP)
Italy's Jannik Sinner practices at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon ahead of the Wimbledon Championships, scheduled to begin on July, Wednesday June 26, 2024. (John Walton/PA via AP)
FILE - A view of the Venus Rosewater Dish - the Ladies' Singles Trophy, and the Gentlemen's Singles Trophy, during the presentation to the media, ahead of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, in London, Saturday June 26, 2021. This year's Wimbledon tournament begins on Monday, July 1. (Thomas Lovelock/Pool via AP, File)
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz practises at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, ahead of the Wimbledon Championships, which begin on July 1st, in London, Thursday June 27, 2024. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)
FILE - Spain's Carlos Alcaraz celebrates with the trophy after beating Serbia's Novak Djokovic to win the final of the men's singles on day fourteen of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Sunday, July 16, 2023. This year's Wimbledon tournament begins on Monday, July 1.(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File
FILE - Czech Republic's Marketa Vondrousova celebrates with the trophy after beating Tunisia's Ons Jabeur in the women's singles final on day thirteen of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Saturday, July 15, 2023. This year's Wimbledon tournament begins on Monday, July 1.(AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File)
FILE - Stewards prepare for the start of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Sunday, June 30, 2019. This year's Wimbledon tournament begins on Monday, July 1.(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)
— Other countries are listed here.
Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz are listed as the favorites to win the singles championships at the All England Club, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. Swiatek — who never has made it past the quarterfinals at Wimbledon — is a -175 money-line pick; she was at +275 right after winning the French Open only 2 1/2 weeks ago. Aryna Sabalenka, a two-time Australian Open champion and twice a semifinalist at Wimbledon, is next for the women's title at +400, followed by 2022 champion Elena Rybakina (+650) and reigning U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff (+700). Defending champion Alcaraz is listed at +150, ahead of Jannik Sinner (+275) and Novak Djokovic (+350), with a big drop-off to the No. 4 choice, Alexander Zverev (+700).
The site is the All England Club. The surface is grass courts. Women play best-of-three-set matches; men play best-of-five-set matches. Unlike the other three Grand Slam tennis tournaments, there are no night sessions; a curfew prevents play past 11 p.m. The event lasts 14 days, including play now on the middle Sunday, which until 2022 was not used for competition except on four occasions when rain created a backlog of matches. There are retractable roofs on Centre Court and No. 1 Court.
Iga Swiatek is the top-seeded woman. Jannik Sinner is the top-seeded man.
Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray both were placed in the Wimbledon bracket during Friday’s draw despite coming off recent operations. That’s no guarantee either 37-year-old past champion at the All England Club will actually compete at the event. But Djokovic, at least, has looked in practice sessions this week as though he is ready to go, less than a month after surgery for a torn meniscus in his right knee. He has won seven of his men’s-record 24 Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon. Murray, a two-time trophy winner at the grass-court tournament, made clear on Thursday that he would wait until the last moment to decide whether or not to play. He has been planning to retire after Wimbledon and the Paris Olympics.
— Monday-Tuesday: First Round (Women and Men)
— July 3-4: Second Round (Women and Men)
— July 5-6: Third Round (Women and Men)
— July 7-8: Fourth Round (Women and Men)
— July 9-10: Quarterfinals (Women and Men)
— July 11: Women’s Semifinals
— July 12: Men’s Semifinals
— July 13: Women’s Final
— July 14: Men’s Final
Try your hand at the AP’s quiz about Wimbledon.
What to read:
— Wimbledon’s qualifying rounds are the tournament before the tournament
— Alcaraz, Sinner, Swiatek and Gauff are ushering in a tennis youth movement
— Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray are in the bracket after recent operations
— Murray is still trying to decide whether he can play at Wimbledon
— Who are the top women in the field?
— Who are the top men in the field?
— Rafael Nadal is skipping Wimbledon to prepare for the Paris Olympics
— An outside review says the U.S. Tennis Association can do more to protect players
Marketa Vondrousova earned her first Grand Slam title a year ago at the All England Club, defeating Ons Jabeur 6-4, 6-4 to become the first unseeded woman to win Wimbledon. Carlos Alcaraz got past Novak Djokovic 1-6, 7-6 (6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 for his first trophy at Wimbledon and second at a major (a total he recently raised to three by winning the French Open). Djokovic had won four consecutive titles at the All England Club and seven overall.
Total prize money at Wimbledon in 2024 is rising to a record 50 million pounds, which is about $64 million — an increase of nearly 12% from last year. The two singles champions each will receive 2.7 million pounds, about $3.45 million.
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz plays a shot on the practice court at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, ahead of the Wimbledon Championships, which begins on July 1st, in London, Friday June 28, 2024. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)
Italy's Jannik Sinner plays a shot on the practice court at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club ahead of the Wimbledon Championships, which begins on July 1st, in London, Friday June 28, 2024. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)
Tennis players train as a member of ground staff waters the plants at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London, Friday, June 28, 2024. The Wimbledon Championships begin on July 1. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Poland's Iga Swiatek plays a volley on the practice court at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club ahead of the Wimbledon Championships, which begins on July 1st, in London, Friday June 28, 2024. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)
Novak Djokovic of Serbia serves during a training session on Court 2 at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London, Friday, June 28, 2024. The Wimbledon Championships begin on July 1. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
FILE - Andy Murray of Britain wipes his face as he is injured during his men's singles match on day five of The Queen's Club tennis tournament, in London, Wednesday, June 19, 2024. Two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray still had not decided as of Thursday whether he will be able to compete at the grass-court Grand Slam tournament that begins next week and he is likelier to enter doubles than singles if he can play at all after recent surgery to remove a cyst on his spinal cord. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz walks after a training session at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon ahead of the Wimbledon Championships, London, Tuesday, June 25, 2024. The tournament starts July 1st. (John Walton/PA via AP)
Novak Djokovic during a training session at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon ahead of the Wimbledon Championships, which begins on July 1st, on Tuesday June 25, 2024. (John Walton/PA via AP)
Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka practicing at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon ahead of the Wimbledon Championships, which begins on July 1st, Wednesday June 26, 2024. (John Walton//PA via AP)
Italy's Jannik Sinner practices at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon ahead of the Wimbledon Championships, scheduled to begin on July, Wednesday June 26, 2024. (John Walton/PA via AP)
FILE - A view of the Venus Rosewater Dish - the Ladies' Singles Trophy, and the Gentlemen's Singles Trophy, during the presentation to the media, ahead of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, in London, Saturday June 26, 2021. This year's Wimbledon tournament begins on Monday, July 1. (Thomas Lovelock/Pool via AP, File)
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz practises at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, ahead of the Wimbledon Championships, which begin on July 1st, in London, Thursday June 27, 2024. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)
FILE - Spain's Carlos Alcaraz celebrates with the trophy after beating Serbia's Novak Djokovic to win the final of the men's singles on day fourteen of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Sunday, July 16, 2023. This year's Wimbledon tournament begins on Monday, July 1.(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File
FILE - Czech Republic's Marketa Vondrousova celebrates with the trophy after beating Tunisia's Ons Jabeur in the women's singles final on day thirteen of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Saturday, July 15, 2023. This year's Wimbledon tournament begins on Monday, July 1.(AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File)
FILE - Stewards prepare for the start of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Sunday, June 30, 2019. This year's Wimbledon tournament begins on Monday, July 1.(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)
