Wimbledon didn’t have to wait long to deliver some truly marquee matchups, as Wednesday’s second-round slate is headlined by Jannik Sinner vs. Matteo Berrettini. Gael Monfils vs. Stan Wawrinka is also on the schedule.
(1) Jannik Sinner vs. Matteo Berrettini
Sinner may be No. 1 in the world, but only one of the two players involved in his second-round match at Wimbledon is a former finalist at this event–and it isn’t Sinner. An rough draw for the 22-year-old has him going up against Berrettini on Wednesday. Berrettini is unseeded at the All-England Club due to a rash of injuries, but he is a former world No. 6 who was runner-up at Wimbledon in 2021 (lost to Novak Djokovic). Although the 28-year-old Italian has played sparingly in 2024, he is up to his usual tricks on grass with a final appearance in Stuttgart (lost to Jack Draper) and a 7-6(3), 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 win over Marton Fucsovics on Monday.
Of course, it’s an even worse draw for Berrettini. Sinner is 39-3 this season with four titles, including his first Grand Slam triumph at the Australian Open. The Italian, who defeated Yannick Hanfmann in four sets on Monday, has advanced to the Wimbledon quarters and semis in the past two years (lost to Djokovic both times). Berrettini is extremely dangerous, but anyone has to be at his very best to beat or even compete with Sinner these days–and that is not where the underdog finds himself at this point in time.
Pick: Sinner in 4
Stan Wawrinka vs. Gael Monfils
Monfils and Wawrinka will be squaring off for the seventh time in their careers on Wednesday. The two veterans, who have split their six previous encounters at three wins apiece, have not faced each other since 2019 and they have never met on grass.
Both of these guys are the essence of all-court players, so the surface should not be a real factor–although it is worth noting that Monfils has won 51 matches all time on grass compared to Wawrinka’s 27. Their physical states are going to be the key, and right now Monfils at 37 years old is going stronger than Wawrinka at 39. The Frenchman is a decent 17-14 this season, whereas the Swiss is a horrendous 5-10. Wawrinka benefited from a favorable draw and erased British wild card Charles Broom in straight sets on Monday, while Monfils posted a solid grass-court victory over Adrian Mannarino in four sets. This should be wildly entertaining matchup for a while, but Monfils will likely wear down his opponent in the end.
Pick: Monfils in 5