Wimbledon 2023: Top Storylines to Track for Entire Tournament Schedule

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz have changed locations from Paris to London, but their head-to-head battle across major tournaments has not wavered.

Djokovic, the 23-time major champion, has not lost at Wimbledon since 2017, when he retired in the quarterfinals.

Alcaraz is the No. 1 seed in the men's singles bracket, but he has not won a major tournament with Djokovic in the field.

The Spaniard is at a disadvantage compared to Djokovic because of his lack of results at the grass-court major.

The same could be said about Iga Swiatek, the No. 1 seed in the women's singles draw.

Swiatek has not made it past the fourth round at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.

Reigning women's champion Elena Rybakina could be viewed as the favorite, and in order to repeat, she may have to go through Swiatek and No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka.

The men's and women's singles brackets start play on Monday. The full television schedule can be viewed here.

Will Anyone Dethrone Novak Djokovic?

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LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 01: Novak Djokovic of Serbia practices with Andy Murray of Great Britain ahead of The Championships Wimbledon 2023 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 01, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Frey/TPN/Getty Images)

Djokovic's last elimination at Wimbledon was due to a retirement in 2017.

He won the 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022 titles. Wimbledon was not played in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Djokovic owns eight total titles in England. Andy Murray is the only other previous Wimbledon champion in the men's singles field.

Alcaraz is the top challenger on paper as the No. 1 seed. He needs an uptick in form at Wimbledon to reach the final and take on Djokovic for the second straight major.

The top-seeded Spaniard was eliminated in the second and fourth rounds in his two Wimbledon appearances.

However, there is hope for Alcaraz to make a deep run because he has improved on his previous best finish in every major start in 2022 and 2023.

No. 3 seed Daniil Medvedev is the other top challenger on paper, but he has not made it past the fourth round in four tries at Wimbledon.

Jannik Sinner and Taylor Fritz are the only other top 10 seeds with a quarterfinal appearance at Wimbledon. They both reached the final eight in 2022. Sinner and Fritz both reside in the bottom half of the bracket with Djokovic.

A year ago, Sinner pushed Djokovic to five sets in the quarterfinals, so he could be viewed as the top contender prior to the championship match.

Alcaraz or Medvedev may emerge from the top half, but if they fail to improve on the grass, someone like Cameron Norrie, who lost to Djokovic in last year's semifinal, could advance to the final.

A new face in the final would be at a disadvantage against Djokovic because of the Serbian's lengthy championship experience.

If Djokovic were to lose at all, it would be viewed as the biggest shock of the men's major season to date.

Elena Rybakina Looking to Become First Women's Repeat Champion Since Serena Williams

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LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 30. Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan training on the practice courts in preparation for the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club at Wimbledon on June 30, 2023, in London, England. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)

Rybakina will attempt to become the first repeat women's Wimbledon champion since Serena Williams accomplished the feat in 2015 and 2016.

The only major title defense that was successful since then was Swiatek at the French Open a month ago.

Since 2017, three of the four majors have had repeat winners on the men's side. Djokovic earned that feat himself twice.

The parity across the women's singles bracket is far more pronounced, and that should lead to a tough title defense for Rybakina.

Ons Jabeur, who lost to Rybakina in last year's final, could present the first major challenge to the reigning champion. Jabeur also reached the quarterfinal in 2022. She could meet Rybakina in the final eight this year.

Jabeur and Rybakina are two of just five quarterfinalists from last year who are entered into the women's singles draw in 2023.

That could open the path for Swiatek and Sabalenka to improve on their form at Wimbledon, or for some unseeded players to make deep runs.

Sabalenka appears to be the better option out of the top two seeds to challenge Rybakina because she reached the semifinals at Wimbledon in 2021. Swiatek has not made it out of the fourth round at the season's third major.

If Swiatek does not improve on the grass this year, a potential Sabalenka-Rybakina semifinal could determine the women's singles champion.