Wimbledon 2016 Draw: Complete Bracket Analysis and Review

The 2016 Wimbledon draw includes prickly paths for Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams in their quests to make history.

Djokovic is trying to complete a calendar-year Grand Slam. Williams hopes to win that elusive 22nd Grand Slam. She also probably wants to put a stop to heart-breaking endings at majors. 

One thing is certain, though. There won't be a repeat of last year's men's final. Djokovic and Roger Federer are in the same half of the draw.

This Wimbledon could mark a true changing of the guard. Federer is ailing. Rafael is a out. Members of generation next have top seeds. 

Tough first-round matches will make it difficult for Caroline Wozniacki and Gael Monfils to bounce back from recent setbacks. Wozniacki takes on two-time Grand Slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova. Monfils, who missed the French Open with an injury, faces compatriot Jeremy Chardy. 

There are some other juicy first-round matches, like the Croatian clash between Borna Coric and Ivo Karlovic and Dominic Thiem versus Florian Mayer, a rematch of the semifinal they played last week in Halle.

There's also a potential blockbuster second-round match between Stan Wawrinka and Juan Martin Del Potro. 

Which stars have the toughest road ahead? Who might pull off an early upset? 

Get the answers to those questions and more in the 2016 Wimbledon complete bracket analysis and review. 

Top Seeds

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Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer pose with trophies after the 2015 Wimbledon final.

Men

1. Novak Djokovic
2. Andy Murray
3. Roger Federer
4. Stan Wawrinka
5. Kei Nishikori
6. Milos Raonic
7. Richard Gasquet
8. Dominic Thiem
9. Marin Cilic
10. Tomas Berdych
11. David Goffin
12. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
13. David Ferrer
14. Roberto Bautista Agut
15. Nick Kyrgios
16. Gilles Simon

Women

1. Serena Williams
2. Garbine Muguruza
3. Agnieszka Radwanska 
4. Angelique Kerber
5. Simona Halep
6. Roberta Vinci
7. Belinda Bencic
8. Venus Williams 
9. Madison Keys
10. Petra Kvitova
11. Timea Bacsinszky
12. Carla Suarez Navarro
13. Svetlana Kuznetsova
14. Samantha Stosur
15. Karolina Pliskova
16. Johanna Konta

Men's Favorites with an Easy Draw

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Andy Murray sits with huge trophy after winning the 2016 Aegon Championships in London.

Novak Djokovic (No. 1) 

Djokovic's draw gets difficult in the quarterfinals when he faces a possible match against Milos Raonic. However, before then, Djokovic has a dream start to his march toward another Wimbledon title with a match against James Ward.

Although Ward will have a rowdy British crowd behind him, he should be an easy out for Djokovic. David Ferrer would cause Djokovic problems on clay, but not on grass.

Andy Murray (No. 2) 

Murray opens against fellow Brit Liam Broady, who received a wildcard. In the second round, Murray will face a qualifier or Yen-Hsun Lu. It doesn't get tricky for Murray until the third round when he could face Benoit Paire.

Nick Kyrgios could be lurking in the fourth round and Richard Gasquet in the quarterfinals. Stan Wawrinka is Murray's projected semifinal opponent. 

Men's Favorites with a Tough Draw

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Dominic Thiem hits a forehand during a match at Halle.

Dominic Thiem

Thiem is playing in his first Grand Slam as a Top-10 seed. It won't be easy. He opens up with Florian Mayer, who just beat him in Halle.

Thiem's quarter is stacked. There's the lanky German Alexander Zverev, two-time Slam winner Stan Wawrinka, Tomas Berdych, Bernard Tomic and Juan Martin Del Potro. If Thiem survives that quarter, he could arrive battle tested for a semifinal with Murray.

Roger Federer

An in-form Federer would have no problem with this draw. But Federer hasn't looked 100 percent in grass-court tuneups. Kei Nishikori, Marin Cilic and Gilles Simon are all playing well enough to upset Federer.  

Given that Federer hasn't endured a best-of-five scenario in months, even his first-round match against Guido Pella is iffy. 

Women's Favorites with a Tough Draw

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Serena Williams celebrates winning Wimbledon 2015.

Serena Williams (No. 1)

Williams gets underway with a qualifier. And that's where easy street ends and the hard road begins. She could meet fellow American Christina McHale in the second round. McHale gave Williams fits at the Miami Open. Kristina Mladenovic is a likely third-round opponent. 

Svetlana Kuznetsova, who defeated Williams in Miami this year, is a possible fourth-round opponent. Then if every thing plays according to seeding, it's a rematch with Roberta Vinci, who ended Williams' bid for a calendar-year Slam at the 2015 U.S. Open. If Williams can survive the quarters, a semifinals matchup with Agnieszka Radwanska would be a piece of cake. 

Agnieszka Radwanska (No. 2) 

Radwanska drew the always unpredictable Petra Kvitova in her quarter of the draw. But before getting to Kvitova, Radwanska may have to deal with Caroline Garcia or Dominika Cibulkova. Both are streaky players who can cause problems.

Hometown hero Johanna Konta could pose a threat, that's if she survives her first-round match against Monica Puig. Belinda Bencic is the projected quarterfinals opponent. 

Women's Favorite with a Easy Draw

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Garbine Muguruza smiles with her trophy after winning the 2016 French Open.

Garbine Muguruza (No. 2)

Muguruza begins a bid to win back-to-back Grand Slams with a tricky match against Camila Giorgi. But in all seriousness, Giorgi's error-prone game should present little challenge to the focus and methodical Muguruza. 

Although there are some big hitters like Shelby Rogers and Samantha Crawford in Muguruza's quarter, she faces no serious threat until the quarterfinals where she could meet Venus Williams. 

Outlook for the American Men

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John Isner during Wimbledon 2015.

The All England Club has not been a happy place for American men in the post-Andy Roddick era. It doesn't look too good this year either. 

The highest-ranked American, No. 18 John Isner, has had little success at Wimbledon. He's yet to advance past the third round. 

Jack Sock has never gone past the second round. The country's best young hope, Taylor Fritz, had the misfortune of drawing Wawrinka in the first round. 

It would be a miracle if any of the usual suspects—Sam Querrey, Donald Young or Steve Johnson—make it to the second week.

Outlook for the American Women

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Madison Keys hits a forehand at Wimbledon 2015.

Unlike the men, the American women arrive at Wimbledon rock solid. 

Isner is the only American male seeded. There are five American women seeded. Three are in the Top 10 and four in the Top 20.

With six-time Wimbledon champion Serena Williams and her sister Venus on opposite sides of the draw, there could even be an all-American, all-Williams final.

Madison Keys and Coco Vandeweghe are in top form. Sloane Stephens is ranked and seeded ahead of Vandeweghe, but has the misfortune of landing in Serena's quarter of the draw. 

Shelby Rogers has a tough first-round match against 2013 finalist Sabine Lisicki. 

One feel-good entry is American Victoria Duval, who received a special ranking as entry into the main draw. Duval returned to tennis last year after winning her battle with cancer. 

Must-See First-Round Matches

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Dominic Thiem during at match at the Gerry Weber Open.

Men

• Stan Wawrinka (No. 4) vs. Taylor Fritz
• John Isner (No. 18) vs. Marcos Baghdatis
• Bernard Tomic (No. 19) vs. Fernando Verdasco
• Jack Sock (No. 27) vs. Ernests Gulbis
• Borna Coric vs. Ivo Karlovic

Women

• Garbine Muguruza (No. 2) vs. Camila Giorgi
• Angelique Kerber (No. 4) vs. Laura Robson
• Belinda Bencic (No.8) vs. Tsvetana Pironkova 
• Svetlana Kuznetsova (No. 13) vs. Caroline Wozniacki
• Johanna Konta (No. 16) vs. Monica Puig

Wild Cards to Watch

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Juan Martin Del Potro hits a forehand at the 2016 Aegon Championships.

Juan Martin del Potro

Del Potro is perhaps the most dangerous floater in this tournament. He opens against Stephane Robert of France. Then he could face Wawrinka in the second round. That's a tough ask for a man still rebuilding his game after a few wrist injuries and surgeries. 

However, if Del Potro can get by Wawrinka, watch out. 

Sabine Lisicki 

A finalist in 2013 and semifinalist in 2011, Lisicki can play spoiler from her unseeded spot in the draw. Despite dropping in the rankings, Lisicki is always a threat on grass. She's reached the quarterfinals or better five times. She's No. 5 on the WTA's grass court power rankings, which measures success on the surface over the past three years. 

She has a tough first-round match against Shelby Rogers, the darling of the French Open. 

Predictions for the Men's Tournament

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Roger Federer displays his runner-up trophy after the 2015 Wimbledon final.

Quarterfinals

Novak Djokovic (No. 1) vs. Milos Raonic (No. 6)

Andy Murray (No. 2) vs. Richard Gasquet (No. 7) 

Tomas Berdych (No. 10) vs. Juan Martin del Potro

Marin Cilic (No. 9) vs. Giles Simon (No. 16)

Semifinals

Djokovic vs. Cilic

Murray vs. Berdych

Final

Djokovic vs. Murray

Winner

Djokovic

Predictions for the Women's Tournament

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Garbine Muguruza hits a forehand during the final of the 2015 Wimbledon.

Quarterfinals

Serena Williams (No. 1) vs. Coco Vandeweghe (No. 27)

Garbine Muguruza (No. 2) vs. Venus Williams (No. 7)

Agnieszka Radwanska (No. 3) vs. Belinda Bencic (No. 8)

Angelique Kerber (No. 4) vs. Madison Keys (No. 9)

Semifinals

Williams vs. Radwanska

Muguruza vs. Keys

Final

Williams vs. Muguruza 

Winner

Williams