new delhi: as Wimbledon As 2026 approaches, Indian doubles veterans Rohan Bopanna He selected defending champions Janik Sinner and Elena Rybakina as favorites to win the men’s and women’s singles titles. Despite describing the field as highly competitive, the 46-year-old backed Sinner to defend her title and believes former champion Rybakina has what it takes to come out on top in the women’s draw.“It’s a difficult question to answer; the field is so open. But I have to choose defending champion Jannik Sinner for the men’s event. In the women’s event, I would choose Elena Rybakina,” Bopanna told JioStar.Apart from sharing his predictions, Bopanna also spoke about his emotional connection with Wimbledon, saying the tournament has been his dream since childhood.“Wimbledon is an amazing dream because I grew up watching only Wimbledon. At home, we used to watch only Wimbledon. In fact, only Wimbledon was televised. So, for me, it was absolutely amazing to go there and not only be there but play on those courts,” Bopanna added.“When I was playing, the three greatest tennis players of our generation, roger federer, Rafael Nadaland Novak Djokovicis competing. In fact, sharing the dressing room with them, just being there was better than a dream. “This year’s competition is sure to generate a lot of interest. Novak Djokovic is chasing a record 25th Grand Slam title and eighth Wimbledon title, with the likes of Alexander Zverev, Ben Shelton, Taylor Fritz and Jack Draper also among the contenders.The women’s competition also remains open after six different winners in the past six Grand Slams. Iga Swiatek returns looking to become the first woman to successfully defend her Wimbledon title since Serena Williams, who also received a wild card in her return to competitive tennis and Venus Williams A reunion is expected in a tag team match.
