LONDON: Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are set to tighten their private stranglehold on Wimbledon as rivals struggle to keep afloat as they bid to dethrone the sport’s A-list stars.

World number one Djokovic is the defending champion and chasing a fifth title at the All England Club.

Federer, promoted to second seed, can win a ninth crown while two-time champion Nadal is seeking to complete a rare back-to-back Roland Garros-Wimbledon double.

Twelve months ago, Djokovic arrived at Wimbledon with his career threatening to spiral into decline.

Unable to shake off the effects of right elbow surgery, the Serb was ranked at 21, his lowest position for over a decade.

But two weeks later, Djokovic had captured the 2018 title to add to his 2011, 2014 and 2015 wins, becoming the lowest-seeded player to take the Wimbledon trophy since Andre Agassi in 1992.

Since then, he has been rejuvenated, going on to claim a third US Open and seventh Australian Open title and will take a 10-2 career record over Philipp Kohlschreiber into their first-round clash on Monday.

Federer, chasing a 21st major, first played Wimbledon in 1999.

Pushing 38, he would be the oldest ever Grand Slam champion if he were to lift a ninth title.

The Swiss star is also just five wins from becoming the first man to register 100 victories at the same Slam.

Nadal, meanwhile, arrives in London on the back of a 12th Roland Garros title.

His 18th career major also meant he moved within two Slams of Federer’s all-time mark for the first time.

The Spaniard, ranked two but — much to his irritation — seeded three was champion in 2008 and 2010.

He is now trying to join Bjorn Borg by achieving the Roland Garros-Wimbledon double for the third time and starts his campaign against Japan’s world number 258 Yuichi Sugita.

After that looms a possible titanic clash with Nick Kyrgios, who shocked him in 2014, in the second round.

On the women’s side, Ashleigh Barty goes into Wimbledon buoyed, unlike her predecessor Naomi Osaka, by being world number one and with several of her major rivals struggling.

The engaging 23-year-old Australian — who emulated compatriot Evonne Goolagong Cawley by becoming number one last weekend — has yet to get beyond the third round at Wimbledon.

However, by winning the Birmingham tournament last weekend Barty showed she has the strengths to add the grass court Grand Slam to the French Open she won on clay and become the first Australian women’s champion since Goolagong Cawley’s second success in 1980.

With 37-year-old seven-time champion Serena Williams finally showing signs of age, Osaka looking exposed through poor form and two-time Wimbledon singles champion Petra Kvitova still easing back to top form after an arm injury, defending champion Angelique Kerber may be the biggest threat to Barty.

Serena is still chasing the elusive 24th Grand Slam title that would put her alongside Australian Margaret Court while Osaka has said she is much more in the frame of mind she was when she won the Australian Open earlier this year than the stressed-out player who exited the French Open in the third round.

Kerber may have lost in the Eastbourne final to Karolina Pliskova but the German will be delighted if like last year that is the launching pad to winning at the All England club. Last year she lost in the Eastbourne semi-final only to go on and win Wimbledon.

Published in Dawn, July 1st, 2019