The draw for the Wimbledon 2024 men's and women's singles events has now concluded, with a plethora of British hopefuls and celebrated names learning their first-round fates.
Carlos Alcaraz and Marketa Vondrousova return to SW19 bidding to defend their crowns from the 2023 edition, and the former also heads to the third Grand Slam of the year revelling in his historic French Open success.
Despite her previous troubles on grass, fellow Roland-Garros winner Iga Swiatek is surely the name to beat in the women's singles draw, where Emma Raducanu, Katie Boulter and Harriet Dart will be among those hoping to carry forward the momentum from strong warm-up campaigns.
Meanwhile, the weight of the home crowd's expectation will fall onto the shoulders of new national number one Jack Draper in the men's draw, while fans are waiting with bated breath to learn whether Andy Murray will be given the all-clear to play after his back operation.
The two-time champion was among the names involved in Friday's draw anyway, and here, Sports Mole picks out some of the key matches to watch in the first round.
Murray to reunite with Miami Open foe
© Reuters
Amid confusion over whether Murray would be involved at all due to his back problem - reports have claimed that he will indeed miss out, while Murray's team have insisted that no decision has been made - the 2013 and 2016 winner has been drawn to meet Tomas Machac.
The duo recently crossed paths during the Miami Open in March, where the Briton went down in a three-set thriller but also suffered his severe ankle injury, which sidelined him for a number of weeks after he bravely elected to continue playing.
Meanwhile, Stuttgart Open champion and British number one Draper will tackle Swedish qualifier Elias Ymer, which could precede a second-round showdown against Cameron Norrie, who is up against Facundo Diaz Acosta first up.
Continuing the British interest, Daniel Evans takes on Alejandro Tabilo on the same side of the draw as Draper and Norrie, where 2023 boys' winner Henry Searle is also housed; the teenage wild card faces the USA's Marcos Giron.
Billy Harris - who has reached the semi-finals in Eastbourne - takes on Jaume Munar in his Grand Slam debut, while fellow wild cards Paul Jubb and Jacob Fearnley face Thiago Seyboth Wild and Alejandro Moro Canas respectively.
Charles Broom is also given a harsh welcome to life at Wimbledon, taking on three-time major winner Stanislas Wawrinka.
Emma Raducanu drawn against 22nd seed
© Reuters
Despite failing to follow up her exceptional Eastbourne beating of Jessica Pegula in Thursday's quarter-final with Daria Kasatkina, Raducanu is arguably in her best vein of form since her astounding run to 2021 US Open glory.
The 21-year-old's reward for her progress will be an opening battle against 22nd seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, who reached the fourth round last year for her best Grand Slam result to date, and Raducanu cannot meet a compatriot until at least the quarter-finals.
National number one Boulter - fresh from defending her Nottingham Open crown - entered as the 32nd seed and has been drawn to face 2022 semi-finalist Tatjana Maria, which could precede a second-round showdown with Dart, up against Chinese qualifier Bai Zhuoxuan.
Heather Watson, Lily Miyazaki and Francesca Jones were also given wild cards into the women's draw; the former will take on Greet Minnen, while Miyazaki and Jones meet Tamara Korpatsch and Petra Martic respectively.
If Jones is successful, she will be on a collision course to meet top seed Swiatek in round two, while Sonay Kartal - who made it through qualifying - battles 29th seed Sorana Cirstea.
Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz cannot face each other in final
© Reuters
If reigning champion Alcaraz is to be crowned the king of SW19 once more, he will have to go through Sinner just to make it to the championship match, as the two major winners are on the same side of the draw and therefore cannot face each other in the final.
Sinner starts against Germany's Yannick Hanfmann, while Alcaraz takes on Estonian qualifier Mark Lajal first up, and a semi-final showdown will be on the cards between the pair if they breeze through their respective sections.
However, number two seed Novak Djokovic could meet either man in the showpiece match as he kicks off his bid for a first title of 2024 against Vit Kopriva of the Czech Republic, while Andrey Rublev and Stefanos Tsitsipas are on track to meet in what would be a fiery quarter-final.
In terms of the women's favourites, Swiatek meets 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin first up and could face holder Vondrousova in the quarter-finals, that is if the sixth seed's injury scare in Berlin does not prove serious.
Swiatek is on the opposite side of the draw to both Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka, the former of whom faces fellow American Caroline Dolehide, while Sabalenka pits her wits against Emina Bektas.
Gauff could find herself against wild card Naomi Osaka - who meets Diane Parry - in the quarter-finals, while Elena Rybakina crosses paths with Romanian qualifier Elena-Gabriela Ruse.
Ben Knapton
