Why is Wimbledon late in 2023? Reasons the Grand Slam has been pushed back, and who is playing

Why is Wimbledon late in 2023? We look at why the Grand Slam has been pushed back, and who you can expect to find on the courts.

With the sad news that Emma Raducanu has pulled out of Wimbledon this year and Rafael Nadal not playing for the second year in a row, while Andy Murray is still hoping for a seeded ranking at the tournament, Wimbledon could already look a little different for tennis fans this year. Raducanu was forced to pull out of the competition - and indeed, the entire summer season - due to having surgery on three separate injuries. Not only this, but viewers keeping a close eye on the line up of the prestigious Grand Slam, have noticed that Wimbledon is starting a little later this year. Keep reading as we reveal why this is, and share which players are expected to be taking part in the tournament.

It appears 2023 marks a difficult year for Emma Raducanu, after she was knocked out of the earlier Australian Open in the second round. Andy Murray's Australian Open dreams faired slightly better, with the tennis legend holding on until the third round - but it doesn't;t look like either of them will be getting their hands on the Wimbledon prize money this year.

Why is Wimbledon late in 2023?

Wimbledon is late in 2023 to allow players to adjust from clay to the grass playing surface, and leave more time between the tournament and other major sporting events. 

The competition begins on Monday, Jul 3, and concludes on Sunday, July 16. This isn't the first time the Championships has been moved back a week from it's traditional late June start date, but there's no chance the viewers of today would recall the previous times the tournament was given a late start date - they all took place in the 20th century. 

Players need that extra time to prepare for playing on grass, as the living surface has a lower bounce and when wet, can make the surface even faster to move on. Players do not have the same opportunity to prepare for the ball as they do with clay surfaces, and their movements need to be different to adapt to these changes. Rallies are shorter said to be shorter on grass, and even special grass court shoes are required of the players. 

Wimbledon 2023 players

Novak Djokovic will be returning to Wimbledon for 2023; should he win, his number of Grand Slam wins will stand at an impressive 24. The 36-year-old has won the tournament seven times, including the last four Chamionships consecutively. 

Carlos Alcaraz is also one to watch out for, with the 20-year-old Spanish player currently ranked world No. 2 in singles. Alcaraz won the 2022 US Open and four Masters 1000 titles, with his US Open win making him the youngest man to top the singles rankings at at the age of 19 years and 4 months. In May 2023, Alcaraz was awarded the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year award.

Poland's Iga Świątek is the current favourite to win the women’s tournament at Wimbledon this year. The current 22-year-old world No. 1 won the French Open in 2020, 2022 and 2023 along with the US Open in 2022. She will be looking to claim the title this year from last year's surprise winner, Elena Rybakina - the first Kazhakstani player to win a major title. 

As well as returning to defend her Wimbledon title, Ons Jabeur is also one to watch for 2023, having played Rybakina in the singles final last year. Naomi Osaka had to put plans to add a Wimbledon title to her collection on hold, after missing the 2023 season due to being pregnant. She has two Australian Open and two US Open titles under her belt, and is hoping to return to the game in 2024 following the birth of her daughter. 

Wimbledon 2023 top Men’s players

• 1. Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
• 2. Carlos Alcaraz (Spain)
• 3. Daniil Medvedev (Russia)
• 4. Casper Ruud (Norway)
• 5. Stefanos Tsitsipas (Greece)
• 6. Holger Rune (Denmark)
• 7. Andrey Rublev (Russia)
• 8. Taylor Fritz (U.S.)
• 9. Jannik Sinner (Italy)
• 10. Frances Tiafoe (U.S.)

Wimbledon 2023 top Women’s players

• 1. Iga Swiatek (Poland)
• 2. Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus)
• 3. Elena Rybakina (Kazakhstan)
• 4. Caroline Garcia (France)
• 5. Jessica Pegula (U.S.)
• 6. Ons Jabeur (Tunisia)
• 7. Coco Gauff (U.S.)
• 8. Maria Sakkari (Greece)
• 9. Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic)
• 10. Beatriz Haddad Maia (Brazil)

What is the schedule for Wimbledon 2023?

• Mon 3 July - Gentlemen’s and Ladies’ Singles First Round  
• Tue 4 July - Gentlemen’s and Ladies’ Singles First Round  
• Wed 5 July - Gentlemen’s and Ladies’ Singles Second Round
  Gentlemen's & Ladies' Doubles First Round
• Thu 6 July - Gentlemen’s and Ladies’ Singles Second Round
  Gentlemen's & Ladies' Doubles First Round
• Fri 7 July - Gentlemen’s and Ladies’ Singles Third Round
  Gentlemen's & Ladies' Doubles Second Round
  Mixed Doubles First Round
• Sat 8 July  - Gentlemen’s and Ladies’ Singles Third Round
  Gentlemen's & Ladies' Doubles Second Round
  Mixed Doubles First Round
  Boys’ and Girls’ Singles First Round
• Sun 9 July - Gentlemen’s and Ladies’ Singles Fourth Round
  Gentlemen's & Ladies' Doubles Third Round
  Mixed Doubles Second Round
  Boys’ and Girls’ Singles First Round
• Mon 10 July - Gentlemen’s and Ladies’ Singles Fourth Round
  Gentlemen's & Ladies' Doubles Third Round
  Mixed Doubles Quarter-finals
  Girls' Singles Second Round
  Boys’ Doubles First Round
• Tue 11 July - Gentlemen’s and Ladies’ Singles Quarter-finals
  Gentlemen's & Ladies’ Doubles Quarter-finals
  Mixed Doubles Semi-finals
  Boys' Singles Second Round
  Girls' Doubles First Round
  Invitation Doubles (Ladies’ Doubles,
  Gentlemen's Doubles, Mixed Doubles)
• Wed 12 July - Gentlemen’s and Ladies’ Singles Quarter-finals
  Gentlemen's & Ladies’ Doubles Quarter-finals
  Gentlemen's, Ladies' & Quad Wheelchair Singles Quarter-finals
  Boys' & Girls' Singles Third Round
  Boys' & Girls' Doubles Second Round
  Invitation Doubles (Ladies’ Doubles,
  Gentlemen's Doubles, Mixed Doubles)
• Thu 13 July - Ladies’ Singles Semi-finals
  Gentlemen's Doubles Semi-finals
  Mixed Doubles Final
  Gentlemen's, Ladies' & Quad Wheelchair Doubles Semi-finals
  Boys' & Girls' Singles Quarter-finals
  Boys' & Girls' Doubles Quarter-finals
  Boys' and Girls’ 14&U Singles
  Invitation Doubles (Ladies’ Doubles,
  Gentlemen's Doubles, Mixed Doubles)
• Fri 14 July - Gentlemen’s Singles Semi-finals
  Ladies' Doubles Semi-finals
  Gentlemen's, Ladies' & Quad Wheelchair Singles Semi-finals
  Boys' & Girls' Singles Semi-finals
  Boys' & Girls' Doubles Semi-finals
  Boys' and Girls’ 14&U Singles
  Invitation Doubles (Ladies’ Doubles,
  Gentlemen's Doubles, Mixed Doubles)
• Sat 15 July - Ladies’ Singles Final
  Gentlemen's Doubles Final
  Ladies' Wheelchair Singles Final
  Gentlemen's Wheelchair Doubles Final
  Quad Wheelchair Doubles Final
  Girls' Singles Final
  Girls' Doubles Final
  Boys' Doubles Final
  Boys' and Girls’ 14&U Singles
  Invitation Doubles (Ladies’ Doubles,
  Gentlemen's Doubles, Mixed Doubles)
• Sun 16 July - Gentlemen’s Singles Final
  Ladies' Doubles Final
  Gentlemen's & Quad Wheelchair Singles Final
  Ladies' Wheelchair Doubles Final
  Boys' Singles Final
  Boys’ & Girls’ 14&U Singles Finals
  Invitation Doubles (Ladies’ Doubles,
  Gentlemen's Doubles, Mixed Doubles)

How to watch Wimbledon 2023

In the UK, the official Wimbledon website states the BBC will be broadcasting Wimbledon daily via BBC One and BBC Two.

These can be accessed live, or later on-demand via the streaming service, BBC iPlayer. Eurosport will also be showing the tournament daily, and broadcasting highlights. They advise that coverage will also be available on Discovery+ and Eurosport's on-demand streaming platform.

In the US, coverage can be found via the ESPN tennis channel. Wimbledon's website has detailed information about how to watch the Championships, from wherever you are in the world. 

With the announcement of her first baby coming into the world, find out who Naomi Osaka is dating. Did you know that Emma Raducanu can speak an impressive number of languages? We also have details of who parents are, and whether the tennis ace has any siblings.

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