Expert Picks: 2015 Wimbledon

NOTE: Dark Horse selections must be seeded No. 17 or lower; Bust selections must be seeded No. 16 or higher.

ED MCGROGAN, SENIOR EDITOR: Serena Williams

Has a No. 2 seed—a two-time Wimbledon champion, at that—ever seemed so distant a second favorite at the All England Club? These are the kinds of questions that arise when the top seed is such an overwhelming choice to win the title, which would be her fourth consecutive major and 21st overall.

NINA PANTIC, ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Serena Williams

She’s halfway to a calendar-year Grand Slam and a Wimbledon title away from another “Serena Slam.” As we saw numerous times at Roland Garros, nothing stops Serena except Serena. She’s lost just once this year, to Petra Kvitova, who happens to be defending champion. But Kvitova has looked less than impressive in the past few weeks and has battled injuries and illness.

STEVE TIGNOR, SENIOR WRITER: Serena Williams

As with Novak Djokovic, there are obstacles in her draw—foremost her sister, a five-time champion. And Serena, who hasn’t won Wimbledon since 2012, has struggled with nerves at big events. But she has a shot to win a true Grand Slam and tie Steffi Graf at 22 majors this year. That’s pressure, and motivation.

MCGROGAN: Andy Murray

He probably has the most difficult route to the title of any top contender. But there might not be anyone playing better than the Scot, including world No. 1 Djokovic and French Open champ Stan Wawrinka. Since March, Murray is 31-3, including a grass-court triumph at Queen’s Club.

PANTIC: Novak Djokovic

The draw unfolded nearly perfectly for the top seed. The only major obstacle on his road will be Wawrinka, but Djokovic will be foaming at the mouth for revenge. The defending champion has had an unstoppable year, for the most part, and after a break following his French Open defeat, he’ll be rested and ready to go.

TIGNOR: Novak Djokovic

His road isn’t easy, and he’ll have to get over the disappointment of Paris quickly. But he has bounced back from similar disappointments to win Wimbledon before. And after what happened at Roland Garros, if reaches the final, he should be more determined to come away with a win than ever.

MCGROGAN: Sabine Lisicki

I’m pretty sure Lisicki reached the final the last time I tabbed her as a dark horse, and she could have another fruitful fortnight. There’s her serve, of course, but her draw is also encouraging: She’s outside of the stacked fourth quarter, and she can beat Halep if it comes to it. Her toughest test could be compatriot Angelique Kerber, who just beat her in Birmingham.

PANTIC: Sabine Lisicki

The German has played Wimbledon six times and reached the quarterfinals or better five times, including a runner-up finish in 2013. She’s fresh off breaking the WTA record for most aces in a match (27), and it’s no secret that grass courts suit her big-hitting game. Expect to see her in the quarters again, or beyond.

TIGNOR: Sabine Lisicki

The German turned Floridian loves Wimbledon, so much so that she beat Serena and reached the final here two years ago. This time she’s only seeded 18th, but it’s easy to see her slugging her way out of the Halep-Wozniacki quarter.

MCGROGAN: Nick Kyrgios

His basketball diary notwithstanding, it’s tough to find better value in a player outside the Top 16 than Kyrgios, seeded No. 26. He beat Rafael Nadal at SW19 last year, beat Roger Federer in a tightrope walk this year, and the high seeds surrounding him—Milos Raonic and Grigor Dimitrov—are question marks at the moment.

PANTIC: Ivo Karlovic

Karlovic’s bomb serves won’t go unnoticed on Wimbledon’s lawns. He’s had a solid year so far and won a title in Delray. Coming off a semifinal finish in Halle, he’s undoubtedly one of the most dangerous players in the draw.

TIGNOR: Nick Kyrgios

Last year’s breakthrough star will feel the weight of expectations this time—he does feel pressure, right? The 26th seed, who is in the Wawrinka quarter and could face an injury-slowed Raonic in the third round, has an opportunity to go farther in 2015.

MCGROGAN: Simona Halep

I’ve talked about the top two seeds, so let’s move on to No. 3. There’s a lot of uncertainty when it comes to Halep, who disappointed at Roland Garros and switched coaches just this week. That, along with the semifinal points she’ll be defending, could motivate Halep for another deep run, but I think another early Slam exit is more likely.

PANTIC: Eugenie Bouchard

It’s been a rough year for Bouchard, to say the least. She’s won just two matches in her last 12, and retired with an injury while losing to Belinda Bencic in Eastbourne. Somehow, things are looking worse than ever as she tries to defend her runner-up finish at Wimbledon.

TIGNOR: Simona Halep

She went out in the second round in Paris, and has made a coaching move since; neither event bodes well for a repeat of her semifinal run from last year. The No. 3 seed also has a few tough opponents—Lisicki, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Kerber—in her vicinity of the draw.

MCGROGAN: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

Yes, Tsonga reached the semis at Roland Garros, but he’s still a model of inconsistency. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if the No. 13 seed lost his opener to Gilles Muller, whose big lefty serve can disarm anyone on grass. Another bombardier, Karlovic, could challenge Tsonga in round three.

PANTIC: Marin Cilic

The Croat may be seeded ninth, but he hasn’t been the same player since winning the US Open last year. Even though grass will suit his big-hitting game, he hasn’t had the confidence to reach a final this year and enters the draw with a pedestrian 10-9 record.

TIGNOR: Tomas Berdych

He reached the final in 2010, but despite having a solid season in 2015, a repeat of that run feels a long way off at the moment. Berdych’s draw—Jeremy Chardy, Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, possibly Ernests Gulbis—isn’t especially tricky, but he has lost early here in the past.