Wimbledon: Top talking points ahead of the 2022 championships

A fortnight of exciting tennis beckons as the 2022 Wimbledon championships kick off this week.

Here is a rundown of some key talking points ahead of the start of the tournament:

– Return to full capacity for first time in three years

This year, the tournament will return to pre-Covid numbers for the first time in three years.

The grand slam was cancelled for the first time since the Second World War in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The competition did go ahead in 2021 with spectators, although most days it was only at 50% capacity.

This year, the full capacity – so up to 42,000 people – will descend again on the SW19 grounds.

The 2022 tournament will also see the return of “the Queue”, which sees people from around the world camping overnight and lining up for hours to buy on-the-door tickets every day.

– Great British hopes Sir Andy and Raducanu battle injuries

Emma Raducanu and Sir Andy Murray are both going into the championship with injuries.

Raducanu, the 10th seed, is hopeful of overcoming a side strain in time for the tournament.

Meanwhile, Sir Andy is unseeded and battling an abdominal strain.

But hopes are high for British players as none of the 17 British representatives in the men’s and women’s singles drew a seeded player in the first round.

– Russian and Belarussian players banned

Video: Nadal and Djokovic make grass court return in Hurlingham (The Independent)

Wimbledon’s decision to bar Russian and Belarusian players in response to the invasion of Ukraine has had serious repercussions, with the ATP and WTA deciding to withhold ranking points from the tournament.

Men’s world number one Daniil Medvedev and women’s number five Aryna Sabalenka are among those to be banned, while it remains to be seen