Wimbledon 2023 lucky loser list includes Taro Daniel, Yosuke Watanuki and Michael Mmoh. They were defeated in the final qualifying rounds.
These players will once again have a chance at redemption since they have been blessed with another opportunity as the lucky losers and will compete in the main draw of the tournament.
Although they faced failure and setbacks in the qualifying round, they will have another go at one of the biggest stages in the world of tennis, the Wimbledon Championships.
Novak Djokovic will be looking forward to defending his crown and adding to his Grandslam tally of 23. Meanwhile, Elena Rybakina will begin the tournament as the defending champion in the women's category.
The two-week-long Championships will start on Monday, July 3, 2023, and conclude on Sunday, July 16. All matches are scheduled to start at 11 am on all courts and Centre Court matches will start at 1:30 pm.
No. 1 Court matches will start at 1 pm and on finals weekend, Centre Court matches will start at 2 pm. No. 1 Court is also scheduled to start matches at 11 am on finals weekend for the first time.
The Wimbledon promises to be exciting even though a handful of top players have withdrawn from the tournament due to several reasons.
Wimbledon 2023 Lucky Losers
Wimbledon 2023 Lucky Losers are Taro Daniel, Yosuke Watanuki, and Michael Mmoh. All three players fell short in the qualifying rounds.
The players earned the chance in the main draw even after losing in the qualifying competition as they were the highest-ranked losers.
Taro Daniel
Taro Daniel has qualified for the main draw as a lucky loser even after losing the final qualifying round. Daniel is ranked 104 in the world.
The Japanese player will be replacing Jan-Lennard Struff, who is currently ranked as World No. 22. Struff has withdrawn from the Grand Slam after suffering a hip injury.
Daniel beat Marco Trungelliti in straight sets (6-2 and 6-4) in the first round and followed it with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Luca Nardi in the second round. However, Taro lost 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, and 2-6 against Kimmer Coppejansd in the final qualifying round.
Daniel will face American player Ben Shelton in the first round. The 20-year-old Shelton has already shown unwavering potential in Grandslam.
Yosuke Watanuki
The second Japanese lucky loser, Yosuke Watanuki is another lucky player to have been granted a second chance in the main draw.
Watanuki will be replacing Gaël Monfils who has withdrawn from the tournament following a wrist injury.
Watanuki started his qualifiers with a win over Hong Seong-chan in straight sets in the first round. In the second round, Yosuke defeated Altuğ Çelikbilek 7-6 (7-4) and 6-3.
He lost the final qualifying round 7-6 (9-7), 3-6, 3-6, 4-6 against Dennis Novak. Ranked at 115, Yosuke became the second lucky loser and will be facing World No. 80 Marc-Andrea Hüsler of Switzerland in the first round of the main draw.
Michael Mmoh
Michael Mmoh will also be getting another chance after failing to qualify. The American is currently ranked 118 and is the third lucky loser.
Michael will be replacing Serbian player, Filip Krajinović. Filip's withdrawal has been a blessing for Mmoh as he gets another opportunity in the main draw.
Mmoh beat Adrian Andreev 6-4, 3-6, and 7-6 (10-4) in the first round. In the second round, he beat Dragoș Nicolae Mădăraș 3-6, 6-1, and 6-4. In the final round, he lost 6-2, 6-7 (2-7), 3-6, 6-2, and 2-6 against Laurent Lokoli.
After earning a spot in the main draw as a lucky loser, Michael will be facing an uphill battle against the Canadian star Félix Auger-Aliassime.
Lucky Loser Tennis Rules Explained
Lucky loser tennis rules are based on the players' rankings. The highest-ranked loser in the final round of qualifying gets the nod for the event.
The second highest-ranked loser is the second choice and so on. The rankings of the players who lose in the final round of qualifying are very important as they have the highest chance to qualify and replace the players who are in the main draw.
These LL will replace the players who had qualified for the tournament but have withdrawn from the tournament due to injury or other reasons.
The lucky loser rules and criteria in tennis differ from tournament to tournament. It is not the same with every tournament with a few tweaks here and there.
The rule for the lucky loser to qualify for the main draw in other championships are:
- The highest-ranked player who lost in the final qualifying round will replace the player in the main draw only if the main draw player withdraws after the completion of qualifying.
- The same is with the second slot for the lucky loser who is the second-ranked player to lose in the final round of qualifying and the second withdrawal from the main draw takes place after the completion of qualifying.
- In case of the withdrawal takes place before the conclusion of the qualifying round, a random draw is conducted to determine the lucky loser with the two highest-ranked losers in the random draw.
- If two withdrawals take place before the conclusion of the qualifying round, a random draw will have three highest-ranked losers and two will be selected as lucky losers.
Whenever a player decides to withdraw from a tournament resulting in a vacant spot in the draw, the lucky loser is notified with limited time to prepare for the tournament.
Wimbledon 2023 Withdrawals List
Wimbledon 2023 withdrawals list are:
- Rafael Nadal
- Karen Khachanov
- Gaël Monfils
- Jack Draper
- Marin Čilić
- Pablo Carreño Busta
- Jan-Lennard Struff
- Filip Krajinović
- Nick Kyrgios
Rafael Nadal
The 22-time Grand Slam winner will be missing yet another major tournament as he has undergone surgery for the injury that he suffered during the 2022 Australian Open.
It is still unclear as to when he will be marking his return to the tennis court. Nadal recently turned 37 and is in the latter stage of his career. He is replaced by Roman Safiullin.
Karen Khachanov
Australian Open Semifinalist (2023) and World No. 11 tennis star from Russia, Karen Kachanov will miss the 2023 Wimbledon Championship.
Khachanov suffered a stress fracture in his back during the French Open. The heavy hitter will miss the Grand Slam and has been replaced by Juan Manuel Cerúndolo.
A huge relief for the players in the main draw as a big threat has been averted. He previously reached the QF in 2021 and his recent Grand Slam appearances have seen him advance deep into the tournaments.
Gaël Monfils
The French baseline player will also be missing Wimbledon this year as he is plagued by a wrist injury and will be replaced by lucky loser Yosuke Watanuki.
Monfils sustained his injury while competing at the 2023 Roland Garros and his injury has been a recurring one ever since. He was expected to play at Wimbledon but will again miss out.
Pablo Carreño Busta
World No. 20 Pablo Carreño Busta has withdrawn from Wimbledon following an elbow injury. He was supposed to be seeded at the Grandslam.
As a result of his injury, he has not been part of any tour since February 2023, and the Spaniard has been replaced by Borna Gojo in the upcoming championship.
Nick Kyrgios
One of the most entertaining tennis, Nick Kyrgios has also withdrawn from the upcoming championship due to a torn ligament in his wrist.
Kyrgios has missed most part of the season as a result of surgery (arthroscopic) on his left knee and will sit out in the upcoming Grand Slam as well.
When is Nick Kyrgios playing again is still not certain as he suffered pain in his wrist during his comeback and will be missing action for a while.
Jan-Lennard Struff
Jan-Lennard Struff, the lucky loser in the Madrid Masters 2023 who reached the Finals is set to miss Wimbledon this year due to a hip injury.
Struff was looking in good touch heading to the tournament. LL Taro Daniel will be getting another chance in the absence of a German player.
Wimbledon Order Of Play 2023 Centre Court
The most famous tennis court at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC) is where tennis players from all over the world dream of playing someday in their careers.
It is not possible that all players get to play at the Centre Court in their lifetime. The court is only used for regular play during the Wimbledon Championships.
The Centre Court will be hosting three matches on Monday, July 3, 2023, and will start at 1:30 PM. These are the Order of Play at Centre Court:
- Pedro Cachin (ARG) vs (2) Novak Djokovic (SRB)
- Venus Williams (USA) vs (8) Elina Svitolina (UKR)
- (8) Jannik Sinner (ITA) vs Juan Manuel Cerúndolo (ARG)
The Order of Play will only be available the night before the next day's play and fans will only then know about the matchups at the Centre Court.
Tennis fans around the world will be able to watch Wimbledon Live on their cable as well as stream the matches.
- U.S.A - ESPN, Tennis Channel
- UK - BBC, Eurosport UK
- India & subcontinent - Star Sports
