Wimbledon 2023: Here is what you need to know before play begins Monday

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Play in the year’s third Grand Slam tournament is set to begin at Wimbledon. Novak Djokovic will participate in the first match at Centre Court on Monday as the defending men’s champion. He has won the grass-court event four times in a row and seven overall. Djokovic is coming off his men’s record 23rd major trophy at the French Open last month and will aim to get No. 24 over the next fortnight. Elena Rybakina is the reigning women’s champion at Wimbledon and will play her first match on Tuesday. Players from Russia and Belarus are back in the brackets after being banned by the All England Club a year ago over the war in Ukraine.