With 2026 Wimbledon just a couple of weeks away, players are getting some work in during warm-up events. Two of the more important ones are the Boss Open and HSBC Championships. Not because they offer tons of points, but because the winners might feel as if they are rounding into form ahead of the next major.
On the WTA side, one of the bigger questions may be whether Serena Williams, recently back from retirement, but so far, only in doubles, will request a wild card to enter the grass-court Grand Slam in singles. The field is wide open (even No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka has never won at Wimbledon), so Williams' story could be special.
For the ATP, Carlos Alcaraz won't be playing as he withdrew weeks ago with a wrist injury. Jannik Sinner won the major in 2025 and will be the favorite this year, but he struggled at the French Open. Might the door be open for two Americans who will face off in the Boss Open?
Boss Open final: Taylor Fritz versus Ben Shelton at 2 pm in Stuttgart, Germany
Fritz should have the slight advantage here, even though Shelton leads the head-to-head 2-1. The former won the event in 2025, so he knows how to win on the grass of Stuttgart. The latter has had to play at least parts of two matches in the two previous days before the final. Darkness had suspended his matches.
Shelton also had a brutally tense semifinal match against Jiri Lehecka, which the American won 6-7(4), 7-6(14), 7-6(6). One would assume that Shelton would have more fatigue than Fritz, who got past Alexander Bublik in his semifinal match in a little over an hour.
Fans can expect a quick final, too, even if it goes three sets. Both have massive serves, so one should expect a lot of aces and free points. It would not be a surprise if Fritz won the final in much the same way Shelton won his semifinal.
Prediction: Taylor Fritz wins in three sets
HSBC Championships final: Emma Raducanu versus Donna Vekic in London
The time of this final could be pushed back a bit because of the doubles final, but make no mistake that all eyes of English tennis fans will be watching to see if Emma Raducanu can win her first title since the 2021 US Open, and only the second of her career. She hasn't dropped a set in the tournament so far.
Donna Vekic has lost only one set, but she's had a slightly easier path to the final. She hasn't played a top-seeded player yet, whereas Raducanu had to overcome sixth-seed Iva Jovic in her semifinal.
Still, Czech women like Vekic appear to have ready-made games for grass courts. Vekic's best winning percentage on any surface is on grass, and she reached the semis of Wimbledon last year. She should be a real threat again in 2026.
Prediction: Donna Vekic wins in three sets
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