While the pros are occupying the TV for the majority of next week at Wimbledon, the juniors will be battling it out at the All-England Club for the Junior Wimbledon trophy. This surface is an uncommon one for juniors, as there are only two J1 tournaments, Nottingham and Roehampton, that comprise the grass slate for juniors before Wimbledon. This, in combination with it being alien to either hard or clay, means the field is usually wide open due to the lack of experience. However, these are the three players the Up The Line Tennis group thinks could hoist the trophy at the end of the week.

Gauthier Onclin (BEL) (#17)

The Belgian is the most recent champion on the ITF circuit, with his Roehampton win. He has good weapons, including a pretty big serve and good forehand, even if the technique looks a little stiff. When he has time, the shot is a big weapon. He has a tough draw from the start, with Anton Matusevich, a quarterfinalist at Roehampton, then potentially Holger Rune once again, this time early in the third round. It won’t be easy for Onclin, but he has the confidence and form to feel good about making a run.

Shintaro Mochizuki (JPN) (#10)

Shintaro won the other grass court event in Nottingham without dropping a set in a blazing run, and was only stopped from clashing with Holger Rune by the aforementioned Matusevic. He’s got good volleys and feel, and a consistent game from the baseline. The only minor things against him is that his forehand is loopy in nature, and that his serve is not big, relying more on spin. Mochizuki does have the advantage of a seemingly easier draw, only facing Rune or Onclin in a potential quarterfinal. The Japanese boy seems to be a less likely favorite, but his all surface game translates well to the next level. Could he be the next Nishikori?

Holger Rune (DEN) (#3)

As to be expected, the top ranked Dane has to command a place on our list, simply because he is the most recent Junior Grand Slam champion, and has played well on grass so far. He has pounding groundstrokes, which constantly land deep in the court. Obviously his serving and volleying is not elite, given that his best surface is clay, but less players at the junior level do that well, meaning grass court tennis can be full of rallies. The Dane is in the quarter containing the two grass court champions mentioned above, but is still probably the favorite, but anything can happen.

Prediction- (1) Holger Rune d. (12) Liam Draxl