‘I’m backing him to win’ – Shubman Gill reveals his favourite to win Wimbledon, compares Carlos Alcaraz’s drop shot to his shot

India captain Shubman Gill is spending some time away from cricket by enjoying the action at Wimbledon 2026 ahead of the upcoming five-match ODI series against England.

During his visit to the All England Club, the stylish opener shared his admiration for some of tennis’ biggest stars while drawing an interesting comparison between his batting and Carlos Alcaraz’s playing style.

Gill revealed that Alcaraz’s trademark drop shot reminds him of his own short-arm jab against short-pitched bowling, a stroke that has become one of his signature shots.

“The drop shot that Alcaraz plays, it reminds me of the short-arm jab in cricket. I play that shot too, it’s my trademark shot. Quick, deceptive, and very effective,” Gill said on JioStar.

The India skipper also spoke about his admiration for Roger Federer, calling the Swiss legend his favourite tennis player. Gill explained that while Federer made the game look effortless, only fellow athletes truly understand the amount of work required behind the scenes.

He added that he has often received similar compliments about his own batting and can relate to the perception of making difficult things look easy.

“Roger Federer is my favourite. Growing up, a lot of people said he made everything look effortless. But when you play a sport yourself, you realise how much work goes into making it look that way.”

“People have called me effortless in cricket too, but I know the effort behind it. The elegance and grace Federer played with was special, and that is why I admire him,” he continued.

Gill was also asked to name four sporting icons he would love to have dinner with. He picked Serena Williams, Roger Federer, Sachin Tendulkar, and Sir Viv Richards, saying it would be a dream to hear about their journeys.

“Serena Williams, Roger Federer, and then the cricketers would be Sir Viv Richards and Sachin sir. Those are the four legends I would love to sit with and have dinner with them. I think the conversations would be incredible. They have all dominated their eras and have so much to share about their journeys. It would be a dream dinner.”

When asked to predict the men’s singles champion at Wimbledon, Gill backed Jannik Sinner to go all the way.

“I’m backing Sinner to win Wimbledon. He is a fantastic player, and he carries himself really well both on and off the court,” Gill further added.

The Indian opener also revealed that if given a chance to play a doubles match with any tennis player, he would choose Alcaraz because of the Spaniard’s positive attitude on the court.

“He looks like someone who really enjoys himself on the court. It would be fun to play alongside him. I don’t know the details, but I think I can hold my own in tennis, so that would be a fun match,” he concluded.

For the unversed, the finalists for Wimbledon 2026 are set as Jannik Sinner will be gearing up to defend his title against Alexander Zverev. On the women’s side, Karolína Muchová will go up against Linda Nosková on July 11 for a Grand Slam victory.