Players to Watch at Wimbledon, Beyond the Perennial Contenders The Wimbledon fortnight begins Monday with Novak Djokovic, the men's No. 1 seed, hoping to reclaim the title he won in 2011, and Serena Williams trying to add another Grand Slam title to her résumé after winning the French Open this month. But several other players are capable of making a deep run in the tournament. Here is a look at some of them. JO-WILFRIED TSONGA The exuberant, entertaining Frenchman looms as the biggest threat to upset any of the usual suspects (Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray), largely because of his powerful serving and dangerous forehand. After going without a coach for 18 months, in November, Tsonga hired the veteran Roger Rasheed, who had coached Lleyton Hewitt and Gaël Monfils, and the partnership has yielded excellent results. A fitter, more resolute Tsonga reached the quarterfinals in Australia (where he lost in five sets to Federer) and the semifinals at Roland Garros. A semifinalist at Wimbledon each of the last two years, Tsonga, who is seeded sixth, has an ideal game for grass courts. He has power, touch and a shotmaker's flair for the daring winner, a trait that grass, more than any other surface, rewards. MIKHAIL YOUZHNY To reach the final in Halle, Germany, last week, Youzhny, a 30-year-old Russian, beat Kei Nishikori, Philipp Kohlschreiber and Richard Gasquet before losing to Federer in a competitive, entertaining match. Youzhny possesses a solid all-court game, with no discernible weaknesses, and wins with consistency, concentration and competitiveness. Youzhny, who is seeded 20th, has quietly built an enviable record, reaching the quarterfinals of all four Grand Slams, including Wimbledon a year ago. While not a threat to win the tournament, Youzhny is the quintessential journeyman capable of pulling off an upset early in the second week. TOMAS BERDYCH A Wimbledon finalist in 2010, Berdych backs up his big serve with fearsome pace from the backcourt. He hits the ball cleanly off both sides, but his forehand is his signature weapon. He generates blistering speed on it the with an effortlessness that belies his raw strength. To back up his ground game, Berdych has worked hard to improve his transition game and volleys, which will help him shorten points and put even more pressure on his opponents. Last December, Berdych helped the Czech Republic defeat Spain to win the Davis Cup, a victory that might give the seventh-seeded Berdych the confidence to win his first Grand Slam. JAMIE HAMPTON Two of the brightest stars in the cadre of excellent American women face off in a scintillating first-round match when Sloane Stephens, seeded 17th, plays the unseeded Hampton. The two are friends and practice partners, and their familiarity with each other could produce some brilliant tennis. Although Stephens is better known, Hampton has beaten Agnieszka Radwanska and Petra Kvitova in the last month, and she is playing superb grass-court tennis heading into Wimbledon. Both players have big serves and excellent technique and move well. Hampton plays a more all-court game than Stephens, looking to come forward more and control court positioning. Hampton uses her slice backhand to keep the ball low on grass, and she is a more accomplished volleyer than Stephens, who prefers pounding her fearsome ground strokes from the baseline. A fantastic way to start. SIMONA HALEP Another red-hot unseeded player on the rise is the Romanian Halep. After battling through qualifying in Rome, Halep beat Svetlana Kuznetsova, Radwanska, Roberta Vinci and Jelena Jankovic before losing to Serena Williams in the semifinals. After winning her first W.T.A. title in Nuremberg last week, Halep has made a smooth transition to grass courts, advancing to Saturday's final against Belgium's Kirsten Flipkens at the Topshelf Open in the Netherlands. Halep has won 15 of her last 17 matches, and her rising level of play makes her a dangerous floater in the draw. She could face the mercurial Li Na in the second round. PETRA KVITOVA The 2011 Wimbledon champion, Kvitova, seeded eighth, has struggled to perform consistently in 2013. Nonetheless, grass suits her powerful, risk-taking game, and she could benefit from lowered expectations and less media attention. Kvitova, a 23-year-old left-hander from the Czech Republic, uses her huge serve and powerful ground strokes to take control of nearly every single point. If she gains rhythm and confidence in the early rounds, she may go on a tear reminiscent of her run to the title two years ago. The low, quick bounce on grass is ideal for her flat ball strike. At her best, she can overpower players like Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova, who both are in her half of the draw.