The sun is shining, the strawberries and Pimm’s have been prepared. Wimbledon is here.
The third Grand Slam of the year is scheduled to get underway at the All England Lawn Tennis Club tomorrow, with the best in women’s tennis set to battle it out for the title.
This year’s tournament will be wide open, particularly after defending champion Ashleigh Barty announced her retirement in March.
GiveMeSport Women selects the six players who could step into her shoes and win Wimbledon.
Petra Kvitová
The 32-year-old Kvitová is not a stranger at the All England Lawn Tennis Club. In fact, she has triumphed there twice, in 2011 and 2014.
The Czech star, currently ranked 26th in the world, is in excellent form going into Wimbledon. She got past Jelena Ostapenko 6-3 6-2 to win the Eastbourne International yesterday.
Emma Raducanu
It would take something miraculous for Raducanu to win Wimbledon, but that has not stopped the 19-year-old before.
The British star reached the fourth round last year, just weeks after making her WTA Tour debut, before going onto secure an astonishing victory at the US Open in September.
Raducanu has struggled with her fitness since, but perhaps a return to the grass courts of Wimbledon will spark another incredible run of form.
Iga Świątek
Świątek is currently on a remarkable 35-match winning streak, having earned six WTA titles so far this season. As a result, the 21-year-old is the youngest top seed at Wimbledon in more than a decade.
Grass is not Świątek’s favoured surface, and Wimbledon will be her first grass-court tournament of the season. But the Polish star is by far the best women’s tennis player around right now, and that could well be what it comes down to.
Coco Gauff
Despite being just 18-years-old, Gauff already has three years of experience on the WTA Tour.
She has stepped up a gear this year, reaching her first Grand Slam final at the French Open. The American will be looking to go one step further at Wimbledon, and her record at the tournament suggests this is quite possible.
Gauff has reached the fourth round twice, including in 2019 when she overcame Venus Williams in her opening match.
Ons Jabeur
The world number two is in good stead to win her first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, winning the German Open earlier this month and playing doubles with Serena Williams at Eastbourne.
Jabeur will also be hoping to make amends for her disappointing showing at the French Open – after an excellent clay season, she crashed out in the first round at Roland-Garros.
Serena Williams
Williams stunned the world when she announced she would be returning to the tennis court this month.
The 40-year-old made her comeback at Eastbourne last week, playing in the doubles tournament with Ons Jabeur. She did look sharp, but whether she will be ready to clinch a Grand Slam title is another question.
One thing’s for sure – Williams will be desperate to clinch a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title, and few can stop her when she’s in such a mindset.
