The women’s singles title at Wimbledon has become a revolving door of champions, with no player defending her crown since Serena Williams in 2016. As the prestigious tournament returns to the All England Club, the stage is once again set for a new name to etch herself into history. Among the frontrunners are Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff, whose evolving rivalry is expected to take center stage on the famed grass courts of London.
The defending champion, Barbora Krejcikova, enters this year’s edition carrying injury concerns, casting doubt on her chances of reproducing the remarkable form that earned her last year’s surprise title. Meanwhile, previous winners Elena Rybakina and Marketa Vondrousova remain dangerous floaters, each possessing the tools to thrive on grass, yet all eyes are firmly on the two stars of the recent French Open final.
Coco Gauff, fresh off her Roland Garros triumph over Sabalenka, returns to Wimbledon—the site of her 2019 breakthrough—aiming to translate her clay and hardcourt success onto grass. The 21-year-old American didn’t begin the grass season on a high note, suffering a surprising second-round defeat in Berlin to Wang Xinyu. However, former Wimbledon quarterfinalist CoCo Vandeweghe believes Gauff will bounce back quickly.
"This isn’t going to be her best surface, but she’s the ultimate competitor,” Vandeweghe said on the Tennis Channel. “She learns from her losses and uses them to get better. That’s what we’ve consistently seen from Coco."
Sabalenka, meanwhile, enters Wimbledon with her own point to prove. The Belarusian powerhouse missed last year’s tournament due to injury but has since reached three consecutive Grand Slam finals, including a victorious run at the 2023 US Open. Despite her consistency and rise to world No. 1, the 27-year-old is still chasing her first major win on grass, having fallen short in past finals on the surface.
After a semifinal run in Berlin, Sabalenka expressed her desire to find her rhythm on grass: “The grass season is short, so I wanted matches to remember how to play on this surface. I’m happy with what I’ve achieved so far.”
Also looming in the draw is Madison Keys, who claimed her first Grand Slam title at this year’s Australian Open. The American heavy-hitter now looks to prove her Melbourne success was no fluke. Meanwhile, Vondrousova, who stunned the field in Berlin to become the tournament’s lowest-ranked winner, will try to continue her resurgence.
Another name not to overlook is Iga Swiatek. Despite her dominance on clay and hardcourt, the Polish star has never gone beyond the quarterfinals at Wimbledon. After serving a brief doping suspension last year, she hopes this year’s campaign will be a turning point in her grass-court journey as she chases a sixth Grand Slam title.
With form, history, and uncertainty in play, the women’s draw at Wimbledon promises drama, redemption, and the crowning of yet another new champion.
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