Serena Williams receives blockbuster Wimbledon draw with potential match with Alex Eala looming
Serena Williams has found out her fate for the Wimbledon singles draw and it could throw up some very exciting first time matches for the star.
Williams took the last remaining singles wildcard and she will play a competitive singles match for the first time in nearly four years at Wimbledon.
She will also take part in the doubles alongside her sister Venus Williams, but her return to singles has dominated headlines ahead of Wimbledon.
Williams has been drawn against Maya Joint in round one, which is an incredibly kind draw for the 23-time Grand Slam champion.
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Joint has shown promise over the years, including a victory at the Eastbourne Open last year, but she arrives at Wimbledon on a wretched run of form.
The Australian has won just one match in her last 11 tournaments, dating back to a first round appearance at her home Grand Slam at the Australian Open.
Joint is on the cusp of falling out of the top 100 after her first round defeat at the Eastbourne Open saw her lost 249 ranking points. She currently sits at World No 87.
Should Williams find a way past Joint, she could be set for a headline-grabbing second-round match against Alexandra Eala.
Serena Williams’ projected Wimbledon draw
- 1R: Maya Joint
- 2R: Alex Eala
- 3R: Iga Swiatek
- 4R: Jasmine Paolini
- QF: Elina Svitolina
- SF: Elena Rybakina
- F: Aryna Sabalenka
Eala, who has recently teamed with Serena’s sister Venus in Bad Homburg, will need to beat Renata Zarazua in the first round to set up the a truly cross-generational second round match at the grass court Grand Slam.
Williams could then meet defending champion Iga Swiatek in the third round, who herself is not in the brightest of form heading into her title defence.
The Pole is yet to win a tournament this year and she arrives at Wimbledon having not won a match on grass, following her defeat to Emma Navarro at Bad Homburg.
A fourth round meeting with anothe out-of-form player, Jasmine Paolini, could be on the cards for Williams, with Elina Svitolina her most likely quarter-final opponent.
Williams’ most likely semi-final opponent would be Elena Rybakina and she has been drawn in the other side of the draw to Aryna Sabalenka, so wouldn’t play her until the final.
All things considered, Williams has managed to secure herself a very favourable draw. Even the top seeds she will face in the early stages are somewhat out of form, so there is every chance the American can make it to the second week of the Grand Slam.
The Wimbledon main draw is set to begin on Monday, 29th June, with Williams’ first match details yet to be confirmed by the Grand Slam.
