Wimbledon women’s singles draw: 5 takeaways – ft. Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Emma Raducanu
The Wimbledon women’s singles draw has been made, and there are plenty of key talking points after some intriguing scenarios were thrown up on Friday.
Here, we look at some of the big talking points ahead of action on Monday.
Swiatek’s draw not as bad as first feared
In the aftermath of Friday’s draw, there was a lot of discussion about how ‘bad’ Iga Swiatek’s draw was – but this is not exactly the case.
The world No 1 starts against an out-of-form Sofia Kenin – who she beat in round one of the Australian Open this year – before a very winnable round two against Petra Martic or Francesca Jones.
Should she reach the third round she is projected to face 27th seed Katerina Siniakova, who herself enters under a slight injury cloud after Bad Homburg this week.
That should all be manageable, and even with bogey player Jelena Ostapenko her projected fourth round opponent, there should be no need to panic.
Ostapenko is three matches away from Swiatek, and the Latvian is yet to reach the second week of a Slam this season – there is no guarantee she will even be there to test the world No 1.
Gauff’s good draw
Debate will rage about Swiatek’s draw, but there is no doubt that Coco Gauff has been handed a very good draw at the Slam where she is the second seed for the first time.
It is hard to see who could threaten the 20-year-old before the second week and though an array of big names – Naomi Osaka, Victoria Azarenka, and Emma Navarro, among others – could await in the fourth round, on current form you would back Gauff to win against any of them.
The world No 2 has reached three straight Grand Slam semi-finals and look at her long-term draw, it is hard to see her not also now reaching a first Wimbledon semi-final.
Sabalenka in Gauff’s half
Having dropped down to world No 3 after the French Open, all eyes were on which half of the draw Aryna Sabalenka would land in.
And, much like at the Australian Open, we are projected to see a semi-final between herself and Gauff, in what would also be a rematch of their three-set US Open final last summer.
Sabalenka has reached the semi-final in her last two showings at Wimbledon and with seven straight Slam quarter-finals to her name, she is a huge contender for this title.
Much like Gauff, her initial draw is kind, and it is hard to see who stops an initial showdown between the two.
We think these two had a little bit of fun during practice @SabalenkaA |@Ons_Jabeur #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/mF1AyT5dwt
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 28, 2024
Hit or bust for Raducanu
After promising campaigns in Eastbourne and Nottingham, home favourite Emma Raducanu enters SW19 with slightly higher expectations on her than previously expected.
Those expectations may have dipped ever so slightly when she was drawn against 22nd seed Ekaterina Alexandrova on Friday, an opponent with multiple grass-court titles to her name.
Alexandrova reached the fourth round last year but has lost in the first round of both majors so far in 2024, and Raducanu is playing with an air of confidence right now.
With eighth seed Zheng Qinwen and ninth seed Maria Sakkari – both in this mini-section – out of form and potential early exits, Raducanu may be able to go on a run if she can get past her opener.
Former British No 1 makes bold Emma Raducanu prediction after tough Wimbledon draw
Tough task for Rybakina
Elena Rybakina is the only one of the ‘Big 4’ to have won Wimbledon but has struggled at Slams recently.
And while she is undoubtedly a contender to lift the title again, she is in a busy section of the draw.
The early stages should be comfortable for her, but she could well face a potential quarter-final against tenth seed Ons Jabeur or fifth seed Jessica Pegula.
Pegula comes in from winning the title in Berlin while Jabeur is looking back near her best, and beat Rybakina in the last eight a year ago – after losing to the Kazakh in the 2022 final.
If Rybakina wants to return to the semi-final, she may have to earn it.
