The 137th staging of the Wimbledon Championships started right this moment, with first-round matches kicking off moments in the past. Who’re the favorites, the spoilers, the certain bets, the wild playing cards? Let’s take a look at the ladies’s match first.
If males’s tennis was, till lately, dominated by the so-called Huge Three (Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, with solely the latter nonetheless enjoying—extra beneath), the ladies’s tennis world appears to be slowly solidifying into its personal Huge Three, with some mixture of Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, and Aryna Sabalenka dominating most—however actually not all—tournaments. That first one, although, is in a league of her personal recently: Swiatek has gained 45 of the 49 matches she’s performed this yr, is coming off successful her fourth French Open title, and appears completely indomitable…besides, for some motive which no person has but nailed down, Wimbledon. Nearly incomprehensibly, she’s by no means gotten previous the quarterfinals right here. Is that this going to be the yr she breaks the spell? No one—however no person—is aware of that reply, however right here’s the factor: Swiatek faces unseeded—however probably giant-killing—American Sofia Kenin within the first spherical. (Final yr, Kenin knocked Gauff out of the match within the first spherical.) If she will get previous her, she might face her nemesis, Jelena Ostapenko, within the fourth spherical. (Swiatek is 0-4 towards Ostapenko.)
Fourth-seeded Elena Rybakina gained right here two years in the past, however a repeat would appear unlikely: She’s been tormented by sickness in latest months, and even latest weeks. Which brings us to Sabalenka and Gauff: The previous appears to have moved past her moody inconsistency and is reaching the semifinals at majors persistently—however she pulled out of her ultimate Wimbledon warmup with a shoulder subject. If that was merely precautionary, be careful for her right here—but when that was something vital or ongoing, it’s going to be a wrestle for her. (Potential spoiler: unseeded Emma Raducanu, who’s been on a little bit of a roll recently.)
Which leaves Gauff, seeded second: She’s the reigning US Open champion, she has made the semis at this yr’s two earlier majors, and, truthfully, the draw appears to favor her. Barring an upset, her path to the fourth spherical appears safe—however it’s there that she might face four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, who’s been trying an increasing number of fearsome in her (still-evolving) comeback.
Assuming what’s to date by no means occurred—that Swiatek makes it to the ultimate right here—and assuming that the seeds play (in the way in which that they nearly by no means fairly appear to do), she’d play the winner of Sabalenka and Gauff for the title. If any iteration of that involves fruition, we’re in for a barnburner. (And if it doesn’t, we’re doubtless alongside for the rise of a brand new star, so depend us in in both case.)
