Wimbledon women's singles: Three talking points

New Straits Times

5 hours ago

LONDON: The battle to be crowned Wimbledon women's champion is wide open, with the possibility of an eighth successive first-time winner at the All England Club.
Since Serena Williams lifted the Venus Rosewater Dish for a seventh time in 2016, the tournament has been in search of a new dominant female star and her fellow American Coco Gauff could be poised to seize the mantle.
Reigning champion Barbora Krejcikova is hampered by a thigh injury, while world number one Aryna Sabalenka is aiming to break her recent habit of losing Grand Slam finals.
AFP Sport looks at three talking points ahead of the tournament, which starts on Monday:
Six years after she became the youngest player in the Open era to qualify for the main draw at Wimbledon, Coco Gauff could be poised to win the tournament for the first time.
Gauff was just 15 when she captured the hearts of fans in London, combining school tests in the evening with a stunning run to the last 16 that included a victory over one of her idols, Venus Williams.
Now ranked second in the world, the American has matured into a significant force and she arrives at Wimbledon on a high after winning the French Open.
Gauff has appeared in three Grand Slam finals, winning the 2023 US Open and triumphing on the Roland Garros clay earlier this month.
Wimbledon, where she has never been past the fourth round, has been Gauff's least successful major, while no American has won there since Serena Williams nine years ago.
But the 21-year-old has the game for grass, according to nine-time champion Martina Navratilova.
"The great athletes always shine on grass. She's the best athlete in the women's game. That should pay off for her, and she's flying high after winning the French Open," Navratilova said.
"She's found the happy medium, the equilibrium between being focused and fired up."
Aryna Sabalenka has her sights set on a fourth Grand Slam title as she looks to erase the painful memories of her final flops in 2025.
The 27-year-old Belarusian was beaten by Madison Keys in the Australian Open final in January before narrowly losing another three-setter against Coco Gauff in the Roland Garros showpiece.
Sabalenka also lost the Stuttgart final to Jelena Ostapenko in April and the Indian Wells title match against Mirra Andreeva the previous month.
She did take the Miami and Madrid titles but Sabalenka's habit of stumbling with the silverware up for grabs might play on her mind at Wimbledon.
Navratilova, though, is confident Sabalenka, who won both the Australian Open and the US Open last year, can cope with the pressure at a tournament where she has twice lost in the semi-finals.
"Looking at her record, it's hard to think she's not the favourite this year. I'm wondering if losing the French Open final will actually help motivate her," she said.
Defending champion Barbora Krejcikova is entering Wimbledon under an injury cloud after pulling out of the Eastbourne Open with a thigh problem.
The Czech world number 17 is sweating on the outcome of a scan before deciding if she will be fit for the All England Club.
Even if she features, there is no guarantee Krejcikova will make it to the latter stages.
She has endured a difficult time since defeating Italy's Jasmine Paolini in the final last year.
Krejcikova, who has played just six matches in 2025, was out of action until May after suffering a back injury and lost in the second round of the recent French Open.
Among a host of players hoping to replace her as champion is world number six Madison Keys, who won her maiden Grand Slam title in Australia this year.
Poland's Iga Swiatek, ranked eighth, has five Grand Slams to her credit but has never won Wimbledon, while American world number three Jessica Pegula and Chinese world number five Zheng Qinwen are looking to win a first major title.
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