The 128-player Wimbledon women’s singles draw has been studied and dissected with days to go before the first matches begin on July 3.
As always, there are intriguing first-round matches that should be must-see television for tennis fans.
Here are three of them.
1. Venus Williams vs. Elina Svitolina
The battle of the big-named Wimbledon wildcards happens in the first round.
The legend, Venus Williams, 43, takes on the new mother Elina Svitolina.
Williams is a five-time Wimbledon Champion, and grass-court tennis is where her game shines.
Svitolina, 28, is the former World No. 3 and a Wimbledon 2019 semifinalist.
In her first major back since maternity leave, she advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2023 French Open.
Williams vs. Svitolina is the second match scheduled on Centre Court on July 3; the first match begins at 1:30 PM London time (or 8:30 AM EDT).
2. Sofia Kenin vs. Coco Gauff
This is the battle of the Americans.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, 24-year-old Sofia Kenin was a player on the rise.
She is the 2020 Australian Open champion whose career in recent years has been impacted by injuries and a lack of confidence.
Kenin got through the Wimbledon qualifiers and had a big win earlier in the year against World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka.
She is a dangerous first-round opponent against her fellow American, teenager Coco Gauff who is ranked seventh in the world.
The grass is not Gauff’s best surface thus far in her career; the same is true for Kenin so this really could be a match where the outcome is determined by which player has the most confidence going for her shots.
Kenin vs. Gauff is the third match on Court No. 1 on July 3; the first match is underway at 1:00 PM London time (8:00 AM EDT).
3. Elena Rybakina vs. Shelby Rogers
Elena Rybakina is the defending Wimbledon champion.
Rybakina has played well since earning the title, but there are question marks around her health and fitness after she was forced to withdraw from the French Open with a viral illness that lingered long after Paris.
Her training and preparation for Wimbledon were obviously affected.
Each opponent who faces Rybakina wants the distinction of defeating the reigning champion.
American Shelby Rogers is her first-round opponent.
Rogers is 30 years old and has been on the tour for 13 years; her best Wimbledon results were third-round appearances in 2017 and 2021.
She has won big matches and will not be phased by the moment so this is a dangerous match for Rybakina.
Rybakina and Rogers will face off on July 4.
Watch Wimbledon on the Tennis Channel and ESPN.
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