The Wimbledon Tennis Championships make a welcome return to the sporting schedules, having taken an enforced break in 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic. There will naturally be a focus on the two main singles competitions, and while the men’s event is dominated by one or two players the women’s equivalent is far more open.
Since 2013, a span of seven years, six different women have won the competition. During this stretch, Serena Williams is the only player to have lifted the trophy twice. One interesting point to note is the fact that all seven of those finals were won in two sets.
The recent finals may not have been hotly contested, but the 2021 women’s singles field clearly has a number of players in contention. The question now is who will win it this summer.
A solid foundation
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Those are some important ground rules and, having taken care of that, it’s time to move on to Wimbledon 2021.
Out in front
At the time this article will composed, the current favorite to win the women’s singles at Wimbledon this year is current world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty. The Australian is a Grand Slam champion, having won the French Open in 2019, but she has yet to get past the fourth round at Wimbledon.
The chasing pack
Iga Swiatek is a top-three favorite to take the title. The Polish youngster is clearly looking to improve on her only Wimbledon appearance to date. Swiatek exited at the first-round stage back in 2019, but tennis followers will know her for winning the French Open as a teenager a year later.
It’s difficult to know how seriously to take a player’s record at Roland Garros. We are aware that in the men’s game Rafael Nadal has dominated in France but has occasionally struggled on the grass at Wimbledon. Nevertheless, Swiatek is an impressive young player and success at Wimbledon cannot be ruled out.
Surprise package
Those are the more obvious challengers for the women’s title, but could there be a surprise from the back of the pack?
One former Wimbledon singles champion is flying under the radar to an extent, but she knows what it takes to get over the line in London. Garbine Muguruza beat Venus Williams in straight sets in the 2017 final and she reached the final in Australia at the start of 2020.
The verdict
Barty may be the favorite, but her withdrawal from the French Open may just be a concern for potential backers. The Australian experienced issues with her left hip during her second-round match with Magda Linette and was in tears as she left the competition. Barty assured reporters that she would be fit in time for Wimbledon and she won her first-round match on Tuesday, but her fitness remains a question mark.
Naomi Osaka would have been among the favorites, but after withdrawing from the French Open in the middle of that event and having also pulled out of the warmup tournament in Berlin it was no surprise that the world No. 2 also pulled out of Wimbledon. It’s clear she may need an additional break from the game.
The path seemed to clear in part for Serena Williams, but that all changed when the 39-year-old was forced to retire from her first-round match on Tuesday because of a knee injury.
Williams had been just behind Barty in second place among the favorites. The younger Williams sister is one of the most decorated women’s players of all time and her tally of 23 Grand Slam wins is the most in the Open Era. She needs one more Grand Slam to equal Margaret Court’s overall record, but that 24th victory is proving to be elusive. Her last slam success came at the Australian Open in 2017 and—as she approaches her 40th birthday—there are doubts over her ability to continue competing at the top level.
Of Williams’ 23 Grand Slam titles, seven have come in SW19—during a period between 2002 and 2016.
Barty got my Winner pick with Sabalenka as Finalist. My semi-finalists are somewhat silly-sounding now. 🤦♀️ 1. Camila Giorgi 2. Ludmilla Samsonova.
How I came up with Giorgi I don’t know, it was not intentional. Ludmilla, I remember was intentional. She absolutely was hitting all-comers off the slippery grass-court in Berlin. She beat: fellow qualifier Konjuh in straight sets, then to the main draw, Vondrousova in straights, Kudermetova in straights, next up, Madison Keys was tackled in the quarters in three sets, Azarenka went down in straight sets, and finally, a favorite grass-sharpened Belinda Bencic fell to Ludmilla in a tough three sets. The Samsonova pick definitely was planned. Can anyone name the Roland Garros WTA winner and finalist? Think fast in five seconds? No fair looking it up hahaha.
Sorry to say I could not see Serena going far. She has not looked good this year. People that pick her to win are a bit touched, just like the people who pick Federer. Rafa is easy to pick because he not only maintains his fitness but plays as many warm-up tournaments as he can when preparing for a GS.
Why and how Novak won RG is just beyond me. It felt like he wouldn’t win RG and I did not pick him. I picked Rafa. Now I have picked Novak, against my gut feeling, to win Wimbledon. It is hard for me to believe he’ll win the Channel Slam without playing warm-up tournaments. Playing competitive matches, real live, hard-fought singles matches makes more sense.
We shall see. I’m assuming Djokovic will win because I really can’t see anyone else winning it. Meddy, maybe, he’s always capable of surprises, both good and bad. It’s just not like the women’s side where champions seem to leap from ambush behind the bushes and disappear again just as quickly.
I think it was sensible of him not to play a warm up given we’re back to a quick turn around this year. Two weeks is a very short time between winning RG and starting Wimbly and the Djoker is no spring chicken.
Did you pick a WTA bracket, Ramara? It is next to impossible. RG was also impossible. You think you have a good pick and poof! She is gone.
Yeah, there are a number of possibilities for ATP, aside from Novak and Medvedev. One of the possibilities went straight out to Tiafoe. People don’t seem to be able to count Federer out. Maybe I’m wrong about Federer, that would show me a thing or two, Ramara. I need a good kicking now and then!
No brackets for me, especially not the WTA! I know when I’m licked before I start.
Federer? Hon, it would take a hatful of miracles for him to win Wimbly this year. He’d have gone out to Mannarino if the guy hadn’t fallen and retired. Speaking of miracles, Murray is up against Shapo in his next round.