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Elena Rybakina returns to SW19 to defend the Wimbledon crown that she won 12 months ago. The Kazakh, who was the first from her country to lift a Grand Slam trophy, however, will have to be prepared for some stiff competition.
With the dust settling on the field, all eyes are now on the draw ceremony — scheduled to be held at the All England Club on Friday. Rybakina, the third seed at this year's tournament, will be among the top contenders for the title, but she is not the only one eyeing Grand Slam glory.
Here, we have listed the three biggest title favorites for this year's Wimbledon women's singles title:
#3 Iga Swiatek
Iga Swiatek's grasscourt results pale in comparison to her exploits on her beloved clay or even hardcourts. In fact, the ongoing Bad Homburg Open is the first grass tournament where the World No. 1 made the semifinal.
That said, Swiatek and grass is not a story without its moments. Rewind to 2018 and fans would remember the Pole lifting her first junior Grand Slam title at the Wimbledon Championships. She had defeated the then-top seed Whitney Osuigwe in the first round and Leone Kung in the final to give the tennis world a glimpse of her potential.
While movement and tenacity — Swiatek's biggest strengths — may not be the attributes that tailor one for success on grass, the Pole has found ways to win matches, and convincingly so. Her ability to stay down with the ball and measured aggression may just see her get close to the title at this year's tournament.
#2 Defending Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina
Defending a Wimbledon crown has not come easy for players over the last two decades unless, of course, your last name is Williams. It is under this pressure that Elena Rybakina will step out on the lawns of the All England Club for every match.
That said, Rybakina has dropped signs that have fans still putting their money on her. The Kazakh could have easily faded away under the lens of scrutiny that comes with a player winning their first Slam, but she came out stronger. With two WTA 1000 titles and another Slam final to show for since she won Wimbledon, the 23-year-old is a better player than 12 months ago.
Rybakina's Wimbledon main draw record accounts for only one loss against nine wins. So it is not often that she loses at SW-19. Her serve is a weapon, outlined by her leading the 2023 ace tally at 316 as well as the first serve points won at 74.5%.
To top that, grass is the surface that simplifies tennis for those who can hit big. With the target firmly on her back, things won't be easy for Rybakina, but if she can handle the pressure as well as she has over the last year, the Kazakh is primed for another big run this year.
#1 Aryna Sabalenka
Set to return after a one-year gap, Aryna Sabalenka will be hungry for success at this year's Wimbledon. Her big-hitting game was always destined to do well on grass, but her status as a Grand Slam champion may just help her quell some of the demons.
Sabalenka does have her own mental block to get over though. At 60% (6-4), Wimbledon remains the Slam where her win-loss record is the poorest. But with the wind in her sails after a hugely successful first half of the season, the Belarusian will be keen on changing that stat.
There is little doubt that she would be one of the biggest hurdles in Rybakina's title defence. Poetically, the Kazakh's only loss at SW19 was against a free-swinging Sabalenka back in 2021. Rybakina may have the bigger, more efficient serve, but Sabalenka just hits the ball a tad bit bigger in every other aspect.
The only time that Sablenka has gone off the rails this year has been against a stock player — one who can serve well and defend better (Karolina Muchova, Sofia Kenin, Sorana Cirstea and Veronika Kudermetova being examples of the same). If she can prepare for those kinds of challenges and keep her head straight, 2023 could well get a whole lot better for Sabalenka.
