PREVIEW | WTA Wimbledon 2025: Sabalenka and Gauff lead the title chase, Swiatek and Rybakina look to bounce back

The 2025 Wimbledon Championships will take place from June 30 to July 12, marking the return to the All England Club for the third Grand Slam of the year and the conclusion of the grass-court swing. Roland Garros finalists Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff headline an open draw at a tournament where each of the past eight editions has crowned a different champion.

Iga Swiatek arrives with improved confidence despite a loss in the final of the Bad Homburg Open — her first-ever grass-court final — against Jessica Pegula, another strong title contender. Defending champion Barbora Krejcikova, 2024 runner-up Jasmine Paolini, and 2022 champion Elena Rybakina are also names to keep a close eye on over the next two weeks.

The top seed is none other than Aryna Sabalenka, who comes in highly motivated to go all the way and chase the fourth major title of her career. She has lost in both Grand Slam finals this year — at the Australian Open and French Open — and is looking for redemption. Sabalenka opens against Canadian surprise Carson Branstine, who came through qualifying by defeating Bianca Andreescu and Lois Boisson. A tricky opener for the Belarusian, with a possible third-round clash against either Emma Raducanu or Marketa Vondrousova.

It’s not the most favourable draw on paper for Sabalenka, who could face Elina Svitolina in the fourth round. She’ll need to bring her best form right from the first round.

The bottom half of this section is led by 2025 Australian Open champion Madison Keys (6th seed), who opens against Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse. After a dominant start to the year, Keys has remained consistent even if not as explosive. She was upset in the first round of the Berlin Ladies Open by Vondrousova but benefits from a longer preparation time on grass than most other contenders.

Jasmine Paolini (4th seed) tops this quarter, defending her runner-up points from 2024 — a heavy load that could see her drop out of the top 10 without a deep run. Despite the pressure, Paolini has performed impressively when seeded as a favourite over the past year and has proven she can beat the biggest names on Tour. She opens against Anastasija Sevastova, with Linda Noskova (30th seed) as a potential third-round challenge.

The lower half of the section is more of a mystery, led by Zheng Qinwen (5th seed). A recent injury forced her to withdraw from Berlin, though she had a strong run to the semifinals at the Queen’s Club Championships. The Chinese star has yet to make a breakthrough on grass, but her recent consistency and wins in London make her a player to watch. However, she remains unpredictable, and an early upset wouldn’t be a shock if she doesn't settle quickly.

Zheng opens against Katerina Siniakova, and a potential second-round meeting with Naomi Osaka makes for a tough early path. Further down the road, potential matchups with heavyweights like Ons Jabeur, Jelena Ostapenko, and Diana Shnaider loom in the fourth round.

Fresh off her Bad Homburg title, Jessica Pegula (3rd seed) will look to maintain her momentum after four straight wins this week — including two against top-10 players and a final victory over Iga Swiatek. She opens against Elisabetta Cocciaretto, with a potential second-round clash against Tatjana Maria, the Queen’s Club champion, setting up a challenging early test.

Also in this quarter is Mirra Andreeva (7th seed), whose early rounds look manageable. However, by the fourth round, names like Emma Navarro and Barbora Krejcikova may appear — both more than worthy opponents. Andreeva suffered a first-round exit at Wimbledon in 2024 and has a poor grass-court record, with just one win and four losses over the past two seasons.

This will be a chance for redemption, possibly aided by the return of former Wimbledon champion Conchita Martínez to Andreeva’s coaching team, after a few weeks of vacation for the Spaniard.

This is perhaps the most intriguing part of the draw, headlined by Coco Gauff (2nd seed) as one of the main title favourites. She opens against Dayana Yastremska, with former Grand Slam champions Victoria Azarenka and Sofia Kenin (28th seed) in her section.

Kenin, notably, eliminated Gauff in the first round of Wimbledon 2023, making her a dangerous early-round threat.

Sharing this quarter is 8th seed Iga Swiatek, who once again looks for redemption after a complicated season. Now ranked world No. 8 — her lowest Grand Slam seeding since early 2023 — Swiatek’s first two rounds appear manageable. However, possible third-round encounters with Marta Kostyuk or Danielle Collins and a potential fourth-round showdown with Maria Sakkari or Elena Rybakina make her path extremely challenging.

Swiatek will need to deliver an exceptional level of tennis if she hopes for a deep run — let alone contend for the title — as she appears a step behind several of the higher-ranked favourites at this stage.

[1] Aryna Sabalenka vs. [6] Madison Keys

[4] Jasmine Paolini vs. [5] Zheng Qinwen

[7] Mirra Andreeva vs. [3] Jessica Pegula

[8] Iga Swiatek vs. [2] Coco Gauff