Potential highlights of The Ladies' Singles Championship
FIRST QUARTER
World No.1 Ashleigh Barty headlines a stacked top quarter of the draw and has her work cut out if she plans on clinching a second Grand Slam title, and first at Wimbledon.
The Australian former junior champion opens against Spanish ex-world No.6 Carla Suarez Navarro, who is playing her final Wimbledon, before a possible third round duel with home favourite and 2017 semi-finalist Johanna Konta.
Another player in this section of the draw preparing to hang up her rackets soon is former quarter-finalist Kiki Bertens. The Dutchwoman and freshly-crowned Roland-Garros champion Barbora Krejcikova are potential last-16 opponents for Barty.
Canadian No.5 seed Bianca Andreescu could take on Barty in the quarter-finals but must first avenge her recent defeat to Alize Cornet when she faces the Frenchwoman in the opening round.
Andreescu’s daunting path could involve a meeting with Birmingham runner-up Daria Kasatkina in the third round, and former world No.1 Victoria Azarenka or Estonian No.12 seed Anett Kontaveit in the fourth.
Favourite: Ashleigh Barty
Unseeded threat: Jelena Ostapenko
Projected quarter-final (by seeding): Ashleigh Barty v Bianca Andreescu
Potential thriller: Daria Kasatkina v Bianca Andreescu, possible third round
SECOND QUARTER
Third-seeded Elina Svitolina, the 2019 Wimbledon semi-finalist, shares the second quarter of the draw with seven-time champion Serena Williams.
Svitolina will get into the swing of things against Belgian Alison van Uytvanck with Spanish No.30 Paula Badosa the first seed placed in her path as a third round rival.
No.19 Karolina Muchova, a quarter-finalist in 2019, or Roland-Garros runner-up Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova loom ahead in the last 16 before potential last-eight showdowns with Williams, Coco Gauff or Belinda Bencic.
Williams, the No.6 seed, begins her quest for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam crown against Belarus’ Aliaksandra Sasnovich. A rematch of the 2018 Wimbledon final against Germany’s Angelique Kerber could materialise in the third round for the American legend before possible last-16 duels with No.9 Bencic or 17-year-old Gauff.
Favourite: Serena Williams
Unseeded threat: Camila Giorgi
Projected quarter-final (by seeding): Elina Svitolina v Serena Williams
Potential thriller: Angelique Kerber v Serena Williams, possible third round
THIRD QUARTER
No.4 Sofia Kenin and No.8 Karolina Pliskova are the highest-ranked seeds in the third quarter of the draw, which also includes double Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova.
Pliskova has two grass court fiends in her path early on in Donna Vekic (possible second round) and Alison Riske (possible third round), but the Czech must first dismiss the threat of Roland-Garros semi-finalist Tamara Zidansek in the first round.
Her frequent tormentor Jessica Pegula or Kvitova potentially await Pliskova in the last 16.
Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion, was drawn against qualifying Wang Xinyu in the first round, could take on No.29 seed Veronika Kudermetova in the third round, beforea possible last-16 meeting with Madison Keys or Elise Mertens.
Favourite: Petra Kvitova
Unseeded threat: Donna Vekic
Projected quarter-final (by seeding): Karolina Pliskova v Sofia Kenin
Potential thriller: Sloane Stephens v Petra Kvitova, first round
FOURTH QUARTER
Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, is enjoying her highest seeding at a Grand Slam as the No.2 this Fortnight, and she anchors this intriguing quarter of the draw.
A doubles champion on grass in Berlin and singles quarter-finalist in Eastbourne coming into SW19, Sabalenka was dealt a tricky opener against qualifier and slice master Monica Niculescu.
Roland-Garros semi-finalist Maria Sakkari and No.18 seed Elena Rybakina, who conquered Serena Williams in Paris earlier this month, could face Sabalenka in the fourth round.
The No.7 seed and 2018 Wimbledon junior champion Iga Swiatek, Birmingham champion Ons Jabeur and 2017 Wimbledon winner Garbiñe Muguruza all have the possibility to take on Sabalenka in the quarter-finals.
Favourite: Aryna Sabalenka
Unseeded threat: Claire Liu
Projected quarter-final (by seeding): Iga Swiatek v Aryna Sabalenka
Potential thriller: Ons Jabeur v Garbine Muguruza, possible third round
