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Wimbledon draw: Krejcikova opens vs. Eala; Vondrousova in Sabalenka's path

8m read 30 Jun 2025 5d ago
Barbora Krejcikova, Eastbourne 2025
Adam Davy/PA Images via Getty Images

Summary Generated By AI

Barbora Krejcikova will open her Wimbledon title defense against Alexandra Eala, while Aryna Sabalenka's section of the 2025 draw includes Carson Branstine, Marketa Vondrousova, Emma Raducanu and McCartney Kessler.

Reigning Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova

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on Centre Court -- one of several first-round clashes to circle in the draw for the 2025 Championships.

Krejcikova missed the first five months of 2025 with a back injury and had to withdraw from this week's Eastbourne quarterfinals citing a thigh injury. Eala captured the tennis world's attention in March by defeating three Grand Slam champions -- Jelena Ostapenko

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and Iga Swiatek
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-- to reach the Miami semifinals. The 20-year-old Filipina has reached her first grass-court final this week in Eastbourne.

Elsewhere, No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka

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, and potential third-round opponents include 2023 champion Marketa Vondrousova
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, Nottingham titlist McCartney Kessler and 2021 US Open champion
Emma Raducanu
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.

No. 2 seed Coco Gauff

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, with former World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka
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potentially awaiting in the second round and 2020 Australian Open champion
Sofia Kenin
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projected in the third round. Meanwhile, two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, playing the final Championships of her career, will face No. 10 seed and 2024 quarterfinalist
Emma Navarro
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in the first round.

Looking ahead, potentially intriguing second-round matchups include No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula

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, former Roland Garros champion Ostapenko against two-time runner-up Ons Jabeur
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and Olympic gold medalist Zheng Qinwen against former World No. 1
Naomi Osaka
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.

Projected quarterfinal matchups

[1] Aryna Sabalenka

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

[7] Mirra Andreeva
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vs. [3]
Jessica Pegula
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[8] Iga Swiatek
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vs. [2]
Coco Gauff
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First quarter

This week in Wimbledon qualifying, Carson Branstine

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"Maybe not everyone knows me, but I think I can beat anyone out there," the Canadian said after defeating Lois Boisson

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Should the World No. 1 survive Branstine -- and, indeed, a guaranteed former Wimbledon quarterfinalist in Round 2, either Marie Bouzkova

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-- she'll still have to navigate a section that includes two of this year's grass-court titlists just to reach the fourth round. That includes Vondrousova, who defeated Sabalenka en route to the Berlin title last week. A silver lining is that these dangerous opponents will have to take each other out first: Vondrousova opens against Kessler, and the winner will potentially face Raducanu in the second round. Raducanu herself faces an intriguing start against a British compatriot, 17-year-old wild card Mingge Xu
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.

No. 14 seed Elina Svitolina

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Meanwhile, Australian Open champion Keys opens against the hard-hitting Elena-Gabriela Ruse

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in the third round, should the 2021 US Open finalist get past another teenage British wild card, Hannah Klugman, in the first round. Potential fourth-round opponents include No. 9 seed Paula Badosa
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and No. 22 seed Donna Vekic
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, a semifinalist last year.

Former Wimbledon semifinalists or better:  Aryna Sabalenka

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,
Elina Svitolina
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, Donna Vekic
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First-round matches to watch:

  • [1] Aryna Sabalenka vs. [Q] Carson Branstine
  • Lulu Sun vs. Marie Bouzkova
  • Emma Raducanu vs. [WC] Mingge Xu
  • Marketa Vondrousova vs. [32] McCartney Kessler
  • [9] Paula Badosa vs. Katie Boulter
  • [29] Leylah Fernandez vs. [WC] Hannah Klugman
  • Elena-Gabriela Ruse vs. [6] Madison Keys

Second quarter

Last year's finalist, Jasmine Paolini

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Two big hitters lie in Paolini's projected path before the quarterfinals: No. 30 seed Linda Noskova

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in the fourth. Anisimova was a 2022 Wimbledon quarterfinalist, and reached her first grass-court final at Queen's two weeks ago.

No. 5 seed Zheng lost in the first round last year to eventual quarterfinalist Lulu Sun

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has beaten Zheng in both of their completed meetings -- both of which have come on grass, at Wimbledon 2023 and Berlin 2024. Should the Chinese player survive Siniakova, she could face Osaka for the fourth time -- if Osaka gets past qualifier
Talia Gibson
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. Zheng leads her head-to-head against Osaka 2-1, including their only grass-court meeting at Berlin 2024.

No. 12 seed Diana Shnaider

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, while Ostapenko suffered an ankle injury at the same tournament that forced her to retire against Eala in the second round.

Former Wimbledon semifinalists or better:  Jasmine Paolini

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,
Jelena Ostapenko
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First-round matches to watch:

  • [4] Jasmine Paolini vs. [SR] Anastasija Sevastova
  • Yulia Putintseva vs. [13] Amanda Anisimova
  • [Q] Diane Parry vs. [Q] Petra Martic
  • Sonay Kartal vs. [20] Jelena Ostapenko
  • [31] Ashlyn Krueger vs. [WC] Mika Stojsavljevic
  • Katerina Siniakova vs. [5] Zheng Qinwen

Third quarter

Watching the 37-year-old mother-of-two Maria slicing her way to the Queen's title was a reminder that old-school finesse can be as effective -- if not more -- on grass than modern-day power. She'll have another shot at a big-name upset if she meets Pegula in the second round, having won both of her previous meetings against the American -- albeit on clay in 2011 and 2016 respectively. Maria will have to defeat Katie Volynets

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.

Maria isn't the only mother to watch in this quarter. Kvitova, who announced this week that she will retire from the sport this year, will be appearing at Wimbledon for the last time. Despite having only won one match since returning from maternity leave in February, the Czech will be motivated to go out on a high. The winner of her match against Navarro could be on course to meet either Krejcikova or Eala in the third round.

Meanwhile, former Eastbourne champion Belinda Bencic

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.

As well as the trio of mothers, the best teenager in the world -- Dubai and Indian Wells champion Mirra Andreeva

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, and is projected to face either Navarro or Krejcikova in the fourth round.

Another 2007-born player, Iva Jovic

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and could face No. 18 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova
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in the second round.

Former Wimbledon semifinalists or better:  Barbora Krejcikova

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First-round matches to watch:

  • [17] Barbora Krejcikova vs. Alexandra Eala
  • [WC] Petra Kvitova vs. [10] Emma Navarro
  • [15] Karolina Muchova vs. Wang Xinyu
  • Suzan Lamens vs. [Q] Iva Jovic
  • Alycia Parks vs. Belinda Bencic
  • Katie Volynets vs. Tatjana Maria

Fourth quarter

The last time Gauff faced Yastremska was arguably a turning point in her season. She had not reached a semifinal in the first four months of 2025, and in her opening match in Madrid dropped the first set 6-0 to the Ukrainian. But Gauff clawed back a 0-6, 6-2, 7-5 victory -- and went on to make three consecutive clay-court finals, culminating in her second major crown at Roland Garros. In the rematch, Yastremska comes in with better form on grass, having made the Nottingham final while Gauff lost her Berlin opener to Wang Xinyu.

Gauff's draw doesn't get any easier. She'll face either Azarenka or in-form qualifier Anastasia Zakharova

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, fast-rising 19-year-old Maya Joint
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-- who has reached her first grass-court final in Eastbourne this week -- and last year's Eastbourne champion, No. 16 seed
Daria Kasatkina
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.

Former World No. 1 Iga Swiatek

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After her semifinal exit at Roland Garros to Sabalenka, Swiatek told press that a silver lining was that she would be able to do a proper grass-court pre-season for the first time rather than needing to decompress after a gruelling clay swing. Could Swiatek be a dark horse at Wimbledon? She opens against Polina Kudermetova

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in the third round.

All eyes could be on a marquee fourth-round match between Swiatek and No. 11 seed Elena Rybakina

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, and is projected to meet No. 23 seed
Clara Tauson
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in the third round.

Former Wimbledon semifinalists or better:  Elena Rybakina

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First-round matches to watch:

  • Camila Osorio vs. Danielle Collins
  • [16] Daria Kasatkina vs. Emiliana Arango
  • Maya Joint vs. [19] Liudmila Samsonova
  • [28] Sofia Kenin vs. [Q] Taylor Townsend
  • Victoria Azarenka vs. [Q] Anastasia Zakharova
  • Dayana Yastremska vs. [2] Coco Gauff

 

Summary Generated By AI

Barbora Krejcikova will open her Wimbledon title defense against Alexandra Eala, while Aryna Sabalenka's section of the 2025 draw includes Carson Branstine, Marketa Vondrousova, Emma Raducanu and McCartney Kessler.