The stage is set for this year's grass-court major. Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff will lead the charge as the Hologic WTA Tour heads to the lawns of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.

The Wimbledon Championships, celebrating its 137th edition, is the third Grand Slam event of the season. All of the world's Top 70 players are scheduled to compete. 

Here are key facts for this year's Wimbledon Championships:

When does the tournament start?

Wimbledon is a two-week event with main-draw play starting on Monday, July 1 and running through Sunday, July 14. 

The three qualifying rounds for ladies' singles take place over a three-day span in Roehampton. Qualifying for ladies' singles started on Tuesday, June 25 and conclude on Thursday, June 27.

The Slazenger Wimbledon ball will be used at the event.

Wimbledon is on British Summer Time (GMT +1).

How big are the fields?

There will be 128 players competing in the ladies' singles main draw, with 104 receiving direct entry. Eight players have received wild cards into the main draw and 16 more will claim the remaining spots after three victories in qualifying.

There will be 32 seeded players in the singles draw and no byes. The ladies' singles champion must successfully navigate her way through seven rounds before lifting the iconic Venus Rosewater Dish.

Jimmie48/WTA

The ladies' doubles main draw will have 64 teams (57 duos with direct entry plus seven wild-card pairings). There will be 16 seeded teams in the doubles draw and no byes. The champion team will make it through six rounds before clinching the women's doubles title.

The mixed doubles main draw has 32 teams, with up to eight of those teams being wild-card entries. Eight teams will be seeded, with the champions needing to make it through five rounds.

When are the finals?

The ladies' singles final will take place on Centre Court on Saturday, July 13 at 2 p.m. local.

The ladies' doubles final will occur on Centre Court on Sunday, July 14 following the gentlemen's singles final.

The mixed doubles final will be on Thursday, July 11.

When are the draws?

For a full analysis of the singles draw click here

The mixed doubles draw will take place on Wednesday, July 3 at 12 p.m.

Who are the defending champions?

Marketa Vondrousova won last year's Wimbledon singles title, defeating Ons Jabeur 6-4, 6-4 in the final to capture her first Grand Slam title. Vondrousova was the first unseeded player to win the ladies' singles title at Wimbledon.

The unseeded pairing of Hsieh Su-wei and Barbora Strycova won last year's Wimbledon ladies' doubles title, defeating Storm Hunter and Elise Mertens 7-5, 6-4 in the final. Hsieh and Strycova had previously teamed up to win the Wimbledon ladies' doubles title in 2019.

Last year's Wimbledon mixed doubles title went to Lyudmyla Kichenok and Mate Pavic, who defeated Xu Yifan and Joran Vliegen 6-4, 6-7(9), 6-3 in the final. Kichenok picked up her first Grand Slam title with the victory.

What are the ranking points and prize money on offer in the singles main draw?

First round: 10 points | £60,000
Second round: 70 points | £93,000
Third round: 130 points | £143,000
Round of 16: 240 points | £226,000
Quarterfinals: 430 points | £375,000
Semifinals: 780 points | £715,000
Finalist: 1300 points | £1,400,000
Champion: 2000 points | £2,700,000

Who is playing?

Former Wimbledon champions in the field are Angelique Kerber (2018), Elena Rybakina (2022) and Marketa Vondrousova (2023).

Former World No.1 Kerber received one of the eight wild cards into the main draw. Like new mom Kerber, two other former World No.1 players who are coming back from maternity leave also received wild cards: Naomi Osaka and Caroline Wozniacki.

The 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu of Great Britain also received a wild card after missing last year's edition with injuries.

Additionally, former semifinalist Karolina Muchova will play her second event back on tour after a nine-month injury hiatus. Muchova is entered via her protected ranking.

Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova will be one notable absence this year. Kvitova, who won the title in 2011 and 2014, is pregnant and on maternity leave.

Top 16 seeds:

1. Iga Swiatek
Age: 23
Career singles titles: 22 (5 this year)
2024 tour-level win-loss record: 43-4
Best Wimbledon result: Quarterfinals (2023)
Last Wimbledon result: Quarterfinals (2023)

2. Coco Gauff
Age: 20
Career singles titles: 7 (1 this year)
2024 tour-level win-loss record: 32-10
Best Wimbledon result: Round of 16 (2019, 2021)
Last Wimbledon result: First round (2023)

3. Aryna Sabalenka
Age: 26
Career singles titles: 14 (1 this year)
2024 tour-level win-loss record: 30-9
Best Wimbledon result: Semifinals (2021, 2023)
Last Wimbledon result: Semifinals (2023)

4. Elena Rybakina
Age: 25
Career singles titles: 8 (3 this year)
2024 tour-level win-loss record: 35-7
Best Wimbledon result: Champion (2022)
Last Wimbledon result: Quarterfinals (2023)

5. Jessica Pegula
Age: 30
Career singles titles: 5 (1 this year)
2024 tour-level win-loss record: 17-8
Best Wimbledon result: Quarterfinals (2023)
Last Wimbledon result: Quarterfinals (2023)

6. Marketa Vondrousova
Age: 24
Career singles titles: 2
2024 tour-level win-loss record: 16-10
Best Wimbledon result: Champion (2023)
Last Wimbledon result: Champion (2023)

7. Jasmine Paolini
Age: 28
Career singles titles: 2 (1 this year)
2024 tour-level win-loss record: 24-12
Best Wimbledon result: First round (2021, 2022, 2023)
Last Wimbledon result: First round (2023)

8. Zheng Qinwen
Age: 21
Career singles titles: 2
2024 tour-level win-loss record: 19-11
Best Wimbledon result: Third round (2022)
Last Wimbledon result: First round (2023)

9. Maria Sakkari
Age: 28
Career singles titles: 2
2024 tour-level win-loss record: 19-12
Best Wimbledon result: Third round (2017, 2019, 2022)
Last Wimbledon result: First round (2023)

10. Ons Jabeur
Age: 29
Career singles titles: 5
2024 tour-level win-loss record: 14-12
Best Wimbledon result: Finalist (2022, 2023)
Last Wimbledon result: Finalist (2023)

11. Danielle Collins
Age: 30
Career singles titles: 4 (2 this year)
2024 tour-level win-loss record: 32-11
Best Wimbledon result: Third round (2019)
Last Wimbledon result: Second round (2023)

12. Madison Keys
Age: 29
Career singles titles: 8 (1 this year)
2024 tour-level win-loss record: 18-7
Best Wimbledon result: Quarterfinals (2015, 2023)
Last Wimbledon result: Quarterfinals (2023)

13. Jelena Ostapenko
Age: 27
Career singles titles: 8 (2 this year)
2024 tour-level win-loss record: 24-12
Best Wimbledon result: Semifinals (2018)
Last Wimbledon result: Second round (2023)

14. Daria Kasatkina
Age: 27
Career singles titles: 7 (1 this year)
2024 tour-level win-loss record: 26-13
Best Wimbledon result: Quarterfinals (2018)
Last Wimbledon result: Third round (2023)

15. Liudmila Samsonova
Age: 25
Career singles titles: 5 (1 this year)
2024 tour-level win-loss record: 16-15
Best Wimbledon result: Round of 16 (2021)
Last Wimbledon result: First round (2023)

16. Victoria Azarenka
Age: 34
Career singles titles: 21
2024 tour-level win-loss record: 24-11
Best Wimbledon result: Semifinals (2011, 2012)
Last Wimbledon result: Round of 16 (2023)

Watch: Pegula saves five championship points to win Berlin

How has this year's grass-court swing played out so far?

Here's a look at the champions and finalists from this year's Hologic WTA Tour grass-court events to date:

's-Hertogenbosch (WTA 250): Liudmila Samsonova d. Bianca Andreescu
Nottingham (WTA 250): Katie Boulter d. Karolina Pliskova

Berlin (WTA 500): Jessica Pegula d. Anna Kalinskaya
Birmingham (WTA 250): Yulia Putintseva d. Ajla Tomljanovic

Bad Homburg (WTA 500): Diana Shnaider d. Donna Vekic
Eastbourne (WTA 500): Daria Kasatkina d. Leylah Fernandez