Caroline Garcia’s path to Wimbledon promises to be very steep. The French No. 1, 23rd in the world, was in fact placed in the upper part of the table, the densest, with in particular the presence of Iga Swiatek. Opposed from the start to Anna Blikova (66th in the world), Garcia could find the Pole in the round of 16, in an ideal world. Swiatek will immediately challenge, as at the Australian Open this year, a former Grand Slam winner, Sofia Kenin (Australian Open 2020). It will also be cotton for Diane Parry, facing Naomi Osaka from the start.
The lines of force at the top of the table
The first half of the draw concentrates most of the strong lines of this British Major 2024. In addition to Swiatek, five-time Grand Slam winner, but who has never done better than a quarter-final at the All England last year, we find the surprising 2023 defending champion, Marketa Vondrousova (opposing the Spaniard Jessica Bouzas Maneiro) and the 2022 winner, Elena Rybakina (who inherits the Romanian qualifier, Elena-Gabriela Ruse, in the first round). If these two players had to leave the Berlin tournament prematurely last week, after a tough slide for the Czech and following a virus for the Kazakh, these two know how to set foot on grass.
In this part of the table, also appears the double finalist 2022 and 2023, Ons Jabeur. The Moroccan, also ill and withdrew after a set in the quarter-finals in Berlin against Coco Gauff, will cross paths with the Japanese Moyuka Uchijima for her debut in the tournament and could find Elina Svitolina in the 3rd round.
In the lower part, the world No. 3 and double finalist at Wimbledon (2021 and 2023), Aryna Sabalenka, also forced to withdraw in the quarter-finals in Berlin due to a painful shoulder, should experience a rather peaceful entry against to qualifier Emina Bektas. The American and world No. 2, Coco Gauff, recent semi-finalist in the German capital, but who has never done better than an eighth on the London turf, will open her tournament against her compatriot, Caroline Dolehide, who she mastered last January in the 2nd round of the Australian Open.
The French team’s draw: Garcia and Parry not served
As we have said, Garcia’s path will be bumpy from the start. Anna Blinkova knows the Lyonnaise having notably taken her out twice at Roland-Garros in 2019 and 2023. In addition, Garcia arrives at the All England without competition on the grass beforehand, after having had to review her plans and spare a right shoulder still delicate. For Diane Parry (53rd), the road rises sharply straight away too, with Naomi Osaka on the coat, even if the Frenchwoman’s sliced backhand can really annoy the Japanese and quadruple Grand Slam winner, who has not never got past the third round at Wimbledon.
Eighth finalist at Roland-Garros, Varvara Gracheva (68th) will launch her tournament against the Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko, while Clara Burel (43rd) and Océane Dodin (80th) inherited, on paper, a more lenient draw , with two qualified to open their big British ball, respectively the German Eva Lys and the Ukrainian Daria Snigur.
