Wimbledon 2025: A new queen expected at the All England Club
Wimbledon will crown a new champion. After the exits of Krejcikova and Rybakina, the women’s tournament is more open than ever, with no former finalists still in contention.
25th June 2022, All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, England; Wimbledon Tennis tournament; The women’s singles trophy on display on centre court (Action Plus/Panoramic)
For the eighth consecutive year, Wimbledon will crown a new champion in the women’s draw. The last two champions remaining, Elena Rybakina (2022) and Barbora Krejcikova (2024), fell in the third round on Saturday, taking with them the last remaining markers of a draw that is now more open than ever. On the London grass, one thing is certain: a new chapter in history will be written at the end of the fortnight.
With the defeats of a large portion of the top seeds, no player still in contention has ever lifted the trophy at Wimbledon. Better still, this is the first time in the Open era that none of the players in the round of 16 have even been finalists in London.
SABALENKA FAVOURITE, BUT NOT ALONE
In this context, Aryna Sabalenka , world No 1 and the only player in her half of the draw to have won a Grand Slam (Australian Open 2023 and 2024 and US Open 2024), seems to see the ‘doors’ to the final open before her. Impressive in her control so far, the Belarusian looks a cut above the rest. She will meet Elise Mertens in the last 16, then potentially Amanda Anisimova in the semi-finals who could disturb her but nothing insurmountable for the one who dreams of a first title here in London.
FIERCE BATTLE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE draw
The other half of the field is much denser. It includes 18-year-old Russian prodigy Mirra Andreeva , four-time Roland Garros winner Iga Swiatek , and the rising star Emma Navarro . Navarro just eliminated Krejcikova and will be directly in the Russian’s path.
Lying in wait are Liudmila Samsonova and Ekaterina Alexandrova , two other Russian players who are on a string of lightning victories. Both have not dropped a single set and could cross paths with Andreeva and Swiatek in the quarterfinals.
A TOTALLY UNPREDICTABLE EDITION
The absence of a past champion, the many surprises of the first week, and the freshness of the qualified faces transform this 2025 Wimbledon into an open tournament. The spectacle is huge, and the suspense is at its peak. The last time London saw a champion retain her title was Serena Williams in 2016. Since then, the crown has passed from hand to hand, and this year will be no exception.
Round of 16 – Players still in the running:
🇧🇾 Sabalenka (1)
🇷🇺 Andreeva (7)
🇵🇱 Swiatek (8)
🇺🇸 Navarro (10)
🇺🇸 Anisimova (13)
🇷🇺 Alexandrova (18)
🇷🇺 Samsonova (19)
🇩🇰 Tauson (23)
🇧🇪 Mertens (24)
🇨🇿 Noskova (30)
🇨🇭 Bencic
🇪🇸 Bouzas Maneiro
🇬🇧 Kartal
🇷🇺 Pavlyuchenkova
🇩🇪 Siegmund
🇦🇷 Sierra (LL)
Remember that name. The next winner will definitely be a newcomer.
