Aryna Sabalenka heads the seedings and the betting at Wimbledon but even the Belarusian powerhouse would admit she is not the main topic of conversation going into the women's singles.
That honour is bestowed upon the Queen of the Centre Court, Serena Williams, the 44-year-old seven-time champion who is back at the third grand slam of the year for the first time since 2022.
Serena-mania is gripping the All England Club and it says much for the 23-time grand slam winner’s standing in the game that even after such a lengthy absence she goes off a 28/1 shot.
A Williams win would be a storyline for the ages and the crowds at Wimbledon will be willing her on – but a lot in the game has changed since she won the last of her 23 slams over nine years ago.
Selections
Jess to make a mess of Saba’s Wimbledon prospects
The women’s singles at Wimbledon has rarely looked this open with world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka the uneasy 3/1 favourite.
Her form is patchy at best, her form on grass far worse (this is the only slam in which she has never made the final) and plenty of others make greater appeal at more eye-catching prices.
Perhaps no one more so than US No.1 and fourth seed Jessica Pegula.
Pegula has a very good record on grass but not at Wimbledon though her game has come on leaps and bounds over the past 12 months and she looks to have the flat-hitting ammunition that will serve her well on slick courts.
She has taken a week off after reaching the final on grass in Hamburg – where she ‘bageled’ Sabalenka in the third set of their semi – and has a consistency which others cannot match.
Prime Donna to build on Queen’s breakthrough
Plenty of big names are under an injury cloud going into Wimbledon – among them Belinda Bencic, Iva Jovic and Emma Raducanu – but Donna Vekic looks good to go and feeling confident.
Vekic laid down her grass-court credentials for all to see at Queen’s where she saw off class acts like Marie Bouzkova and Katie Boulter before taking care of Raducanu in the final. All three wins were in straight sets.
That was the Croatian star’s sixth tour grass court final demonstrating a love for the surface few others share.
This could be Eala’s turn to land some big blows
One player from left field to think about might well be Alexandra Eala, who has sneaked into the seedings at 29 after some outstanding grass-court results.
She entered and won the Birmingham Open and took that form to Berlin where she stunned Donna Vekic, Elena Rybakina and Elina Svitolina to reach the semi-finals.
The Filipino is a leftie which makes her dangerous on grass and gives her serve – arguably her weakest weapon – a bit more threat.
