Emma Raducanu’s US Open triumph shows women’s tennis has become a tough task to call… it’s now a wide-open fight to be the last one standing at Wimbledon
- Emma Raducanu won US Open despite her low ranking at Wimbledon last year
- Women’s tennis has become almost impossible to call and the race is wide open
- Iga Swiatek deserves to be the favourite at Wimbledon due to her world ranking
- But the likes of Raducanu, Coco Gauff and Serena Williams are all still around
Emma Raducanu’s US Open triumph as the then world No 150 is the prime example of how predicting women’s tennis has become a mug’s game.
Her victory was the spike in a growing trend which illustrates the difficulty in picking a female winner at this year’s Wimbledon.
More than five years have passed since Serena Williams won her last Grand Slam title, the Australian Open of 2017. In isolation that tells you how, even if fully fit and prepared, her chances of claiming a 24th would be less than nailed on.
Emma Raducanu’s US Open triumph shows just how unpredictable women’s tennis currently is
More than five years have passed since Serena Williams won her last Grand Slam title
There have been 20 majors since then, which have thrown up 13 different champions. Seven of those trophies belong to Naomi Osaka and Ash Barty.
The Japanese player has again pulled out of the grass season, while defending champion Barty has retired.
Two have been won by Poland’s Iga Swiatek, who is the one performer who currently stands out from the crowd.
The world No 1 and French Open champion has amassed a 44-3 record this season, but has not played on the grass after Roland Garros.
Even though this would not qualify as her favourite surface, she deserves to be the clear favourite on that basis.
It should also be remembered that she won junior Wimbledon in 2018, beating a 15-year-old Raducanu along the way.
Her superbly-timed groundstrokes, hit with a relatively short backswing, ought to be effective on the grass, but on a given day she should be vulnerable.
There is no clear challenger and Williams is still seventh favourite, despite not having played singles for a year and being 40 years old.
While the top 10 is historically weak at present, it can be argued that the depth in the women’s game is deeper than ever.
Wimbledon have taken the step this year of ramping up the price of tickets for the women’s final to £240, the same as the men’s. That is more a nod to the principle of equality than it is to market forces.
The tournament will be hoping that, come a week on Saturday, a Swiatek, Raducanu, Coco Gauff or Williams is still around.
Based on French Open victory and ranking, Iga Swiatek deserves to be Wimbledon favourite
Advertisement
