Elena Rybakina handed very difficult projected path to defending Wimbledon title
Elena Rybakina might face a very tricky path to defending her Wimbledon title. Rybakina, seeded at No 3, will start her Wimbledon campaign against 46th-ranked Shelby Rogers, who beat her on the grass courts of ‘s-Hertogenbosch last year.In the Wimbledon second round, Rybakina will likely play against Alize Cornet, who famously upset world No 1 Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon last year.
After meeting two unseeded players, Rybakina is projected to face a seeded player for the first time in the third round – No 27 seed Bernarda Pera.In the Wimbledon round-of-16, Rybakina might face No 13 seed Beatriz Haddad Maia or 17th-seeded Jelena Ostapenko.
In the Wimbledon quarterfinal, Rybakina could face off against 2022 Wimbledon runner-up Ons Jabeur or even two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova.Since second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka landed in Rybakina’s part of the draw, we could see a rematch of this year’s Australian Open final in the Wimbledon semifinal stage.
If Rybakina reaches the Wimbledon final, she could very easily meet top-seeded Swiatek but also Jessica Pegula, Cori Gauff and Caroline Garcia.
How fit is Rybakina for Wimbledon?
After suffering a surprise Berlin round-of-16 loss, Rybakina revealed she was still hampered by a virus infection sustained during the French Open.Rybakina was scheduled to play in Eastbourne this week but she withdrew at the last moment.“Unfortunately, I have to withdraw here in Eastbourne today.
I am still recovering from the virus I had in Paris and after Roland Garros it was really tough. I also picked up another small issue in Berlin. So my team and I decided it would be better to recover this week and prepare for Wimbledon.
I wish the tournament here in Eastbourne a great week and I hope I can be back next year,” Rybakina said in a statement this week.It will be interesting to see well will Rybakina feel once Wimbledon starts.
