Andy Schooler takes a statistical look at the main contenders for the ladies’ singles title at Wimbledon 2026.
Wimbledon 2026: Ladies Singles Outright Preview
World Number 1 Aryna Sabalenka started the year looking every inch the world number one but things started to go wrong during the claycourt season, which culminated in a shocking defeat to Diana Shnaider at Roland Garros – Sabalenka lost from a set and a double break up. A switch to the grass is yet to put things right, either.
Wimbledon 2026: Aryna Sabalenka
Odds: 3.4
World ranking (as of June 22): 1
Tournament history: SF-SF-SF-1R-1R-2R
Best Grand Slam performance: Winner, 4 times
Grasscourt form: SF Berlin
After having to really fight her way past wild card Nikola Bartunkova in Berlin, the Belarusian then lost the final set of her clash with Jessica Pegula 6-0. Such results form a wider trend of Sabalenka unbale to stem the tide when things start to go wrong with her game. Few hit the ball harder and so when she’s flowing, Sabalenka often looks unstoppable. However, she needs to adapt better to adversity and looks a cool favourite at a tournament she’s yet to make the final at.
Wimbledon 2026: Elena Rybakina
Odds: 4.15
World ranking: 2
Tournament history: 3R-SF-QF-W-4R
Best Grand Slam performance: Winner, Australian Open 2026, Wimbledon 2022
Grasscourt form: L16 Berlin, QF Queen’s Club
It’s now four years since Rybakina claimed her maiden Grand Slam title at the All England Club. Her serve played a key role in that success and it remains one of the best in the women’s game. It helped her add a second Slam to her CV earlier this tear at the Australian Open but her hopes of winning a third hang in the balance.
After a disappointing start to her grasscourt season (going 1-2), she withdrew from the event in Bad Homburg, citing a hip injury. It wouldn’t be the first time her body has let her down in the run-up to a Slam and, frankly, I’d want to know she’s OK before getting involved at a fairly short price.
Wimbledon 2026: Iga Swiatek
Odds: 6.0
World ranking: 3
Tournament history: W-3R-QF-3R-4R-1R
Best Grand Slam performance: Winner, 6 times
Grasscourt form: None (playing Bad Homburg this week)
The defending champion surprised even herself when winning this title 12 months ago – she prefers the slower courts of Roland Garros, where she’s won four times. But having worked on improving her footwork and being more aggressive in her play, the Pole conquered all. History is against a successful defence, though.
No-one has gone back-to-back since Serena Williams 10 years ago. Doesn’t arrive in sparkling form, either. Swiatek hasn’t won a title since last September, while she failed to make a final on her favourite clay surface this season. Perhaps she’ll be able to turn it on again – Swiatek hadn’t won for more than a year when she claimed the title in SW19 last year – but it’s hard to be confident about that being the case.
Wimbledon 2026: Mirra Andreeva
Odds: 6.1
World ranking: 5
Tournament history: QF-2R-4R
Best Grand Slam performance: Winner, French Open 2026
Grasscourt form: None (playing Bad Homburg this week)
Andreeva will head to Wimbledon still buzzing from her first Grand Slam title, won at last month’s French Open. However, only one player in the last 25 years (Naomi Osaka) has backed up their maiden Slam by winning the very next major. The Russian is yet to truly figure out the grass – she has not made a final on this surface so far in her career – although she is still only 19.
Her game continues to develop and there is plenty of court craft in it, which should bode well in SW19, as will having former Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez in her coaching box. Could go well but I’d want a bigger price before backing her.
Wimbledon 2026: Coco Gauff
Odds: 9.25
World ranking: 7
Tournament history: 1R-4R-1R-3R-4R-4R
Best Grand Slam performance: Winner, French Open 2025 & US Open 2023
Grasscourt form: L16 Berlin
Title-less so far this season, Gauff also arrives back at Wimbledon having lost her only grasscourt prep match in Berlin. She famously beat Venus Williams en route to the last 16 here as a 15-year-old but, seven years on, she’s yet to progress past that fourth-round stage. That’s something of a surprise, given her talent. However, she’s prone to serving issues and errors leaking from the forehand side – technical flaws that she’s yet to iron out. On the plus side, there are few better battlers on the WTA Tour and Gauff backers will know their pick won’t go down without a fight.
Wimbledon 2026: Best of the Rest
Emma Raducanu (18.0) first broke through at Wimbledon in 2021 and her game is well suited to grass. The former US Open champion, now back with Andrew Richardson who coached her to that title, produced a high level at the warm-up event at Queen’s Club where she reached the final. However, such a run will have increased expectations and dealing with the increased pressure of being the big home hope will be key.
Donna Vekic, the player who beat Raducanu in that final, warrants respect at 27.9. She won numerous titles on this surface in the past and reached the last four here in 2024.
Elina Svitolina (23.8) is often a player who appears underrated, although admittedly she is yet to reach a Grand Slam final. That could change here with Svitolina well versed in grasscourt tennis, while she arrives on the back of a fine claycourt campaign. An excellent defender, she has great control off low balls and has performed strongly here in the past, reaching the semis in 2023 and two other quarter-finals.
For someone at a huge price, consider Karolina Pliskova (100.0). The Czech, who reached the final here in 2021, has been returning to form this season. She holds an 18-8 record so far in 2026 and has already been racking up wins on the grass, a surface which helps her big first serve.
It took eventual champion Vekic to end her Queen’s run in the quarter-finals (in three sets), while the following week she reached the semis in Nottingham. Again, it took the eventual title winner, Marie Bouzkova, to stop her. With a bit of help from Friday’s draw, Pliskova could make some waves.
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