Five women to watch at Wimbledon

Marketa Vondrousova was described arsenic nan "most improbable Wimbledon champion" aft claiming past year's women's title.

Few predicted earlier nan Championships that nan unseeded Czech would spell connected to assistance nan trophy.

Guessing nan 2024 victor could beryllium difficult too, pinch nan tie appearing unfastened for nan grass-court Grand Slam.

BBC Sport looks astatine 5 cardinal players who could situation for nan coveted Venus Rosewater Dish.

It's been 5 years since five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams suffered a celebrated conclusion astatine nan hands of a 15-year-old Coco Gauff.

The triumph hurled Gauff - classed 313th astatine nan clip - into nan limelight and she went connected to person an unthinkable tally that year, reaching nan past 16.

She claimed a long-predicted first Grand Slam title astatine past year's US Open and arrives astatine SW19 this twelvemonth arsenic nan 2nd seed.

But Gauff has not been capable to amended her magical 2019 tally astatine Wimbledon, falling astatine nan first hurdle past twelvemonth to compatriot Sofia Kenin.

Former British subordinate Naomi Broady said: "Coco is simply a fighter. She is simply a Grand Slam champion now and she did that astatine location - that is astir apt nan toughest 1 for her to triumph pinch each nan expectations and pressure."

Just complete a twelvemonth ago, Ons Jabeur - dubbed nan 'Minister of Happiness' for her upbeat demeanour - walked disconnected Centre Court successful tears.

She entered her 2nd consecutive Wimbledon last arsenic nan overwhelming favourite but near again arsenic nan runner-up, crumbling nether unit successful a straight-set conclusion to Vondrousova.

This has been a difficult play for Jabeur, who has been struggling pinch shape and a niggling knee injury.

But she is ever a crowd favourite astatine nan All England Club and will beryllium hoping to make it 3rd clip fortunate should she make it to nan last this year.

"Ons is ever going to beryllium a favourite astatine Wimbledon - her crippled conscionable fits seamlessly connected nan grass," explained Broady.

"She almost wanted it excessively overmuch nan past 2 years. I don't needfully deliberation it was nan level of her tennis that stopped her becoming a Grand Slam champion."

Swiatek enters Wimbledon arsenic nan world number 1 but has landed a tricky tie and galore will put others up of her erstwhile assessing nan title favourites.

She enjoyed a sensational clay-court season, winning back-to-back WTA 1,000 titles successful Madrid and Rome earlier claiming her 3rd consecutive French Open.

Despite being a erstwhile inferior champion astatine Wimbledon, it remains nan only awesome wherever she has not gone beyond nan quarter-finals and she has ne'er won a grass-court title connected nan WTA Tour.

"I deliberation she tin beryllium vulnerable connected immoderate surface," Broady said.

"As we saw pinch Rafael Nadal, who had a akin business going connected pinch his titles astatine Roland Garros, pinch acquisition and successful nan years to travel she's really going to beryllium vulnerable location [at Wimbledon]."

Sabalenka proved successful January that she was nary 'one-Slam wonder'.

A 2nd consecutive Australian Open title, won without dropping a set, showed she had stamped retired nan inconsistencies that hampered her early career.

She has travel wrong rubbing region of a Wimbledon last successful her past 2 appearances, but fto gaffe a one-set lead against Karolina Pliskova and Jabeur successful 2021 and 2023 respectively.

Nicknamed 'The Tiger' because of a tattoo connected her near forearm, Sabalenka's big-hitting crippled is good suited to writer courts. However, location are mobility marks complete her fittingness - she retired injured for nan first clip successful her profession astatine nan Berlin Open earlier this period pinch a enarthrosis issue.

However, Broady thinks Sabalenka is "due her Wimbledon title".

"Sabalenka connected her shape and nan measurement she steps up to nan large moments, her intelligence toughness - I deliberation it mightiness beryllium Aryna's time," Broady said.

Expectations were precocious for Raducanu erstwhile she reached nan 4th information astatine Wimbledon arsenic an 18-year-old successful 2021.

They roseate moreover higher erstwhile she claimed an astonishing Grand Slam title astatine nan US Open conscionable a mates of months later.

But optimism astir Raducanu has wavered arsenic she has struggled to scope nan staggering heights of 3 years agone - not helped by an injury-plagued 2023 season.

But this is simply a summertime of "new starts" for Raducanu, who has put together a coagulated grass-court season, reaching nan semi-finals successful Nottingham and claiming her first top-10 triumph astatine Eastbourne.

"Emma won't beryllium a sanction anyone wants to spot adjacent to theirs," Broady said.

"She isn’t nan patient favourite to triumph each lucifer and I opportunity that arsenic a affirmative thing. I deliberation sometimes erstwhile you are much of nan underdog you tin play much freely."