Wimbledon 2022: Iga Swiatek, four former champions lead entry list

LONDON: Following her dominant run on hard courts and clay, World No 1 Iga Swiatek will bring her attention to grass when Wimbledon 2022 begins here on June 27.

The 21-year-old Swiatek is currently on a 35-match winning streak, tied with Venus Williams for the longest this century. Her latest win culminated in a second title at French Open last week.

She heads the entry list for The Championships, where she was previously the girls' singles champion in 2019. Last year, Swiatek reached the fourth round of Wimbledon for the first time, falling in three sets to Ons Jabeur.

Four former Wimbledon winners also feature on the entry list: Petra Kvitova (2011, 2014), Garbi?e Muguruza (2017), Angelique Kerber (2018) and Simona Halep (2019).

Meanwhile, neither seven-time champion Serena Williams, currently ranked No 1223, nor five-time champion Venus Williams, currently ranked No.571, used their protected rankings to enter the tournament. However, 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin has entered via protected ranking. The American has not competed since Indian Wells in March due to an ankle injury, a WTA report said.

Twelve Grand Slam winners feature on the entry list in total. These include Naomi Osaka, Bianca Andreescu, Jelena Ostapenko, Barbora Krejcikova and Sloane Stephens. Reigning US Open champion Emma Raducanu will also return to the scene of her fourth-round breakthrough last year.

Coco Gauff, who fell to Swiatek in the Roland Garros final, is also scheduled to play. She reached the fourth round in both her previous appearances (2019 and 2021) at the All England.

Also on the entry list are two former Wimbledon finalists: 2014 runner-up Eugenie Bouchard, who has not competed since March 2021 due to shoulder surgery and who has entered via protected ranking, and last year's runner-up Karolina Pliskova.

Current players in the Top 10, Anett Kontaveit, Maria Sakkari, Ons Jabeur, Paula Badosa, Jessica Pegula and Danielle Collins, have also entered. IANS

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