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Elena Rybakina

Front-Runners For Wimbledon 2024: Picks And Predictions

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Front-Runners for Wimbledon 2024: Picks and Predictions

The 2024 Wimbledon Championships are just around the corner, and tennis enthusiasts worldwide eagerly await the start of the prestigious tournament. The All England Lawn Tennis Club will host the event from July 1 to July 14, 2024. As the players prepare to face off on the iconic grass courts, several top contenders have emerged as front-runners for the coveted title.

Predictions

The competition is fierce in the Wimbledon 2024 Men’s category, with rising star Carlos Alcaraz leading the pack with odds at +175, closely trailed by the seasoned champion Novak Djokovic at +190. Meanwhile, Jannik Sinner is also considered a strong contender, with odds of +330, promising an intense showdown on the grass courts of Wimbledon.

The field is equally competitive on the Women’s side, with Aryna Sabalenka emerging as a frontrunner with odds at +300. Following closely behind is the talented Iga Swiatek at +350, with Elena Rybakina not far behind at +500, setting the stage for an exhilarating tournament filled with thrilling matches and unexpected outcomes.

Men’s Single Contenders

Carlos Alcaraz, the young Spanish prodigy, has already established himself as a force to be reckoned with. At just 21 years old, he boasts two Grand Slam titles (the 2022 US Open and the 2023 Wimbledon) and possesses a powerful baseline game with exceptional athleticism. 

His aggressive style, featuring a devastating forehand and incredible court coverage, allows him to turn defense into offense with lightning speed. Having conquered Wimbledon in 2023, his chances on the grass courts remain high.

Novak Djokovic, the undisputed king of grass with a record seven Wimbledon titles, cannot be easily dismissed.  His experience and mental fortitude are unmatched, making him a formidable opponent on any court. However, at 36, questions about his stamina and overall hunger for the sport linger. 

His playing style revolves around an all-court game, featuring a superb return of serve and exceptional tactical awareness. Djokovic’s ability to neutralize his opponent’s strengths and extend rallies has earned him countless victories. While his chances remain good, he must prove he can maintain his peak level throughout the tournament. Recent dips in form, particularly against younger players, raise concerns about his ability to reclaim his Wimbledon throne.

Jannik Sinner, the rising Italian star, is a player to watch. He recently claimed his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open 2024, showcasing his powerful one-handed backhand and a big serve. 

Sinner’s aggressive baseline game, combined with his ability to hit winners off both sides of the court, makes him a threat on any surface. While grass may not be his preferred surface, his recent success and powerful game make him a potential spoiler at Wimbledon.

Amidst the fervor of predictions and analyses, one cannot overlook the thrill of placing strategic bets on the front-runners of the tournament. For those looking place their wagers on the event, utilizing a Fanduel Promo Code can provide enticing opportunities to engage with the action and potentially reap the rewards while backing their favorite players.

Women’s Single Contenders

Aryna Sabalenka, the current Australian Open champion, possesses a powerful and aggressive game. Her booming serve and explosive groundstrokes can overpower opponents. However, her game can also be prone to unforced errors, especially when emotions run high.

Despite this, Sabalenka has improved her mental fortitude, reaching the Wimbledon semifinals in 2021. Her ability to control her powerful game on the faster grass courts will be a key factor in her Wimbledon success.

With her relentless baseline game, Iga Swiatek, the world number one and reigning French Open champion, thrives on clay courts. Swiatek’s powerful topspin forehand and exceptional athleticism allow her to dominate rallies. 

While her success on grass hasn’t been as consistent, she has proven her adaptability by winning the 2022 US Open on hard courts. If Swiatek can adjust her baseline game to the faster surface and improve her volleying skills, she could be a serious threat at Wimbledon.

Elena Rybakina, the defending Wimbledon champion, boasts a big serve and a powerful one-handed backhand. Her aggressive style allows her to take control of matches with her winners.  Having already conquered Wimbledon in 2022, Rybakina has the experience and confidence to thrive on the grass courts.

However, injuries have hampered her consistency throughout 2023. Maintaining her fitness and replicating her 2022 form will be crucial for Rybakina to retain her Wimbledon title.

Final Thoughts

As the anticipation builds for the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, the tennis world finds itself on the brink of another thrilling tournament. With contenders like Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Aryna Sabalenka, and Iga Swiatek poised for greatness, the stage is set for an electrifying showcase of skill, determination, and sheer passion for the sport. Each player brings unique strengths and challenges to the grass courts of Wimbledon, promising a spectacle of epic proportions.

Marketa Vondrousova

Danielle Collins Is The Queen of the Miami Open

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Miami, Florida buzzed with excitement as the Miami Open started to draw to a close with one women’s name standing out: Danielle Collins.

With a fiery determination and unparalleled grit, Collins, a life-long Floridian and playing in the final year of pro tennis, had captivated audiences throughout the tournament, and now, she stood on the brink of the biggest title of her career.

The final match was a showdown of big-hitting competitors, pitting Collins against former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, who was recovering from a bad flu from earlier in the month that forced her out of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. The tension was palpable, particularly in the final game of the match when both players went back and forth from match point to break point with Collins leading 7-5, 5-3. With a final thunderous backhand winner, she clinched the championship title, igniting a deafening roar from the crowd. For Collins, the victory was more than just a trophy to add to her collection—it was the culmination of years of hard work, sacrifice, and unyielding dedication. As she lifted the Miami Open trophy high above her head, a smile of pure joy illuminated her face, a testament to the sweet taste of success.But amidst the celebrations and adulation, Collins remained humble, acknowledging the support of her team, her fans, and the countless individuals who had helped her along the way, including in particular the WTA Tour training staff and the Miami Open security detail, which is not often cited in post-tournament victory speeches.

Ranked No. 53 but ranked as high as No. xx, Collins is the lowest-ranked woman to win the Miami Open. While on paper she was a long-shot winner, Collins has been in a consistent Top 20 player for most of her career. She was the runner-up at the Australian Open in 2022, falling to Ash Barty of Australia, and made her mark on pro tennis from the first time she had an opportunity to be on the big stage, taking a set from Wimbledon champion Simona Halep in the first round of the U.S. Open after she won her first of two NCAA singles title for the University of Virginia.

From the sun-drenched courts of St. Petersburg, Florida, to the grand stages of Wimbledon and beyond, Danielle Collins’ tennis career is a testament to the power of tenacity and the pursuit of excellence against all odds. Born on December 13, 1993, Danielle’s passion for tennis ignited at an early age. Introduced to the sport by her parents, she quickly displayed a natural aptitude and love for the game. As she honed her skills on the local courts, it became evident that she possessed a rare combination of athleticism, determination, and mental fortitude. Speaking to Tennis Channel, she discussed traveling week after week as a junior player on Greyhound buses and Amtrak trains. Collins’ journey to the upper echelons of professional tennis was not without its challenges. Despite her talent, she faced adversity early on, enduring injuries and setbacks that would have deterred lesser competitors. But for Collins, every obstacle was met with a steely resolve to overcome and persevere.

Her breakthrough came during her collegiate career at the University of Virginia, where she captured the NCAA singles title not once, but twice, in 2014 and 2016. Her dominant performances on the college circuit showcased her fierce competitiveness and set the stage for her transition to the professional ranks. Since turning professional, Collins has continued to defy expectations and make her mark on the international tennis scene. Known for her powerful groundstrokes, relentless aggression, and unwavering mental toughness, she has earned the respect of fans and peers alike with her fearless style of play.

Ironically, one of her first early successes in pro tennis was reaching the Miami Open semifinal in 2018, upsetting Venus Williams in the quarterfinals. One of the defining moments of Collins’ career came in 2022 when she reached the finals of the Australian Open, stunning the tennis world with her remarkable run.

Danielle Collins (Photo by Justin Cohen Photography)

Watch Out For These Promising Tennis Stars

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Watch Out for These Promising Stars in the World of Tennis

In tennis, most of the world is hyper-focused on the big three that have dominated thousands of courts worldwide. Namely, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic have attained several and often back-to-back Grand Slam records.

However, everyone knows that the sport gives the best potential to the newer generations. While the big three are at the top of their careers, the young bloods are showing potential to be in the same place as them or even higher. In this article, we will look at the top rising athletes in tennis; read more below and check which of them is the most promising.

Holger Rune – Denmark

Holger Rune is one of the noticeable athletes from online sports betting boards to new media outlets. At just 20 years old, he is already ranked as the number 7 best tennis player in the world. 

Just a year before, he had consecutively won ATP titles and came close to a grand slam win back in the French Open quarterfinals. This year, we expect him to play the extra mile at the year’s end and be on the top of the upcoming 2024 leagues.

He could just well be one of the fastest-rising tennis athletes out of the rest. Still, given his young stature, there’s so much we have yet to see from Holger, especially on his upcoming performances for the last remaining leg of the ATP World Championship.

Lorenzo Musetti – Italy

This Italian youngblood has shown promise of potential in 2021, which did not disappoint fans, especially on his 2022 run. At the ripe age of 21, Lorenzo Musetti has achieved two ATP titles and has risen to higher ranks against other older, more experienced professionals.

In 2023, we saw more from Musetti and finished with a solid 18th place in the leaderboards. Unfortunately, he could not get a second win at the Monte Carlo Masters but amassed an impressive number of fans from his satisfying win against Novak Djokovic.

And just like Rune, Musetti is a youngblood with much to prove for himself. He may not have the ability to get grand slams right now, but he has the potential for it in the coming years.

Jack Draper- England

The British have some of the most enthusiastic sports fans, and tennis is no exception. So, for young Jack Draper to come across professionals rapidly, the pressure to do great and surpass expectations can be tremendous.

Fortunately, Jack seems to fare well in this pressure as he has made his name known during the recent ATP tour. His sheer gameplay upped his rank several times, with the closest record being the 38th-best tennis player worldwide.

Although he has yet to grab some significant ATP titles, Draper has shown to have the right potential with the proper guidance and time. After all, he has played and won against players ranking in the top 25 numerous times. In short, give him time, and he’ll do great.

Zheng Qinwen- China

Qinwen was a decorated player at a young age. In 2022, she was regarded as the WTA Newcomer of the Year with her fast-paced rise to the global rankings. She was placing herself in the 25th place in 2022 and going up to the 24th by 2023.

Zheng Qinwen’s other noticeable feats are her reasonable attempts at last year’s Grand Slam tournaments. I earned a second-round finish in the Australian Open, a fourth-round finish at the French Open, and a third-round achievement at Wimbledon and the US Open.

Since starting her professional career, Zheng Qinwen has rapidly climbed the WTA ladders. Surprising many fans, she is deemed rich in potential and a powerhouse in her respective field.

Elena Rybakina- Kazakhstan

Elena Rybakina might just stand out in tennis. But remember, she is 24 and already making rounds as a high-ranking player in the singles category and the first Kazakhstani to reach the world’s top 10 best players.

Currently sitting as the 7th best, she is a well-respected individual not in her home country of Kazakhstan. As for her recent matches, she’s still defending her Wimbledon title and has reached new heights in the Australian Open and French Open quarterfinals.

Alycia Parks- USA

Park jump-started his career in 2022 as his breakout year and was regarded as skilled and agile as legendary Serena Williams. She broke speed serving records at her budding age and rapidly moved up the ranks between 2022 and 2023 into the WTA’s top 50.

She is currently ranked as the 56th-best player. But if she could keep up the momentum and use it as leverage, she might pierce through the top 50 and even get more accolades.

Final Thoughts

In their early twenties, these athletes have broken records and surpassed what the legends could ever achieve. With the young top-ranked players overtaking the seasoned veterans individually, time could only tell which players earned the title as the number 1 best.

Fortunately, the athletes mentioned are just a few of the hundreds more in the sport. And some may have even earned Grand Slam accolades that we don’t know yet. Nevertheless, stay tuned for more news and watch for these rising potentials.

Petra Kvitova Pads Hall of Fame Career With Miami Open Title

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Petra Kvitova padded what is likely a Hall of Fame career with one of the biggest titles of her career, the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium.

The 33-year-old Czech defeated Elena Rybakina 7-6 (16-14), 6-2 in the final to pick her 30th career singles title that goes along with her two Wimbledon titles from 2011 and 2014. Those titles, combined with a runner-up showing at the Australian Open in 2019, her career high No. 2 ranking, six Fed Cup (now Billie Jean King Cup) titles, Olympic bronze medal in singles from 2016 and Kvitova is likely to have her name engraved in the hallowed halls of the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island.

To boot, Kvitova’s amazing comeback to tennis after a horrific home invasion attack that severely damaged her hand, is, described by a tennis commentator during her Miami Open run as one of the great sports comeback stories that deserves more respect and attention.

Kvitova’s longevity needs also to be respected. She first came on the scene at the 2009 U.S. Open with her first big win, upsetting top seed Dinara Safina and has been a major threat in tennis ever since.

Rybakina, the reigning Wimbledon champion, was attempting to win the “Sunshine Double” after winning the BNP Paribas Open title in Indian Wells, California two weeks ago.

Petra Kvitova with Miami Open trophy (Justin Cohen Photography)

Aryna Sabalenka, Once The Best Player To Not Reach A Major Quarterfinal, Wins The Australian Open

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By Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

Aryna Sabalenka used to be called the best player in tennis to have not reached a Grand Slam tournament quarterfinal.

Now she has the label of 2023 Australian Open women’s singles champion.

The hard-hitting and swinging player from Belarus shook off the tag as a talented but mentally unstable underachiever to defeat reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina 4-6, 6-3, 6-4  to win her breakthrough first major singles title.

Despite being ranked No. 2 in the world in 2021 in her fifth year of WTA Tour level pro tennis, Sabalenka did not reach her first major QUARTERFINAL until Wimbledon in 2021, where she reached the semifinals, losing to Karolina Pliskova by a narrow 6-4 in the third set margin. She then, subsequently reached two more semifinals at the U.S. Open in 2021 and 2022, losing both again in very disappointing circumstances, in 2021 as the No. 2 seed to unseeded Leylah Fernandez 6-4 in the third set, and in 2022 to No. 1 seed Iga Swiatek, losing the last four games of the game to also lose by the same 6-4 in the third set scoreline.

Her run this year in Australia moved her into a major final for the first time and, despite losing the first set to Rybakina, was able to persist to join the elite company in pro tennis as a winner of a major championship.

Sabalenka recent mental struggles on the court were highlighted by her numerous double-faults, 428 during the 2022 WTA season. Her mind was so unconfident of her serve that she even resulted at times to serve underhanded. Not surprisingly, she sought out the help of psychologists for mental health to get her through her troubles, but ultimately realized that she had to endure for herself.

Sabalenka showed these nerves in the first set of her final with Rybakina, hitting five double faults and winning only four points on her second serve in the first set. In the final set, she needed four match points to close to Rybakina, blowing her first match point with….a double fault.

Rybakina was looking at add to her legacy by notching a second major singles title after her unexpected win at Wimbledon last summer. Despite winning at the All England Club, the soft-spoken Russian-born player who represents Kazakhstan, was not accorded with the usual fanfare that a Wimbledon champion normally receives. She did not receive much of a marketing push by those in her camp and from the WTA and was often assigned to secondary courts by tournament organizers. In Australia, she began the tournament playing the last match of the opening day on Court 13, a slight that Rybakina used as motivation toward her run to the final, that included an upset over world No. 1 Iga Swiatek when finally assigned to play a match in the Rod Laver Arena main stadium.

Aryna Sabalenka

Elena Rybakina, A Russian Playing For Kazakhstan, Wins The Wimbledon Banned For Russians

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By Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

In the year where Russian and Belarussian players were banned from competing at Wimbledon due to the Ukraine war, a player born, raised and residing in Moscow, Russia, ironically, won the women’s singles title.

Elena Rybakina, a Russian who represents the former Soviet Republic of Kazakhstan, became one of Wimbledon’s most unlikely champions with a 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 win over Ons Jabeur of Tunisia in the women’s singles final. Rybakina started the tournament seeded No. 17, ranked No. 23 and a 100-to-one favorite to win the championship but emerged from chaotic and upset-riddled women’s draw to be, arguably, the most unlikely women’s champion ever at the All England Club. The only lower-ranked women’s champion was Venus Williams, who won the 2007 title while ranked No. 31, but she was already a three-time Wimbledon champion and former world No. 1. Rybakina has only won two WTA titles before her Wimbledon win, had never previously been passed the quarterfinals of a major and only played Wimbledon one previous time. She had shown her potential in beating Serena Williams at the 2021 French Open and finishing in fourth place at the Tokyo Olympics in the summer of 2021.

Rybakina has represented Kazakhstan since 2018, turning to the Central Asian nation located between Russia and China when the Russian Tennis Federation failed to support her. She is the first player to represent Kazakhstan to win a major singles title.

“Many Russians will take glee in the fact that in the year when much was made of the ban of Russian and Belarussian players, someone who was born in Moscow and Russians claim as one their own still (won) even though they didn’t give her the support that she was seeking,” said Chris Fowler on the ESPN television broadcast of the final. “She made a tactical career decision that worked out brilliantly for her.”

Despite the connection with Russia, which has been shunned by most of the world due to their invasion on Ukraine, Rybakina was not treated harshly by fans during her run to the title.

“She was given a very warm treatment by the fans, not just today, but throughout her matches and that wasn’t a given,” said Fowler on ESPN. “It’s a very uneasy, I would say aggressive mutual dislike between the governments of the United Kingdom and Vladimir Putin, but she was not given bad treatment. There wasn’t any indication of that at all.”

Wimbledon, controversially, banned Russian and Belarussian fans from competing at Wimbledon this year, not wanting to award the Russian dictator Putin any propaganda victories. The ATP and WTA Tours, in response to be fair to all players, withdrew ranking points for the event. Winning Wimbledon without ranking points prevents Rybakina from improving her No. 23 ranking. She likely would have cracked the top 10 in the WTA rankings had points been awarded.

Heading into the final, much of the media and fan hype focused on the popular and charismatic Jabeur, the No. 2 seed from Tunisia, who was seeking to become the first Arab woman to win a major tournament. While many predicted a Jabeur victory that would catapult even more interest in tennis in the Arab world, especially among women, it was the shy and reserved Rybakina who ended up being the trailblazing champion as the first major singles winner for her country.

“Everybody knows Ons’ story and everybody respects what she’s doing for the Arab world and African world and that she’s become sort of the spearhead for giving girls more opportunities in that part of the world,” said former Wimbledon champion Chris Evert on ESPN. “But nobody really knows (Elena’s) story as much. She hasn’t been on the center stage. She hasn’t been on TV a lot. She hasn’t been written a lot about a lot and she’s so quiet and introverted that we don’t really know her personality, but we’re going get to know her personality, because she’s going be doing a lot of press and she’s going be out there for the world to see. And, she’s going to  come out of her shell.”

Rybakina was almost emotionless when she clinched the title, Pam Shriver on ESPN calling it “the most subdued reaction in the history of Wimbledon” as she compared it to winning a first round match at the Wimbledon warm-up event in Birmingham, England.

Jabeur seemed poised to secure her spot in history by winning four straight games to take 4-1 lead in the first set before closing it out 6-3. However, Rybakina began to connect with her powerful first serve and groundstrokes to mostly dominant the final two sets. The turning point in the match came with Rybakina serving up a service break at 3-2 in the second set, but faced a 0-40 deficit. She was able to fight herself out of the deficit to hold serve for a 4-2 lead but breaking Jabeur again the next game and then serving out the match. “She just put her head down and went to work,” said Evert of the hold from 0-40 down. Said Fowler, “She may remember that escape the rest of her life.”

Rybakina became the first player to lose the first set in a Wimbledon final and go on to win in 15 years. It marked the sixth straight year in the women’s draw that the champion was a first time Wimbledon winner. The Rybakina vs. Jabeur final marked the first time that two first-time major finalists met for the title at the All England Club since 1962, when Karen Hantze Susman defeated Vera Sukova 6-4, 6-4

Elena Rybakina