The Dark Horses of Wimbledon: A Look Ahead
The British edition of the Daily Express spotlighted a list titled The dark horses of Wimbledon, featuring Russian tennis player Ekaterina Alexandrova.
The piece notes that while the Russian competitor has toppled several formidable rivals, she remains one of Wimbledon’s more tentative contenders, despite clinching three WTA titles the previous season. Alexandrova sits at world No. 21 and has yet to advance beyond the second round at Wimbledon. Still, the publication suggests this could be the year her grass-court influence grows at the All England Club.
Alongside Alexandrova, the Daily Express list also included rising star Holger Rune, British player Cameron Norrie, and Czech player Barbora Krejčíková as notable dark horses to watch at the championships.
In the current Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings, the Russian holds the 21st position with 1,915 points. At the top, Polish star Iga Świątek leads with 8,940 points, followed by Belarusian Aryna Sabalenko with 8,066 points. Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina sits third with 5,090 points, rounding out the upper tier of the list.
The Wimbledon Championships are scheduled to begin on July 3 and run through July 16 this year, inviting a global audience to witness elite grass-court tennis on the famed venue’s courts.
Reflecting on past champions, Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan claimed the Wimbledon crown in 2022 for the women, while Novak Djokovic of Serbia won the men’s title that year, continuing his enduring impact on the tournament’s history.
In related sports news, the Duma previously discussed public comments by a Polish tennis player regarding Russian media coverage, a topic that has sparked broader conversations about propaganda and national narratives across the sport.