2019 WIMBLEDON – WOMEN’S PREVIEW NOTES LONDON, GBR – JULY 1-JULY 14, 2019 – GRAND SLAM TOURNAMENT Tournament Information: www.wimbledon.com | @wimbledon | facebook.com/Wimbledon WTA Information: www.wtatennis.com | @WTA | facebook.com/WTA WTA Communications: Alex Prior ([email protected]), Chris Whitmore ([email protected]), Chase Altieri ([email protected]) This is the 133rd Wimbledon Championships. The event was first held in 1877, with the first women’s singles championship being staged in 1884. This is the 126th staging of the Wimbledon women’s singles championship and the 52nd of the Open Era, which began in 1968 and saw the introduction of prize money. SINGLES PRIZE MONEY & RANKING POINTS PRIZE RANKING ROUND MONEY (£) POINTS Winner 2,350,000 2000 Runner-Up 1,175,000 1300 Semifinalists 588,000 780 Quarterfinalists 294,000 430 Round of 16 (4r) 176,000 240 Round of 32 (3r) 111,000 130 Round of 64 (2r) 72,000 70 Round of 128 (1r) 45,000 10 PORSCHE RACE TO SHENZHEN The 2019 edition of the WTA’s Race to Shenzhen (RTS) will travel through 29 countries with 55 events, plus the four Grand Slam tournaments. Last October, the WTA Finals Global were held in Singapore for the fifth and final time, with Elina Svitolina defeating Sloane Stephens to lift the Billie Jean King Trophy. The team of Timea Babos and Kristina Mladenovic took home the Martina Navratilova WTA Finals Doubles Trophy. This year’s event is the first of a 10-year residency in the tournament’s new home, Shenzhen, and takes place October 29 – November 3, 2019. Here are the RTS standings as at Monday June 24, 2019: SINGLES DOUBLES RANK PLAYER RANK TEAM 1 Ashleigh Barty (AUS) 1 Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) / Timea Babos (HUN) 2 Petra Kvitova (CZE) 2 Samantha Stosur (AUS) / Zhang Shuai (CHN) 3 Karolina Pliskova (CZE) 3 Barbora Strycova (CZE) / Hsieh Su-Wei (TPE) 4 Naomi Osaka (JPN) 4 Elise Mertens (BEL) / Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) 5 Kiki Bertens (NED) 5 Latisha Chan (TPE) / Chan Hao-Ching (TPE) 6 Belinda Bencic (SUI) 6 Xu Yifan (CHN) / Gabriela Dabrowski (CAN) 7 Marketa Vondrousova (CZE) 7 Barbora Krejcikova (CZE) / Katerina Siniakova (CZE) 8 Simona Halep (ROU) 8 Anna-Lena Groenefeld (GER) / Demi Schuurs (NED) 9 Johanna Konta (GBR) 9 Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) / Johanna Larsson (SWE) 10 Bianca Andreescu (CAN) 10 Victoria Azarenka (BLR) / Ashleigh Barty (AUS) Follow WTA on Twitter: www.twitter.com/WTA Facebook: www.facebook.com/WTA YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/WTA 1 2019 WIMBLEDON – WOMEN’S PREVIEW NOTES LONDON, GBR – JULY 1-JULY 14, 2019 – GRAND SLAM TOURNAMENT THE 2019 GRASS COURT STORY SO FAR TOURNAMENT CHAMPION RUNNER-UP SEMIFINALISTS Jennifer Brady (USA), Nottingham Caroline Garcia (FRA) Donna Vekic (CRO) Tatjana Maria (GER) Elena Rybakina (KAZ), ‘s-Hertogenbosch Alison Riske (USA) Kiki Bertens (NED) Veronika Kudermetova (RUS) Petra Martic (CRO), Birmingham Ashleigh Barty (AUS) Julia Goerges (GER) Barbora Strycova (CZE) Angelique Kerber (GER), Mallorca Sofia Kenin (USA) Belinda Bencic (SUI) Anastasija Sevastova (LAT) Ons Jabeur (TUN), Angelique Kerber (GER), Eastbourne TBD TBD Kiki Bertens (NED), Karolina Pliskova (CZE) SEEDED FOR FIRST TIME AT A SLAM Amanda Anisimova (USA) – No.25 (fifth Grand Slam MD appearance) Sofia Kenin (USA) – No.27 (10th Grand Slam MD appearance) Marketa Vondrousova (CZE) – No.16 (10th Grand Slam MD appearance) MAIN DRAW SINGLES WITHDRAWALS The following players have withdrawn from Wimbledon: Bianca Andreescu (CAN) – continuing right shoulder injury Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) – left Achilles injury Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) – continuing left ankle injury Evgeniya Rodina (RUS) – right elbow injury CoCo Vandeweghe (USA) – continuing right ankle injury Vera Zvonareva (RUS) – left wrist injury WTA SPECIAL RANKINGS The following players are using a Special Ranking to gain entry into Wimbledon: Anna-Lena Friedsam (GER) – No.50 Shelby Rogers (USA) – No.81 Follow WTA on Twitter: www.twitter.com/WTA Facebook: www.facebook.com/WTA YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/WTA 2 2019 WIMBLEDON – WOMEN’S PREVIEW NOTES LONDON, GBR – JULY 1-JULY 14, 2019 – GRAND SLAM TOURNAMENT 2019 WIMBLEDON WILDCARDS The All England Club has awarded three singles wildcards this year: Harriet Dart (GBR), Monica Niculescu (ROU) and Katie Swan (GBR). The best result by a wildcard at a Grand Slam was achieved by Kim Clijsters, who won the 2009 US Open title. Best Results by a Wildcard at ... Best Results by a Wildcard at... Round Year Round Grand Slam Wimbledon All Grand Slams Sabine Lisicki (GER) SF 2011 Kim Clijsters Won 2009 US Open Zheng Jie (CHN)* SF 2008 Justine Henin R-Up 2010 Australian Open Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) 4r 2012 Zheng Jie* SF 2008 Wimbledon Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) 4r 2006 Sabine Lisicki SF 2011 Wimbledon Maria Sharapova (RUS) 4r 2003 Jelena Dokic QF 2009 Australian Open Samantha Smith (GBR) 4r 1998 Martina Hingis QF 2006 Australian Open Anne Smith (USA) 4r 1985 Mary Pierce QF 2002 Roland Garros Zina Garrison (USA) 4r 1982 *Zheng Jie became first WC to advance to SF at a Grand Slam (since joined by Clijsters, Henin and Lisicki) QUALIFIERS AT GRAND SLAMS & WIMBLEDON In 2010, Estonian Kaia Kanepi became the sixth qualifier in the Open Era to reach Wimbledon QF. The best result by a qualifier at Wimbledon came in 1999 when Alexandra Stevenson advanced to SF (equaling the best Open Era performance at any Slam – Christine Dorey also reached 1978 Australian Open SF as a qualifier). Best Results by a Qualifier at ... Best Results by a Qualifier at ... Round Year Round Grand Slam Wimbledon All Grand Slams Alexandra Stevenson (USA) SF 1999 Alexandra Stevenson (USA) SF 1999 Wimbledon Kaia Kanepi (EST) QF 2010 Christine Dorey (AUS) SF 1978 Australian Open Severine Beltrame-Bremond (FRA) QF 2006 Jelena Dokic (AUS) QF 1999 Molly Van Nostrand (USA) QF 1985 Carina Karlsson (SWE) QF 1984 Follow WTA on Twitter: www.twitter.com/WTA Facebook: www.facebook.com/WTA YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/WTA 3 2019 WIMBLEDON – WOMEN’S PREVIEW NOTES LONDON, GBR – JULY 1-JULY 14, 2019 – GRAND SLAM TOURNAMENT ACTIVE GRAND SLAM CHAMPIONS The 2019 season has already welcomed one new Grand Slam champion: Ashleigh Barty won her maiden Grand Slam singles title at Roland Garros in June, defeating Marketa Vondrousova in the final. There are 15 active Grand Slam champions, six of whom have lifted the trophy previously at Wimbledon: Angelique Kerber (2018), Garbiñe Muguruza (2017), Petra Kvitova (2011, 2014), Maria Sharapova (2004), Serena Williams (2002-03, 2009-10, 2012, 2015-16) and Venus Williams (2000-01, 2005, 2007-08). GRAND SLAM CHAMPIONS (ACTIVE PLAYERS) PLAYERS GS TITLES GRAND SLAM TITLES BREAKDOWN Australian Open: 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009-10, 2015, 2017; Roland Serena Williams 23 Garros: 2002, 2013, 2015; Wimbledon: 2002-03, 2009-10, 2012, 2015-16; US Open: 1999, 2002, 2008, 2012-14 Venus Williams 7 Wimbledon: 2000-01, 2005, 2007-08; US Open: 2000-01 Australian Open: 2008; Roland Garros: 2012, 2014; Wimbledon: Maria Sharapova 5 2004; US Open: 2006 Angelique Kerber 3 Australian Open: 2016; US Open: 2016 Wimbledon: 2018 Victoria Azarenka 2 Australian Open: 2012-13 Svetlana Kuznetsova 2 Roland Garros: 2009; US Open: 2004 Petra Kvitova 2 Wimbledon: 2011, 2014 Garbiñe Muguruza 2 Roland Garros: 2016; Wimbledon: 2017 Naomi Osaka 2 US Open: 2018; Australian Open: 2019 Ashleigh Barty 1 Roland Garros: 2019 Simona Halep 1 Roland Garros: 2018 Jelena Ostapenko 1 Roland Garros: 2017 Sloane Stephens 1 US Open: 2017 Samantha Stosur 1 US Open: 2011 Caroline Wozniacki 1 Australian Open: 2018 In addition, four other players in this year’s Wimbledon main draw have contested at least one Grand Slam final in their careers: Eugenie Bouchard (2014 Wimbledon), Madison Keys (2017 US Open), Karolina Pliskova (2016 US Open) and Marketa Vondrousova (2019 Roland Garros). Follow WTA on Twitter: www.twitter.com/WTA Facebook: www.facebook.com/WTA YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/WTA 4 2019 WIMBLEDON – WOMEN’S PREVIEW NOTES LONDON, GBR – JULY 1-JULY 14, 2019 – GRAND SLAM TOURNAMENT MOST GRAND SLAM SINGLES FINAL APPEARANCES A total of 24 active players have reached a Grand Slam singles final. PLAYER TOTAL TITLES WON RUNNER-UP FINISHES Serena Williams 31 23 Wins 8 Runner-Ups Australian Open (03, 05, 07, 09, 10, 15, 17) Australian Open (16) Roland Garros (02, 13, 15) Roland Garros (16) Wimbledon (02, 03, 09, 10, 12, 15) Wimbledon (04, 08, 18) US Open (99, 02, 08, 12, 13, 14, 16) US Open (01, 11, 18) Venus Williams 16 7 Wins 9 Runner-Ups Wimbledon (00, 01, 05, 07, 08) Australian Open (03, 17) US Open (00, 01) Roland Garros (02) Wimbledon (02, 03, 09, 17) US Open (97, 02) Maria Sharapova 10 5 Wins 5 Runner-Ups Australian Open (08) Australian Open (07, 12, 15) Roland Garros (12, 14) Roland Garros (13) Wimbledon (04) Wimbledon (11) US Open (06) Svetlana Kuznetsova 4 2 Wins 2 Runner-Ups Roland Garros (09) Roland Garros (06) US Open (04) US Open (07) Victoria Azarenka 4 2 Wins 2 Runner-Ups Australian Open (12, 13) US Open (12, 13) Simona Halep 4 1 Win 3 Runner-Ups Roland Garros (18) Australian Open (18) Roland Garros (14, 17) Angelique Kerber 4 3 Wins 1 Runner-Up Australian Open (16) Wimbledon (16) US Open (16) Wimbledon (18) Garbiñe Muguruza 3 2 Wins 1 Runner-Up Roland Garros (16) Wimbledon (15) Wimbledon (17) Caroline Wozniacki 3 1 Win 2 Runner-Ups Australian Open (18) US Open (09, 14) Petra Kvitova 3 2 Wins 1 Runner-Up Wimbledon (11, 14) Australian Open (19) Naomi Osaka 2 2 Wins Australian Open (19) US Open (18) Sloane Stephens 2 1 Win 1 Runner-Up US Open (17) Roland Garros (18) Samantha Stosur 2 1 Win 1 Runner-Up US Open