WIMBLEDON: As the sun rises above the All England Club, player’s make their final preparations for their first round matches at Wimbledon. 128 women will be battling it out for the ultimate prize on the grass. This year’s field will feature 15 grand slam champions with 24 players aged over 30 and seven teenagers.
Known for its unpredictability, the women’s draw is likely to throw up a few surprises and drama in what is a mouthwatering prospect for fans. With a lot of stake for many, here are the things to watch out for this year.
Who is defending the most points?
Seven out of the 16 seeds in this year’s draw are defending 10 or fewer points. Paving way for some player’s to rise up the rankings should they go deep in the tournament and their rivals falter. Reigning champion Angelique Kerber has the most at stake with 2000 points to defend. Since 1945, there have been 22 occasions where a woman has defended a title at The All England Club. More than any other grand slam within that time period.
Eight-time champion Serena Williams has 1300 points to defend and will be hoping to make up for her lackluster results this year. Reaching the quarter-finals in one out of five WTA Tournaments contested. The former world No.1 usually shines at Wimbledon and last failed to reach the fourth round of the event back in 2005.
Elsewhere Ash Barty has to defend 130 points as she aims to claim another grand slam title and cement her place at the top of the rankings. The same tally as both Naomi Osaka and Simona Halep.
Full list
| Name | Seeding | Points defending |
| Ash Barty | 1 | 130 |
| Naomi Osaka | 2 | 130 |
| Karolina Pliskova | 3 | 240 |
| Kiki Bertens | 4 | 430 |
| Angelique Kerber | 5 | 2000 |
| Petra Kvitova | 6 | 10 |
| Simona Halep | 7 | 130 |
| Elina Svitolina | 8 | 10 |
| Sloane Stephens | 9 | 10 |
| Aryna Sabalenka | 10 | 10 |
| Serena Williams | 11 | 1300 |
| Anastasija Sevastova | 12 | 10 |
| Belina Bencic | 13 | 240 |
| Caroline Wozniacki | 14 | 70 |
| Wang Qiang | 15 | 10 |
| Marketa Vondrousova | 16 | 10 |
