The subsequent step in Marina Stakusic’s improvement will come at Wimbledon, the place she is one among six Canadians competing within the third Grand Slam occasion of 2024.
Representing Canada on the 2024 Wimbledon Championships within the singles draw, which was made on Friday morning, are Stakusic, Leylah Annie Fernandez, Bianca Andreescu, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Denis Shapovalov. Gabriela Dabrowski is seeded second within the doubles draw alongside her companion Erin Routliffe of New Zealand. Fernandez and Shapovalov may also participate within the doubles occasion.
Stakusic can be making her first look in a Grand Slam important draw after coming by means of qualifying for the primary time in her profession. In her three qualifying wins, she had a gritty comeback from a set and break down in spherical two towards sixteenth seed Chloe Paquet sandwiched by two blowout wins over Carole Monnet and Amarni Banks through which she misplaced a mixed 4 video games.
It’s the second main in a row the place a Canadian certified for his or her first Grand Slam occasion.
The 19-year-old had her breakthrough efficiency final fall on the Billie Jean King Cup Finals, the place she performed a pivotal position in Canada’s historic title win. Within the opening spherical on the All England Garden Tennis Membership, she faces twenty seventh seed and eight-time Grand Slam doubles champion Katerina Siniakova of Czechia.
Ought to Stakusic progress previous the second spherical, a difficult third-round match towards world No. 1 Iga Swiatek probably awaits.
Fernandez will spearhead the ladies’s singles draw, coming into because the thirtieth seed. The 21-year-old Lavaloise is presently within the finals of a WTA 500 occasion on grass courts in Eastbourne, Nice Britain, after defeating American and world No. 12 Madison Keys within the semifinals. Fernandez will look to hold this momentum into Wimbledon, beginning her run towards Italian Lucia Bronzetti within the opening spherical.
Ought to she advance, she might face wildcard Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark or American qualifier Alicia Parks within the second spherical. Fourth seed and 2022 champion Elena Rybakina looms in spherical three.
The Canadian No. 1 is making simply her third look on the All England Membership. Her finest consequence was final 12 months when she made the second spherical.
In doubles, Fernandez will staff up with Japan’s Ena Shibahara.
Former world No. 4 Andreescu has seemed robust since returning to the circuit after a 10-month hiatus. Impressively, the previous US Open champion reached the third spherical of the French Open and the finals of a WTA 250 occasion in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands, the place she defeated Naomi Osaka within the quarter-finals.
Coming into Wimbledon beneath her protected rating, Andreescu will face Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian within the first spherical. A possible third-round match might see her in search of revenge towards French Open finalist Jasmine Paolini of Italy. The Italian received their round-three conflict at Roland-Garros in three units.
If Andreescu will get revenge on Paolini, her projected spherical 4 opponent could be No. 12 seed Madison Keys. She is within the backside quarter of the draw with world No. 2 Coco Gauff.
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In every of her final two appearances on the All England Membership, Andreescu misplaced to an eventual finalist: champion Elena Rybakina within the second spherical in 2022 and runner-up Ons Jabeur in 2023 within the third spherical.
Dabrowski, teaming up with Routliffe, enters the doubles draw because the second-highest-ranked staff. The pair has proven formidable type, capturing the US Open Championships final 12 months, a latest title at a WTA 250 occasion in Nottingham, Nice Britain, and can go for an additional grass title on Saturday in Eastbourne.
Dabrowski goals to go one higher than her 2019 Wimbledon consequence, the place she misplaced within the doubles last.
On the lads’s aspect, Auger-Aliassime is seeded seventeenth and appears to construct on his latest successes, together with a spherical of 16 look on the French Open and a last on the ATP 1000 in Madrid. Nevertheless, this can be his first occasion since Roland-Garros, the place he suffered a leg harm.
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The Montrealer, who begins his 2024 push towards Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis, will look to surpass his 2021 Wimbledon efficiency, the place he reached the quarter-finals.
Auger-Aliassime faces a troublesome highway on the All-England Membership. He might face s-Hertogenbosch champion Alex de Minaur within the third spherical, Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz within the final eight and world No. 2 Novak Djokovic within the semifinals.
Shapovalov, utilizing his protected rating, returns to Wimbledon the place he reached the semifinals in 2021, dropping to eventual champion Djokovic.
Within the first spherical, he faces Nineteenth-seeded Nicolas Jarry of Chile. A possible fourth-round conflict with world No. 1 Jannik Sinner could possibly be within the playing cards, though he might need to get by means of hard-serving 14th seed Ben Shelton within the third spherical.
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In doubles, Shapovalov companions with Kokkinakis, marking his doubles debut at Wimbledon.
4 Canadians had been defeated in qualifying. Gabriel Diallo, who certified for his first main final month in Paris, and Alexis Galarneau each fell in spherical two, whereas Rebecca Marino and Carol Zhao had been crushed within the first spherical.
Wimbledon has traditionally been one of the vital profitable majors for Canadians. It was the primary main the place a Canadian reached a Grand Slam singles last (Eugenie Bouchard in 2014) and remains to be the one Slam the place a Canadian man has reached the title match (Milos Raonic in 2016).
Shapovalov had his finest profession run at a serious on the All England Membership when he reached the semis, whereas Auger-Aliassime made his first Grand Slam quarter-final on the occasion, each in 2021.
