Greg Rusedski has identified an American player he believes can win Wimbledon for the first time.
The grass court major is arguably the most unpredictable given the nature of the slick low bouncing surface that can leave the top players most vulnerable to an early exit.
Since the conclusion of the clay court Grand Slam of Roland Garros all the competitors have been training hard to navigate the tricky transition to grass.
With the start of the tournament being just days away, former Wimbledon quarter-finalist Rusedski has named one of his frontrunners for the title.
Greg Rusedski names the player he thinks can win Wimbledon
As is the case with the majority of Grand Slams, it seems wide open on the women’s side. World number one Iga Swiatek has yet to make her mark on the grass, while Aryna Sabalenka has yet to make the final.
Former champion Elena Rybakina and two-time runner-up Ons Jabeur will be in contention, but Rusedski named Coco Gauff as a top contender.
“I’m hoping that Coco can bring her A-game to Wimbledon this year and has got a real shot to win,” he told Tennis Channel. Let’s not forget [Aryna] Sabalenka got ill this year at the French Open.
“And there’s a few other names, there’s [Elena] Rybakina and players like that on the grass courts. So Wimbledon’s wide open. And you’re talking about Wimbledon coming up — Swiatek is not one of the favourites for the title.”
How has Coco Gauff’s grass court season gone so far?
After a run to the French Open semi-finals, Gauff began her grass court season by competing at the Berlin Championships.
She gained wins over Ekaterina Alexandrova and Jabeur who retired with an injury, before losing to US compatriot Jessica Pegula who went on to claim the title.
Gauff is aiming for a much better Wimbledon campaign in 2024 after suffering a surprising first round exit in 2023.
She came up against former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin and suffered a 6-4 2-6 6-4.
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