Wimbledon 2026 Women’s Seed Report: All Eyes Are on Serena Williams

Aryna Sabalenka is searching for her first major championship of the year and Iga Świątek is hoping to defend her title, but the tennis legend’s return has pulled focus.

Serena Williams will face Maya Joint in the first round at Wimbledon. | John Walton/PA Images/Getty Image

Aryna Sabalenka is the top seed. Iga Świątek is the defending champion. Only one of the other 32 seeds (Elena Rybakina) has won the title. And it’s all just details, at least in Week 1. Why? Because—and maybe you’ve heard this—at 44, Serena Williams has decided to revisit tennis, playing her first sanctioned singles match since 2022. 

This is some combination of Michael Jordan playing for the Wizards, Tom Brady unretiring and Mike Tyson still fighting. Wimbledon could be a one-off for Serena, or it could be the start of another championship. We all know the head-to-head record of time and biology, but if they are undefeated, they also can be deferred. Serena could lose to a player half her age, uncowed by the prospect—maybe even motivated by the prospect—of facing a legend. She could also face a scared or stupefied opponent, start dialing in 120 mph serves, and move around the court unencumbered.

It’s gripping theater either way and will be the story of Wimbledon 2026 (at least for the opening week), but this is a two-week tournament.

1.  Aryna Sabalenka

She is the clear-cut No. 1, but has only won one of the past six majors. Sabalenka is a complicated profile, with a mix of reliable Week 2 showings and puzzling failures to close out, including a 0–6 third set in the quarterfinals in Paris. She is still trying to win her first major on a natural surface (i.e., non-hard court), and smart money backs her to do so. 

2.  Elena Rybakina

Tennis’s cipher continues to mystify. A Wimbledon champion in 2022, it’s as though she was made for this surface. She has the best serve in the women’s game and sneaky, solid movement. And she’s already won a major in 2026. But after a confounding defeat in Paris, her two grass tuneups yielded two losses to Katie Boulter and Alexandra Eala. Go figure.

3. Iga Świątek

The defending champion enters Wimbledon amid swirling questions. She has yet to win a title in 2026, and the aura seems to be diminishing. Then again, she was similarly positioned in 2025 and stormed to the title, conquering the surface in the process. 

4. Jessica Pegula

As we see players like Jasmine Paolini make a mid-career run to the top five, then fade, all credit to Pegula for sustaining this level of ranking. The question is: Can she garnish it all with a major? After beating Sabalenka en route to the Berlin final, there are strong suggestions that the answer is yes.

5. Mirra Andreeva

The breakthrough champion in Paris, she now enters her first major as a major winner. The grass will pay dividends for her sneaky, strong serve and uncanny anticipation skills. One wonders how she’s processing the emotions that come with a breakthrough, but it might be a blessing that she steps back in the batter’s box so soon after her home run in Paris. 

6. Amanda Anisimova

A Wimbledon finalist last year—the less said about that final, the better—she’s proved herself on grass. The question is whether her health (particularly a wrist injury) will allow for another deep run. 

7. Coco Gauff

With the Roland Garros 2025 points molting off her ranking, she’s suddenly at No. 7 and No. 3 among the Americans. She made her great Wimbledon breakthrough—gulp—seven years ago, beating Venus Williams on centre court, but she’s yet to advance beyond the fourth round. 

8. Elina Svitolina

A former Wimbledon semifinalist (with a British coach, no less), she’s always dangerous, including at the All England Club. At 31, can she advance to her first major final? 

(Pause to mourn the absence of Victoria Mboko.)

9. Linda Nosková

Your 2026 Wimbledon champion. (I’m only sort of joking.) The winner in Berlin enters Wimbledon with momentum to burn and a game made for grass. Plus, Czech women and Wimbledon have been an effective combination lately.

10. Karolina Muchová

Muchová is a fan favorite for her stylish, versatile game, which is further enhanced by her athleticism. Two caveats: She’s struggled to stay healthy and has occasionally struggled to close matches. Still, she’s a player to watch, for sure. 

11. Belinda Bencic

Like Pegula, she’s solid, professional and low-drama, but does she have the pop to compete for majors? 

12. Marta Kostyuk

She’s had a breakthrough season, including a run to her first major semifinal. A deep run at Wimbledon is entirely possible given her clean striking and, above all, athleticism. She fizzled in the Roland Garros semifinals, but that’s all part of the growth curve.  

13. Jasmine Paolini

The former Wimbledon finalist brings joy wherever she goes—or did, anyway. It’s been a rough 2026, but maybe this is where she turns it around. 

14. Naomi Osaka

It’s still jarring that she’s won as many majors as Sabalenka, though none in the past five years. Osaka has so much game and natural ball striking, but can she still stack seven wins together, especially on a surface that has not treated her kindly in the past? She advanced to Week 2 in Paris for the first time in her career. Can she do the same at Wimbledon (where her career match record is 7–5)?

15. Diana Shnaider

She charged to the Roland Garros semifinals, but left with a bit of a sting, falling to qualifier Maja Chwalińska. Shnaider may have gone 0–2 in the grass court tuneups, but she’s always dangerous.

16. Iva Jovic

Wimbledon 2026 will be her first major as a top-16 seed. Her strange grass prep includes wins over Alexandra Eala and Anisimova, and a defeat to Emma Raducanu. Atar this horse in your racing forum. 

Iva Jovic fell to Naomi Osaka in the third round of the French Open. | Susan Mullane-Imagn Images

Seeds 17–32

17. Sorana Cîrstea

At 36 years old, can she keep up the momentum for one last power drive?

20. Maja Chwalińska

She went from a qualifier to a seed in the span of six weeks. Good for her.

21. Marie Bouzková

It’s about time for some Czech success at Wimbledon.

23. Emma Navarro

She is regaining some mojo, defeating Świątek en route to the quarterfinals at Bad Homburg.

26. Madison Keys

She is barely ranked in the top 30, but power is power.

25. Elise Mertens

She’s always a tough out, especially on faster surfaces.

29. Alexandra Eala

She beat Donna Vekić, Rybakina and Svitolina in succession in Berlin. She faces a potential second-round matchup against Serena Williams.

Dark horse corridor

Donna Vekić: The Queens Champion this year and a Wimbledon semifinalist two years ago.

Paula Badosa: She already scored a grass win over Gauff. Like Matteo Berrettini, if healthy she’s a top-10 player.

Caty McNally: Who was the only player to take a set off Świątek at last year’s Wimbledon?

Alycia Parks: She has a top-five serve, which, alone, can win her matches.

Barbora Krejčíková: The 2024 winner is dangerous in the extreme (especially when fully healthy).

Taylor Townsend: A former Wimbledon finalist as a junior, she comes armed with that lefty serve and a tropism toward the net. Starts off Wimbledon with a matchup against Świątek.

Serena Williams: All 23-time major champions merit mention.

First round matches to watch

• Serena Williams vs. Maya Joint
• Kateřina Siniaková vs. Qinwen Zheng
• Navarro vs. Badosa
• Clara Tauson vs. Maria Sakkari
• Townsend vs. Świątek
• Shnaider vs. Eva Lys

Upset special

Robin Montgomery d. Jasmine Paolini

Doubles Winner

Taylor Townsend and Kateřina Siniaková—again. 

Semifinals

Pegula d. Sabalenka
Nosková d. Keys

Final

Pegula d. Nosková 

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