Stakusic Making Main Debut; Six Canadians at Wimbledon

The subsequent step in Marina Stakusic’s growth will come at Wimbledon, the place she is certainly one of 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 associate Erin Routliffe of New Zealand. Fernandez and Shapovalov can even participate within the doubles occasion. 

Stakusic will probably be making her first look in a Grand Slam essential draw after coming by 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 in opposition to 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 function 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 in opposition to world No. 1 Iga Swiatek doubtlessly awaits. 

Fernandez will spearhead the ladies’s singles draw, coming into because the thirtieth seed. The 21-year-old Lavaloise is at the moment 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 in opposition to 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 greatest outcome was final 12 months when she made the second spherical. 

In doubles, Fernandez will workforce up with Japan’s Ena Shibahara. 

Former world No. 4 Andreescu has regarded 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.  

Getting into Wimbledon underneath her protected rating, Andreescu will face Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian within the first spherical. A possible third-round match might see her searching for revenge in opposition to 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 workforce. The pair has proven formidable type, capturing the US Open Championships final 12 months, a current 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 outcome, the place she misplaced within the doubles remaining.  

On the lads’s facet, Auger-Aliassime is seeded seventeenth and appears to construct on his current successes, together with a spherical of 16 look on the French Open and a remaining on the ATP 1000 in Madrid. Nevertheless, this will probably 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 in opposition to 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, shedding 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 might be within the playing cards, though he might should get by 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 have 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 have been crushed within the first spherical. 

Wimbledon has traditionally been probably the most profitable majors for Canadians. It was the primary main the place a Canadian reached a Grand Slam singles remaining (Eugenie Bouchard in 2014) and continues to be the one Slam the place a Canadian man has reached the title match (Milos Raonic in 2016). 

Shapovalov had his greatest 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.