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Wimbledon: Breaking down the path to the title

(Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Wimbledon returns Monday, with Serena Williams making her return to singles competition for the first time since 2021 and Iga Swiatek looking to continue her 35-match winning streak.

Swiatek will open at 8:30 a.m. ET Tuesday against qualifier Jana Fett with the opportunity to make history and claim the longest winning streak this century. Her best performance so far at Wimbledon has been a fourth-round run last year.

Just Women’s Sports has broken down the singles draw and come up with three key storylines to follow as the action gets underway.

A friendly draw for Serena Williams

When Williams makes her return to the court at Wimbledon on Tuesday, it will be her first time playing in singles competition since going down with a hamstring in the first round of last year’s tournament.

This year, Williams will begin her journey to the title with a first round match against Harmony Tan. Tan is currently ranked 113th in the world with a career-high ranking of 90. Twice she has reached the round of 64 at a major, with the most recent coming at the Australian Open this year.

Later in the draw, if Williams beats Tan, she could face Sara Sorribes Tormo or fellow American Christina McHale. In the third round, sixth-seed Karolina Pliskova could await Williams.

Also in Williams’ quarter is Coco Gauff. The potential fourth-round matchup would be exciting, as Gauff is coming off of her first major final at the French Open.

Fourth-seeded Paula Badosa headlines Williams’ grouping.

A stacked quarter for Garbiñe Muguruza

No. 9 seed Garbine Muguruza may have gotten one of the toughest draws of the grouping. She opens Tuesday against Greet Minnen.

Also in her quarter are 2017 U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens and Zheng Qinwen – the only player to take a set from Swiatek in Paris. She struggled with an injury that match but could be a difficult draw for whomever she faces at Wimbledon. Zheng already has one win over Stephens this season, getting the better of the American in Charleston, but she hasn’t yet won on grass professionally.

Should Muguruza advance to the third round, she could face either No. 17 Elena Rybakina or 2019 U.S. Open champion Bianca Andreescu. Andreescu reached her first semifinal and final in more than a year (and her first ever on grass) at the Bad Homburg Open and appears to be rolling heading into Wimbledon.

Also in the quarter is No. 8 Jessica Pegula, who could be a tough fourth-round matchup should both advance past their opponents in the earlier rounds.

How healthy is Emma Raducanu?

After making headlines at last year’s Wimbledon tournament, Emma Raducanu had a stellar run at the U.S. Open for her first Grand Slam.

But since September, the English 19-year-old has struggled with injuries. In January, a blister on her finger led to a loss in the Australian Open. Then a leg injury forced her to retire in Mexico in the first round. At Indian Wells, she retired in the first round due to a stiff back while a foot blister in the Billie Jean King Cup led to a loss.

She withdrew from the Italian Open in May with back pain.

In early June, Raducanu suffered a “freak injury” that left her unsure of her status for Wimbledon. She later said that she would compete in the English Slam after scans revealed the injury wasn’t serious. Regardless, her health remains a large question mark as the tournament begins.

Entering Wimbledon, she’s the No. 10 seed and in the same quarter as No. 7 Danielle Collins. A possible matchup with Madison Keys awaits her in the second round.

Alex Morgan “week-to-week” with ankle injury

Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images

USWNT stalwart Alex Morgan will miss at least one week of NWSL action after suffering a left ankle knock in her last club appearance, Wave manager Casey Stoney said on Thursday.

Morgan was helped off the field after rolling her ankle in the later stages of the Wave’s 1-0 loss to the Orlando Pride last weekend, despite the San Diego side being out of available substitutes.

“She's got an ankle injury and she's out for this weekend, and then it'll be week by week from there,” Stoney said, confirming that Morgan’s been ruled out for Saturday’s showdown with NWSL newcomer Bay FC.

Depending on its severity, Morgan’s ankle issue might have larger ramifications than missing a few weeks of NSWL play. Morgan was added to the team's Gold Cup roster after an ACL injury sidelined young striker Mia Fishel, and she's since made a number of USWNT starts in the team's Gold Cup and SheBelieves wins. A long-term injury could potentially derail the center forward’s Olympic plans.

With her return timeline uncertain, it's possible the injury could also impact Morgan's ability to participate in new head coach Emma Hayes' first U.S. friendlies in June and July.

Morgan's injury concerns aren't uncommon in the U.S. player pool, but add a sense of urgency as Hayes eyes the NWSL for top-performing players in the upcoming weeks. Gotham's Tierna Davidson and Rose Lavelle have also been dealing with injuries: Lavelle has yet to appear for Gotham, while Davidson exited last weekend's match early with a hamstring injury.

Gotham has yet to issue an update concerning Davidson's status.

Brazil legend Marta to retire from international play after Olympics

ORLANDO, FL - FEBRUARY 16: Marta of Brazil during the 2023 SheBelieves Cup match between Japan and Brazil at Exploria Stadium on February 16, 2023 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by James Williamson - AMA/Getty Images)

This week, legendary Brazilian superstar Marta announced that she’ll retire from the national team at the end of 2024.

In an interview with CNN Esportes published Thursday, the iconic footballer confirmed that she would be hanging up her boots regardless of whether or not she ends up making Brazil's 18-player roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

“If I go to the Olympics, I will enjoy every moment, because regardless of whether I go to the Olympics or not, this is my last year with the national team,” she said. “There is no longer Marta in the national team as an athlete from 2025 onwards.”

Marta will retire as a giant of the women's game, having appeared in five Olympics and multiple World Cups. When discussing her retirement, she stressed confidence in the rising generation of Brazilian players, noting that she was, “very calm about this, because I see with great optimism this development that we are having in relation to young athletes." 

The statement echoes back to a plea she made during the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup after Brazil lost to France 2-1 in the Round of 16. “It's wanting more. It's training more. It's taking care of yourself more. It's being ready to play 90 plus 30 minutes. This is what I ask of the girls,” she said then, addressing the young players following in her footsteps. 

In 2023, she signaled a farewell to World Cup competition with the same sentiment, telling media, “We ask the new generation to continue where we left off.”

If selected for the 2024 Olympic team, Marta has a shot at extending her own consecutive-scoring record with the ability to score in an unbelievable sixth-straight Olympic Games. She currently stands as Brazil’s top goalscorer, racking up 116 career goals in 175 matches, as well as the leading goalscorer in any World Cup, women’s or men’s, with 17 to her name. 

Marta will continue to play for the NWSL’s Orlando Pride through at least the end of 2024. The longtime forward and club captain has already contributed to multiple goals this season.

USWNT to face Costa Rica in final Olympic send-off

uswnt sophia smith and tierna davidson celebrate at shebeilves cup 2024
The USWNT will play their final pre-Olympic friendly against Costa Rica on July 16th. (Photo by Greg Bartram/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)

U.S. Soccer announced Tuesday that the USWNT will play their last home game on July 16th in the lead-up to the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris.

The 2024 Send-Off Match against Costa Rica will take place at Washington, DC’s Audi Field — home to both the Washington Spirit and DC United — at 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 16th. The friendly rounds out a four-game Olympic run-up campaign under incoming head coach Emma Hayes’ side, with the last two set to feature the finalized 2024 U.S. Olympic Women’s Soccer Team roster.

Hayes will appear on the USWNT sideline for the first time this June, helming the team as they embark on a two-game series against Korea Republic hosted by Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado on June 1st followed by Allianz Stadium in St. Paul, Minnesota on June 4th. 

The team is then scheduled to meet a talented Mexico squad on July 13th at Gotham FC’s Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, where the Olympic-bound lineup will attempt to rewrite February’s shocking 2-0 loss to El Tri Femenil in the group stages of this year’s Concacaf W Gold Cup. And while clear roster favorites have emerged from both of this year’s Gold Cup and SheBelives Cup rosters, a spate of recent and recurring injuries means making it to the Olympics is still largely anyone’s game.

Broadcast and streaming channels for the USWNT's final July 16th friendly at Audi Field include TNT, truTV, Universo, Max, and Peacock.

Caitlin Clark’s WNBA start to serve as 2024 Olympic tryout

Clark of the Indiana Fever poses for a photo with Lin Dunn and Christie Sides during her introductory press conference on April 17, 2024
The talented Fever rookie is still in the running for a ticket to this summer's Paris Olympics. (Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)

The USA Basketball Women's National Team is still considering Caitlin Clark for a spot on the Paris Olympics squad, says selection committee chair Jennifer Rizzotti. 

On Monday, Rizzotti told the AP that the committee will be evaluating the college phenom’s Olympic prospects by keeping a close eye on her first few weeks of WNBA play with Indiana.

The move is somewhat unconventional. While Clark was invited to participate in the 14-player national team training camp held earlier this month — the last camp before Team USA’s roster drops — she was unable to attend due to it coinciding with Iowa’s trip to the NCAA Women’s Final Four.

Judging by the immense talent spread throughout the league in what might be their most hyped season to date, competition for a piece of the Olympic pie could be fiercer than ever before.

"You always want to introduce new players into the pool whether it's for now or the future," said Rizzotti. "We stick to our principles of talent, obviously, positional fit, loyalty and experience. It's got to be a combination of an entire body of work. It's still not going to be fair to some people."

Of course, Clark isn’t the first rookie the committee has made exceptions for. Coming off an exceptional college season that saw her averaging 19.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 4 assists per game for UConn, Breanna Stewart was tapped to represent the U.S. at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil less than two weeks after being drafted No. 1 overall by the Seattle Storm. Eight years prior, fellow No. 1 pick Candace Parker punched her ticket to the 2008 Games in Beijing just two weeks after making her first appearance for the L.A. Sparks.

In the lead-up to Paris’ Opening Ceremony on July 26th, USA Basketball Women’s National Team is scheduled to play a pair of exhibition games. They'll first go up against the WNBA's finest at the July 20th WNBA All-Star Game in Phoenix before facing Germany in London on July 23rd.

While an official roster announcement date hasn’t yet been issued, players won’t find out if they’ve made this year’s Olympic cut until at least June 1st.

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