For all the talk about a big three in the women’s game, when it comes to this year’s Wimbledon, there remain doubts about each of them. The world No 1, Iga Swiatek, has looked the most solid, her 6-2, 7-5 second-round win over Petra Martic on Friday tougher than the score looked but still comfortable. Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka have both shown vulnerability, leaving the door open for others to come through.
Rybakina, the defending champion, dropped a set in her opening match against Shelby Rogers and struggled for much of the second set against Alizé Cornet in round two. Sabalenka, the Australian Open champion, cruised through her opener but then lost the first set on Friday in her third-round battle with Varvara Gracheva, a Russian who has switched her nationality to French. Both play in round three on Saturday.
