Grand Slam specialist Karolina Muchova faces a tough first-round clash against recent Berlin finalist Wang Xinyu.
2025 WTA Tour
Grand Slam Tennis
Wimbledon Tennis Championships
All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, England (Outdoor Grass-court)
Selected 1st Round Matches- 1st July
Karolina Muchova (15) 1.03 vs Wang Xinyu 0.77
Muchova- when injury-free- is one of the best players in women’s tennis. The four-time Grand Slam semifinalist- and former Roland Garros runner-up- had wrist surgery last season. She started this season quite well, reaching the semifinals in Linz and Dubai. But she has struggled with a reoccurrence of that wrist issue in recent months, going down to eventual champ Tatjana Maria in Queens. 23-year-old Wang Xinyu comes into this year’s event with a pretty humdrum 14-15 record. But she recently broke new ground in Berlin, reaching her maiden WTA final with victories over the likes of Gauff and Jabeur (she lost to the crafty Vondrousova in the final). The aggressive baseliner played with supreme confidence in Berlin, stepping in to finish off points decisively.
The Verdict: Muchova to win in straight sets at 2.15– Muchova leads the head-to-head 1-0, winning a tight three-set clash at the 2023 US Open. I think recency bias may result in people opting for the Chinese youngster. I think this should be a fairly routine win for Muchova (despite the lingering injury issues). A two-time Wimbledon quarterfinalist, Muchova often elevates her game in Grand Slam competition. Her all-court prowess should give her the edge.
