Martina Navratilova Chooses Between Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka as the Wimbledon Favorite

Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff recently played in the Roland Garros Final, which the latter won.

Martina Navratilova Chooses Between Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka as the Wimbledon Favorite

Martina Navratilova (in circle), Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka (via Independent)

Tennis legend Martina Navratilova has picked Aryna Sabalenka as the favorite for this year’s Wimbledon title. The third Grand Slam of the year begins at SW19 on the 30th of June.

Navratilova, who has won nine singles title at Wimbledon, believes that Sabalenka will be triggered by her Roland Garros defeat to Coco Gauff. The Belarusian was denied a first Roland Garros title earlier this month. She told WTA in an interview:

It’s hard to see her not as the favorite this year. She is a complete player and has a good grass game. It’s hard to find a weakness or a gap against her. I wonder if losing the French Open final will motivate her. I think she is in a good moment.

Sabalenka is comfortably ranked at the top of the world rankings. However, she has been denied multiple times in Grand Slam finals this year. The first came at the Australian Open, where she was the defending champion. She lost to Madison Keys in three sets to relinquish her crown. Then, she repeated the same against Gauff in Paris.

Martina Navratilova announces she is diagnosed with throat and breast cancer

59-time Grand Slam champion Martina Navratilova has revealed she is facing both breast and throat cancer. The 66-year-old tennis legend found an enlarged lymph node in her neck last November, which led to tests confirming stage I throat cancer caused by HPV. During those tests, doctors also detected an unrelated early-stage breast cancer.

Martina Navratilova
Martina Navratilova (via X)

Navratilova called the diagnosis a “double whammy,” but said she remains optimistic. In her words, “It’s going to stink for a while, but I’ll fight with all I have got.” Her treatment is scheduled to begin next week, and reports indicate her outlook is positive.

This is not her first experience with cancer. In 2010, she underwent a lumpectomy after being diagnosed with a noninvasive form of breast cancer. Despite these challenges, she has remained active in the tennis world as both a commentator and analyst.

Navratilova had one of the most successful careers in tennis history. She claimed 167 singles titles, 177 doubles trophies, and 2,189 total match wins. She also holds the distinction of being the oldest player to win a Grand Slam event, securing a mixed doubles title at the US Open just before turning 50.

Aryna Sabalenka announced as the top seed for Wimbledon

Aryna Sabalenka will enter the 2025 Wimbledon Championships as the top seed for the second straight Grand Slam. She has held the WTA world No. 1 ranking since October 2024. Sabalenka was previously the top seed at the Australian Open earlier this year, where she finished as the runner-up, a result she also matched at the French Open.

Aryna Sabalenka
Aryna Sabalenka (Image via X/We Are Tennis)

Coco Gauff, fresh off her 2025 French Open title, will be the No. 2 seed for a second consecutive Slam. Jessica Pegula takes the No. 3 seed, matching her career-best position for the fifth time. Jasmine Paolini, last year’s Wimbledon runner-up, returns as the fourth seed.

Zheng Qinwen, Madison Keys, and teenage sensation Mirra Andreeva follow as the fifth, sixth, and seventh seeds. Iga Swiatek, a five-time Grand Slam champion, will be seeded eighth. This marks her lowest placement at a major since the 2021 French Open, ending a dominant stretch where she held a top-two seed across 13 consecutive Slams.

All of the top 10 seeds are seeking their first Wimbledon title. Elena Rybakina, seeded 11th, is the highest-ranked former champion. Barbora Krejcikova, the reigning champion, will be seeded 17th. Eight of the 32 seeds are Americans, including Gauff, Pegula, Keys, Emma Navarro, Amanda Anisimova, Sofia Kenin, Ashlyn Krueger, and McCartney Kessler. No seeded players have withdrawn so far.

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