Wimbledon 2024: Women's singles draw, schedule, players, prize money and more
It’s finally time for the Grasscourt Slam, with Marketa Vondrousova returning to defend her crown at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships. Scheduled to start in a couple of days’ time, the event is set to feature a jam-pack field.
Leading the pack besides Vondrousova is top seed and World No. 1 Iga Swiatek. The duo will be challenged by a host of other title hopefuls, including two-time former finalist Ons Jabeur, second seed Aryna Sabalenka and former champions Elena Rybakina and Anquelique Kerber.
With main draw action set to begin on Monday (July 1), here’s a quick look at how things are stacking up for the ladies singles competition this year:
What is Wimbledon?
The oldest tennis tournament in the world, the Wimbledon Championships, was first played 147 years ago in 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tournaments on the annual tennis calendar, and the only one played on grass.
Martina Navratilova has lifted the Venus Rosewater Dish (the women’s singles trophy) a record nine times, while Venus and Serena Williams have been crowned champions on five and seven occasions respectively. Among other active players, Petra Kvitova has gotten her hands on the trophy twice, while Angelique Kerber, Simona Halep, Elena Rybakina and Marketa Vondrousova have won it once each.
Venue
The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London has hosted the Wimbledon Championships since its inception. The famous Centre Court has a seating capacity of 15,000 while Court 1 can seat up to 11,500 fans.
Players and Draw
Iga Swiatek leads the field at this year’s Wimbledon. The top seed is projected to run into defending champion Marketa Vondrousova in the quarterfinals.
Elsewhere in the top half, former champion Elena Rybakina and recent Berlin title winner Jessica Pegula find themselves on a collision course.
Coco Gauff, who anchors the bottom half as the second seed, may run into French Open finalist Jasmine Paolini in the last-eight. The other projected quarterfinal line-up features Aryna Sabalenka and Zheng Qiwen.
Schedule
The main draw of Wimbledon 2024 will start on July 1, with the first-round being played over two days. The quarterfinals are scheduled to take place on July 9 and 10 while the semifinals will follow a day later. The men's singles final is set to take place on July 13.
Prize Money
The total prize pool for this year's Wimbledon Championships 2024 is £50,000,000 and the women's singles champion will walk away with cheque for £2,700,000 and 2,000 ranking points. Here is the full prize money and ranking points breakdown for the grasscourt Major.
Where to Watch Wimbledon 2024
Viewers in the US, UK, Australia, and Canada can watch the Slam live on the following channels and sites:
USA: All matches will be broadcast on ESPN, Tennis Channel.
UK: Fans in the UK can watch the proceedings live on BBC, Eurosport, Discovery+.
Australia: All matches will be telecast on Nine Network.
Canada: Viewers in Canada can watch all the matches on RDS & TSN.