Wimbledon 2024: Iga Swiatek vs Sofia Kenin preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds, and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (1) Iga Swiatek vs Sofia Kenin
Date: July 2, 2024
Tournament: Wimbledon 2024
Round: First Round (Round of 128)
Venue: All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, England
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Grass
Prize Money: £50,000,000
Live Telecast: USA - ESPN, Tennis Channel | UK - BBC | Canada - TSN/RDS, ESPN International
Iga Swiatek vs Sofia Kenin preview
World No. 1 Iga Swiatek will face 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin in the first round of the 2024 Wimbledon on Tuesday, July 2.
Swiatek suffered an early exit from the Australian Open as she was bundled out in the third round by Linda Noskova. She resumed her winning ways soon enough and claimed her third successive title at the Qatar Open.
The Pole bowed out in the semifinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships and then snagged her second title of the year at the Indian Wells Open. Her quest for a second "Sunshine Double" ended with a fourth-round exit from the Miami Open.
Swiatek's clay swing started with a semifinal finish in Stuttgart, where she was the two-time defending champion. She went on a rampage after that as she completed the treble on the red dirt by winning the Madrid Open, the Italian Open, and the French Open.
After her first-round win over Greet Minnet at the Hobart International, Kenin lost her next nine matches. She snapped her losing skid at the Italian Open, where she beat Lucia Bronzetti and Ons Jabeur to make the third round. She also reached the third round of the French Open, losing to Clara Tauson.
Kenin commenced her grass swing at the Rothesay International in Eastbourne. While she fell in the qualifying rounds, she got a second shot as a lucky loser. She replaced top seed Elena Rybakina and received a bye into the second round but lost to Harriet Dart in three sets.
Iga Swiatek vs Sofia Kenin head-to-head
Swiatek leads Kenin 2-0 in the head-to-head. She won their previous encounter at the 2024 Australian Open in straight sets.
Iga Swiatek vs Sofia Kenin odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Iga Swiatek vs Sofia Kenin prediction
Swiatek arrives at Wimbledon on a 19-match winning streak. She made the last eight here for the first time last year and will be keen to better that result given her red-hot form.
Kenin's results have been quite disappointing for most of the season, though she did display signs of resurgence towards the end of the clay swing. However, one cannot predict when she'll suddenly shift gears to play at a high level. She already has a top-10 scalp this year, and ousted Coco Gauff in her opener here last year.
Both of Swiatek and Kenin's prior matches have been at the Majors. The former defeated the latter to win her maiden Grand Slam title at the 2020 French Open. At this year's Australian Open, the American led by a break twice in the first set but still lost the match in straight sets.
Even though Swiatek is more vulnerable on grass compared to clay and hardcourts, it is no easy feat to beat her. Expect the top seed to begin her campaign on a winning note.
Pick: Iga Swiatek to win in straight sets.