The 139th edition of Wimbledon is set to begin in 2 days, with the main draw already locked in. As top seed Aryna Sabalenka and the defending champion Iga Swiatek prepare to launch their campaigns on 29th June, the spotlight naturally follows them. Yet the biggest story of the Championship this year could come from underdogs like Linda Nosková, Alexandra Eala, and Donna Vekić, who have every chance to stun the field. 

Donna Vekić

“This is really my favorite time of the year, my favorite surface,” Vekic said in her HSBC Championship trophy presentation on 14th June. “I’ll see you all in two weeks at Wimbledon,” she later added.

And to be honest, Vekic has always enjoyed playing in London. The Croatian ace proved that again with another impressive run at Queen’s.

Back in 2024, the 29-year-old reached the SW19 SF and showed what she can do on the surface. Earlier this month, she backed that up with another memorable performance at the WTA 500 event at Queen’s.

The former world No. 17 lost to Anna Blinkova in qualifying, but she made the most of her lucky-loser opportunity and never looked back.

Vekic won 5 straight matches to capture the HSBC Championship, the biggest title of her career. Her biggest test came in the final against the local hero, Emma Raducanu, who entered the match as the clear favorite in front of the home crowd. Yet Vekic handled the pressure really well.

She even defeated 3 British players on her way to lifting the trophy. That run only made her title even more impressive.

Vekic looked solid from both wings at the All-England Club, with her forehand standing out. She has now reached 6 grass-court finals in her career, including titles at Queen’s Club and Nottingham back in 2017.

In addition to that, she owns a 61.61% grass-court winning rate with a 69-44 win-loss ratio and‌ a 6-1 record on the surface in 2026. Those numbers may not tell the full story, but her confidence is clearly growing.

At the upcoming grass-court Slam, she will begin against the 22-year-old American Ashlyn Krueger. If she wins, she could face Ajla Tomljanovic or Mariam Bolkvadze in the second round, followed by Elina Svitolina or Daria Snigur in 3rd. A fourth-round meeting could come against Marta Kostyuk or Emma Navarro.

The challenges only get tougher after that. A QF against Iga Swiatek or Jasmine Paolini and a SF against Elena Rybakina or Amanda Anisimova can be on the cards. A final against Aryna Sabalenka or Jessica Pegula could await as well if she reaches there. 

And as the No. 31 seed, Vekic now heads into the All-England Club with momentum, and the tennis world will be watching after her Queen’s Club heroics.

Alexandra Eala

After a disappointing clay-court swing a couple of weeks ago, where she finished her Roland Garros in the first round, Alexandra Eala has finally found her rhythm on grass. She first built confidence at the WTA 125 event at Birmingham, where Eala dropped just one set in 5 matches to lift her second career WTA 125 title.

The 21-year-old carried that momentum into the Berlin Open and produced one of the biggest weeks of her career. Although her run ended in the SF against Linda Noskova, she left a lasting impression at the WTA 500 event.

Before that defeat, the Filipino international earned remarkable victories over the recent Queen’s Club champion Donna Vekic, top seed Elena Rybakina, and the current world No. 8 Elina Svitolina. 

Her victory over the two-time Grand Slam winner matched the biggest win of her career in terms of ranking. Even more impressively, she recovered from a 4-1 deficit in the opening set to complete the upset.

And above all, the Filipino has looked very comfortable on the grass this month. She now heads into SW19 believing she can challenge the very best players on this surface.

Alexandra Eala owns a 27-17 record this season, including a 9-3 mark on grass courts. Across the previous 3 years, she has compiled a 24-11 record at the grass-court and won 7 of her last 10 matches.

Her first-round opponent at the All England Club is the current world No. 76 Renata Zarazua. The two have met once before on the WTA Tour, where the Mexican emerged victorious.

Should Eala advance, the 29th seed could set up a blockbuster second-round clash against either wildcard Serena Williams or Australia’s Maya Joint. A third-round meeting with the defending champion, Iga Swiatek, and a potential fourth-round showdown against Jasmine Paolini could then follow.

The road only gets tougher from there. The Ukrainian Elina Svitolina could await in the QF, while second seed Elena Rybakina is a possible SF opponent. If Eala continues her dream run, she could eventually meet Aryna Sabalenka in the SW19 final on Centre Court on July 11.

Last year at Wimbledon, Eala lost to Barbora Krejčíková in the opening round 3-6, 6-2, 6-1. This time, fans will be right behind her, but she still faces a very tough challenge at the upcoming SW19.

Linda Nosková

For the grass-court season this year, Linda Noskova could not have asked for a better start. The Czech arrives at SW19 carrying confidence after lifting the Berlin Open title.

The final on 21st June saw Noskova defeat American top seed Jessica Pegula 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. She closed out the victory in the deciding set to secure the second WTA title of her career, with both trophies coming at the WTA 500 level.

It was also the 7th final of her professional career. The title adds another major achievement after her triumph in Monterrey two years ago.

The victory brings another huge reward to her ranking as well. From Monday, the 21-year-old has risen to World No. 10, overtake 29-year-old Czech Karolina Muchova, to become the country’s new No. 1.

She now heads into the All-England Club with a 5-1 record on grass this season. Overall, she owns a 62.96% win rate on the surface with a 17-10 grass-court win-loss record.

At Wimbledon, Noskova will begin her campaign against Bernarda Pera. If she advances, she could face German ace Eva Lys or Yue Yuan in the second round, followed by Jasmine Paolini or Kamilla Rakhimova in the 3rd.

The challenges may continue with last year’s finalist, Amanda Anisimova, or Beatriz Haddad Maia in the fourth round. A QF against Qinwen Zheng or Diana Shnaider and a SF against Aryna Sabalenka or former AO champion Madison Keys could also be waiting for her.

A championship clash against Coco Gauff or Jessica Pegula is also on the cards as things stand. 

And as Noskova heads into The Championships in top form, the tennis world will certainly be watching her closely.