The race to win this year's women's singles title at Wimbledon is potentially the most open it has ever been.
The defending champion - Ashleigh Barty - is currently enjoying retirement in her mid-20s, while a large number of players have been banned from competing because of their nationality.
As many as six Russians and Belarussians, who would have been seeded at SW19, have been denied the opportunity to compete this year - including last year's semi-finalist Aryna Sabalenka.
Last year's US Open runner-up, Leylah Fernandez from Canada, has already withdrawn due to a stress fracture in her foot, and you get the feeling that the field for the 2022 event is starting to become quite depleted.
The women's game in general has been topsy-turvy during recent years, so attempting to draw up a short list of potential candidates for the title is certainly not a straightforward task.
Of those expected to shine in south-west London, one name stands out above the rest.
Iga Swiatek's victory at the French Open earlier this month brought up her 35th straight win, equalling the post-Millennium record set by Venus Williams in 2000.
She still has some way to go to equal the all-time best of 74 consecutive match wins, registered by Martina Navratilova in 1984, but at present there is no one to touch her.
She hasn't lost since mid-February and has wrapped up six straight titles on the WTA Tour to open a giant points-gap at the top of the World Ranking.
Although she is yet to win a grass court tournament on the main Tour, she is a former junior champion at Wimbledon which shows she certainly has the game to do well on this surface.
Swiatek pulled out of the recent grass court tournament in Berlin, because of a shoulder concern, but is expected to be fit for Wimbledon.
Latest betting for the Wimbledon women's singles
So, if the recently-turned 21-year-old from Poland is not your preferred choice, who are the leading contenders for the women's singles title this year:
Cori (Coco) Gauff: In many ways came of age at Roland Garros earlier this month when reaching her maiden Grand Slam final. Despite losing in straight sets to Swiatek, she appears ready to go one step further and grass may even be a surface more suited to the 18-year-old American. Has reached the Last 16 in both previous trips to Wimbledon.
Ons Jabeur: Will have been desperately disappointed by her shock first round defeat in Paris this year, when she was a strong contender for the title. The Tunisian is now at the height of her powers and knows how to perform on grass. She recently successfully defended her grass-court title in Birmingham and in 2021 knocked out Swiatek at Wimbledon before losing at the quarter-final stage. Her career head-to-head with Swiatek stands at two-wins apiece.
Jelena Ostapenko: The Latvian was 20 years old when she won the French Open in 2017, since when she has endured some difficult times trying to live up to the expectations of the tennis world. However, despite her continued inconsistencies, could still prove to be a handful on grass. She won the prestigious hard court title in Dubai earlier this year which included a victory over Swiatek - who has not lost since. Currently competing at Eastbourne where she won the title in 2019.
Karolina Pliskova: Last year's Wimbledon runner-up has not won a title since before the pandemic and has lost more matches this year than she has won. However, in a depleted field and on a surface that remains rarely played-on at this level, her grass court experience will certainly help her cause. If the 30-year-old can make it into the second week of Wimbledon, she will certainly be a threat.
Emma Raducanu: The golden girl of British tennis has somewhat struggled since her stunning victory at the US Open last September when she had to qualify for the tournament. Since then she has reached two quarter-finals while losing 14 of her 24 competitive matches. However, with the British public behind her, this may inspire the teenager to rediscover her lost confidence as she returns to Wimbledon where she reached the fourth round as a wild card entry 12 months ago.
Serena Williams: A surprising late entry, with the seven-time champion opting for a wild card from tournament organisers. Didn't play a competitive singles between last year's Wimbledon - when she withdrew injured in the first round - and this year's Championships. Did, however, play doubles in Eastbourne this year. Has obviously assessed the collective quality of the field taking part in 2022 and believes she has a real chance of capturing Grand Slam singles title No 24. Turns 41 in September.
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