With the first round of Wimbledon complete, the second-round matchups are finalized. Here are the top five second-round matches on the women’s side:
5 Best Women’s Second-Round Matches at Wimbledon
(32) Katerina Siniakova vs Nikola Bartunkova
Coming off her third career defeat of Qinwen Zheng in the first round of Wimbledon, Katerina Siniakova is looking very much at the level of her No. 32 seeding. But her experience and consistency will be tested by her compatriot Nikola Bartunkova, who has been one of the revelations of the grass season. Bartunkova’s near-defeat of Aryna Sabalenka was one of the biggest stories in Berlin, and she backed it up with a first-round Wimbledon win over Peyton Stearns. Bartunkova’s crafty playstyle translates perfectly to grass, and she has the game to upset Siniakova. This matchup will be a fresh new style against tried-and-tested experience, and it should be quite the battle.
Barbora Krejcikova vs (5) Mirra Andreeva
Luck of the draw didn’t fall the way of No. 5 seed Mirra Andreeva as she takes on 2024 Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova in the second round. Coming off her Roland Garros win, Andreeva is high on confidence and playing the best tennis of her career so far. She defeated Krejcikova at Wimbledon in 2023, but it was due to a retirement. Defeating a healthy Krejcikova on this surface is an entirely different task, and Krejcikova seemed to be playing at 100% in her first-round win. For Krejcikova, this is a chance for a massive upset, and for Andreeva, it’s an opportunity to make a statement with a grass-court win.
Tatjana Maria vs (16) Iva Jovic
It’s been yet another successful grass season for Tatjana Maria, and she’s shown no sign of slowing down with a dominant first-round win. She’s up against 16th seed Iva Jovic now, a player who has found her stride on grass this season and also looked convincing in her Wimbledon first round. Jovic’s consistency will prove a tough test against Maria’s variety, as Jovic can neutralize her slices well and create her own rhythm in rallies. It is worth noting that this is Maria’s first time in the second round of Wimbledon since 2022, where she made it all the way to the semifinals.
(29) Alexandra Eala vs Maya Joint
Maya Joint won her first Tour-level match since January in a three-set victory over Serena Williams in the first round. This win could be the boost she needs to get back to her best level, and she’ll need it as she faces a familiar foe in 29th seed Alexandra Eala. Joint and Eala played an epic final in Eastbourne last year, which Joint won in a third-set tiebreak after saving match points. While Eala is in better form coming into this match, Joint’s win over Serena Williams and the history of the matchup could be points in Joint’s favor.
Karolina Pliskova vs (3) Iga Swiatek
It was a shaky, emotional opening match from defending champion Iga Swiatek as she came through in three sets over Taylor Townsend. Things won’t get easier for Swiatek as she now faces 2021 Wimbledon finalist Karolina Pliskova in the second round. Pliskova has been playing well in the last few weeks and is always a threat on grass; the matchup with Swiatek could be favorable due to her serve quality. Swiatek’s serve was her biggest weakness in the match against Townsend, while Pliskova’s serve is one of the strongest parts of her game. Swiatek can’t rely on her return game alone to win this match, making it a tough test that she’ll have to overcome to continue her title defense.
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane – Imagn Images
