There will be a 24-year age difference when 15-year-old qualifier Cori Gauff takes on fellow American Venus Williams in the first round of Wimbledon.
Gauff became the youngest qualifier for the Championships in the Open era on Thursday when she defeated Greet Minnen and will now face 39-year-old Williams.
Gauff was inspired to start playing tennis because of the success of the Williams sisters and has been earmarked for stardom having reached the girls’ singles final at the US Open aged just 13.
Remember the name.
Aged 15 years and 122 days, America’s @CocoGauff becomes the youngest #Wimbledon qualifier in the Open Era after beating Greet Minnen 6-1, 6-1 pic.twitter.com/PSWlOiRNkB
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 27, 2019
Serena Williams was handed a tough draw as she continues her pursuit of Margaret Court’s all-time grand slam singles record of 24.
After Italian qualifier Giulia Gatto-Monticone in round one, Serena could face 18th seed Julia Goerges in the third round in a repeat of last year’s semi-final and then defending champion Angelique Kerber in the fourth round.
Kerber comfortably defeated Williams 12 months ago to win her third grand slam title.
Ashleigh Barty, a potential quarter-final opponent of Serena Williams or Kerber, will play her first match as the top seed at a grand slam against China’s Zheng Saisai and could face former Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza in the third round.
The British hopefuls can have nothing to complain about with good-looking draws virtually across the board.
Johanna Konta, the 19th seed, will face Romanian qualifier Ana Bogdan and
could take on ninth seed Sloane Stephens in the third round in a rematch of
their French Open quarter-final, which the British number one won handsomely. Kvitova is a potential fourth-round foe.
In the men’s draw, Jay Clarke has the considerable carrot of a likely second-round clash with Roger Federer if he can overcome American qualifier Noah Rubin.
The highest-ranked British player, 30th seed Kyle Edmund, plays Spain’s Jaume Munar and could face seventh seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the third round.
Nineteen-year-old wild card Paul Jubb, who was raised by his grandmother on a Hull council estate, will make his Wimbledon debut against Portugal’s Joao Sousa while Dan Evans and James Ward would play each other if they can beat Federico Delbonis and 18th seed Nikoloz Basilashvili, respectively.
Rafael Nadal looks to be the big loser in the men’s draw with a fiercely-difficult path to negotiate if he is to lift the trophy for the first time since 2010.
After opening against Japan’s Yuichi Sugita, there is the tantalising prospect of a second-round clash between Nadal and Nick Kyrgios, who recently accused the Spaniard of being a bad loser.
Nadal could then face exciting Canadian Denis Shapovalov in the third round while former finalist Marin Cilic looms in the fourth round.
Nadal was critical of Wimbledon’s seeding formula, which relegated him below Federer, but ultimately it has made no difference, with both in the opposite half to Novak Djokovic, who will begin the defence of his title at 1pm on Centre Court on Monday against veteran German Philipp Kohlschreiber.
Andy Murray’s Wimbledon return in the doubles will pit the Scot and French partner Pierre-Hugues Herbert against Romania’s Marius Copil and Ugo Humbert of France.
Murray could potentially face his brother Jamie, playing with fellow British doubles specialist Neal Skupski, in the third round.
