The grass is cut, the draw ceremony is set for June 26, and the Wimbledon main draw begins on June 29 — but the most consequential date for the women’s game falls in between. The rankings published on Monday, June 22 will lock in the seedings for The Championships, and right now the most valuable line on the entry list, the No. 1 seed, is still up for grabs.
The race. Aryna Sabalenka holds top spot on the PIF WTA Rankings with 9,090 points, ahead of Elena Rybakina on 8,143, with Iga ĹšwiÄ…tek a clear third. Since 2021 Wimbledon has seeded strictly by ranking, so whoever sits at No. 1 on June 22 takes the top seed and the friendlier side of the projected draw. Sabalenka has held the position for much of the season; Rybakina, the reigning Australian Open champion, has spent the spring trying to close the gap.
Why it’s slipping away. Rybakina’s bid keeps stalling at the worst moments. She fell early at Roland Garros, lost her Queen’s Club quarter-final to home favorite Katie Boulter, and then exited her opening match in Berlin to Alex Eala, the world No. 35, on Thursday. By the reckoning of several tour outlets, she has not beaten a top-20 player since the Italian Open in May. Each missed opportunity has handed Sabalenka breathing room rather than forcing the issue.
The Wimbledon twist. There is a sting in the tail. Sabalenka has a large points total to defend at SW19 after reaching the 2025 semi-finals, while Rybakina lost in the third round a year ago and has very little to protect. That makes Wimbledon itself a genuine chance for Rybakina to surge — but the seeding is decided first, on June 22, before a ball is struck. Form and seeding are, for once, pulling in opposite directions.
Around the top. Defending champion ĹšwiÄ…tek, who lifted her sixth major at Wimbledon last year, projects as the No. 3 seed, with Coco Gauff and newly minted Roland Garros champion Mirra Andreeva also in the top tier. On the men’s side the picture is calmer: world No. 1 and defending champion Jannik Sinner is the projected top seed, with Roland Garros winner Alexander Zverev at No. 2. Carlos Alcaraz (wrist) and Lorenzo Musetti (thigh) are both out injured, reshaping the bottom of the men’s seeding order.
The week ahead. Expect every Sabalenka and Rybakina result between now and Monday to be read through the ranking lens. Sabalenka remains live in Berlin; Rybakina has already been eliminated there. The seedings, and the shape of the draw, will be settled before the players ever reach Church Road.
