Wimbledon 2018 is not far away now, with the first rounds set to take place on the 2nd and 3rd of July. Tennis fans around the world are already waiting for the oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament on the calendar to begin but for two players this year’s event could be the perfect stage for them to announce their comebacks as world powers in tennis, those players being Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams.
Sharapova, 31, is the former world number one and has won multiple grand slam titles in her career which began back in 2001. In 2016, Sharapova revealed to the public that she had failed a drug test at the Australian Open of the same year and this saw her receive a ban from the sport for a total of 15 months. Having been back in action for over a year, the Russian has so far failed to find her magic touch once again and is currently ranked 23rd in the world.
April 19th, 2017 was a very important date for Serena Williams, who is regarded as the best female tennis player of all time by many. She announced that she would be taking a break from tennis until 2018 due to being pregnant which meant that she would miss the tournament at Wimbledon the same year. Williams returned to action in February of this year in doubles action at the Fed Cup alongside her sister Venus, losing in the first round to Lesley Kerkhove and Demi Schuurs.
Williams then made her Grand Slam return at the French Open and made it through the first, second and third rounds, before setting up a match against Sharapova in the fourth. Unfortunately, Williams sustained a pectoral muscle injury prior to the match against the Russian and was forced to withdraw. So, while the pair didn’t meet at the French Open, it could happen at Wimbledon, and they have a lot of things in common.
Both players are former world numbers ones, with multiple grand slams under their belts. They’re also both former Wimbledon champions too, and this could be the perfect stage for them both to find their feet once again in the sport. With both women having been out of the game for extended periods, it’s going to take time for them to rediscover that magic touch; and Wimbledon is the perfect place for this to happen. Betting.com is the ideal place to keep up with all the latest developments and gossip as Wimbledon approaches, as well as providing a list of trusted betting brands; in case anyone wants to place a small wager on who they fancy winning this coveted Grand Slam.
As things stand, both Sharapova and Williams are being tipped by the bookmakers with having a realistic chance of lifting that Wimbledon crown once again. Williams in fact is the second favourite in the eyes of many, behind Petra Kvitkova, and there’s a belief that the current world number 451 could find that Midas touch to claim her eighth Wimbledon title. Both Sharapova and Williams will face stiff competition throughout but with both having a point to prove, this could indeed be the telling factor on the biggest stage of them all.
