The prestigious Wimbledon tournament is set to begin on Monday, June 30, featuring top tennis players from around the globe. Brazil will be represented in the singles event by two competitors: João Fonseca and Bia Haddad Maia.
Currently ranked 57th in the world, João Fonseca will face British player Jacob Fearnley, who holds the 51st ranking. The two have met twice this year, with João winning both encounters at the Challenger in Canberra and the Masters 1000 in Indian Wells. Should he overcome Fearnley, he will play against either Dutch player Tallon Griekspoor (ranked 34th) or American Jenson Brooksby (149th) in the second round. João also has a potential matchup against Norwegian Holger Rune (8th) or Spanish player Carlos Alcaraz (2nd) in later rounds.
In preparation for this grass season, João reached the round of 16 at the ATP Eastbourne 250 tournament.
On the women’s side, Bia Haddad Maia, currently ranked 21st, will face Slovakian player Rebecca Sramkova (36th) in the first round. Bia boasts a solid record against Sramkova, having won four of their six previous encounters, though Sramkova won their last match at the end of February without dropping a set. If Bia advances, she will likely have an edge in the second round against the winner of the match between British Harriet Dart (124th) and Hungarian Dalma Galfi (112th).
Bia reached the quarterfinals at the WTA 500 tournament in Bad Homburg before heading to Wimbledon.
The lead-up to the tournament has been challenging for Brazilian players. Thiago Wild and Thiago Monteiro faced early exits, and Felipe Meligeni made it past the first round before being eliminated by Japan’s Shintaro Mochizuki. Among the women, Laura Pigossi was eliminated in the qualifying rounds by Canadian Bianca Andreescu.
In doubles, Brazil’s fortunes have also been mixed. The all-Brazilian team of Marcelo Melo and Rafael Matos will compete against compatriot Orlando Luz, who will partner with Croatian Ivan Dodig in the first round. In women’s doubles, Brazilian Luisa Stefani and Hungarian Tímea Babos will play against Belgian Magali Kempen and Romanian Jaqueline Cristian, while Bia Haddad Maia and German Laura Siegemund will face American duo Hailey Baptiste and Caty McNally.
Brazil’s participation in Wimbledon showcases the country’s budding tennis talent, and fans can look forward to exciting matches ahead.