Who’s built to win Wimbledon? Here are Martina Navratilova's eight players to watch

With nine Wimbledon titles to her name, Martina Navratilova knows a thing or two about grass-court tennis. Here are the eight players she believes are best positioned to make a deep run this year.

No one in tennis history had a better track record at the All England Club than Martina Navratilova. The synergy between athlete and that living, breathing surface was something to behold.

Navratilova won nine Wimbledon singles titles -- one more than Roger Federer -- and 120 matches there, the most of any player at a Grand Slam in the Open Era and eight more than Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros. From 1982 to 1988, she rattled off a sublime 47-match winning streak on those hallowed lawns.

With that resume in mind, we asked Navratilova to weigh in on the current field. Who stands out to her? Who does she think is built for a deep run on grass this year?

Here are the eight players she’ll be watching most closely (players with at least five career Wimbledon match-wins) and what she sees as their best path to going deep next week:

No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka

Wimbledon W-L: 11-5

Notable performances: Semifinalist 2021, 2023, did not play 2022, 2024

2025 on grass: Defeated Elena Rybakina in the Berlin quarterfinals before losing to eventual champion Marketa Vondrousova in the semifinals.

Navratilova: Looking at her record, it’s hard to think she’s not the favorite this year. She’s a complete player and has a good game for grass. It’s hard to find a weakness or an opening against her. I’m wondering if losing the French Open final will actually help motivate her. I think she finds herself in a good spot.

Sabalenka escapes Rybakina in Berlin quarterfinals

No. 2 Coco Gauff

Wimbledon W-L: 11-5

Notable performances: Round of 16 2019, 2021, 2024

2025 on grass: Lost her first (and only) match on grass in Berlin 6-3, 6-3 to eventual finalist Wang Xinyu.

Navratilova: I think I’d put Coco as the second favorite. The great athletes always shine on grass. She’s the best athlete in the women’s game. That should pay off for her, and she’s flying high after winning the French Open. It’s just about managing her game, managing her body, her emotions. She’s found the happy medium, the equilibrium between being focused and fired up.

No. 3 Jessica Pegula

Wimbledon W-L: 8-5

Notable performances: Quarterfinalist 2023

2025 on grass: Lost her first match in Berlin to Liudmila Samsonova 7-6 (8), 7-5, 7-6 (5). Playing Bad Homburg.

Navratilova: I think her weapon is consistency -- and a good volley because she’s played a lot of doubles. I would love to see her come forward more often and finish points at net. If the draw is even slightly friendly, she could get to the semis and then she’s going to be confident, maybe more aggressive.

No. 4 Jasmine Paolini

Wimbledon W-L: 6-4

Notable performances: Finalist 2024

2025 on grass: Lost her first match in Berlin to two-time Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur. Playing Bad Homburg.

Navratilova: It was fun to see her run last year, beating Madison Keys and Emma Navarro back-to-back and taking Barbora Krejcikova to three sets in the final. She won Rome and is still a force to be reckoned with. I definitely see her living up to the seeding.

No. 6 Madison Keys

Wimbledon W-L: 25-10

Notable performances: Quarterfinalist 2015, 2023

2025 on grass: Reached the semifinals at Queen’s Club, losing to eventual champion Tatjana Maria; fell 7-5, 7-6 (6) to Marketa Vondrousova in Berlin.

Navratilova: After winning Australia, there’s a huge weight off her shoulders. Weapons are what win on grass and she’s got them. I think she’s the third favorite to win the tournament, after Sabalenka and not far behind Gauff.

No. 8 Iga Swiatek

Wimbledon W-L: 11-5

Notable performances: Quarterfinalist 2023

2025 on grass: Playing Bad Homburg.

Navratilova: Just the fact that she hits the ball so well gives her a chance. Backhand, solid as a rock. Forehand is good enough, even though it doesn’t pay off as much on the grass as it does on clay. We haven’t seen the draw, but hopefully, she won’t be in Sabalenka’s quarter.

No. 9 Paula Badosa

Wimbledon W-L: 10-5

Notable performances: Round of 16 2021, 2022, 2024

2025 on grass: Won first two matches Berlin, over wild card Eva Lys and Emma Navarro, before retiring (right hip injury) against Wang.

Navratilova: It was tough to watch her struggle with the back injury. It’s good to see her relatively healthy again, playing well in Berlin. Three Round of 16s … she’s got a game that plays well on grass. If I were a betting person -- which I am not -- I would be putting money on Keys and Badosa to go deep.

No. 11 Elena Rybakina

Wimbledon W-L: 19-3

Notable performances: Winner 2022, semifinalist 2024, quarterfinalist 2023

2025 on grass: Lost to Tatjana Maria in the Queen’s Club and Aryna Sabalenka in Berlin, both in the quarterfinals.

Navratilova: No weaknesses, good athlete. Not afraid to go forward and knock off the volley. She’s got soft enough hands to hit drop shots and plays really smart, high-percentage tennis. She reminds me of Lindsay Davenport, the effortless way she hits the ball. She’s not swinging hard, but it’s a heavy ball.

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