Emma Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion and World No. 38, faces a formidable path at Wimbledon 2025, starting June 30, with a potential second-round clash against 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova or No. 32 seed McCartney Kessler, followed by a possible third-round match against World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka. The draw, finalized on June 27, pits the unseeded British No. 1 against 17-year-old wildcard Mingge Xu in the first round, an all-British opener, per *BBC Sport*. Raducanu, who reached the fourth round at Wimbledon in 2021 and 2024, must navigate this gauntlet to surpass her career-best at SW19.
Raducanu’s first-round opponent, Xu, ranked No. 302, is a promising junior from Swansea making her Grand Slam debut, per *ESPN*. Despite Xu’s inexperience, Raducanu, managing a lingering back injury, cannot afford to underestimate her, having withdrawn from Bad Homburg and lost early at Eastbourne to Maya Joint (4-6, 6-1, 7-6(4)), per *The Standard*. A win would set up a second-round match against Vondrousova, who defeated Raducanu 6-2, 6-4 at Wimbledon 2021, or Kessler, the recent Nottingham Open champion, per *WTA*. Vondrousova’s grass-court pedigree, including her 2023 title, makes her a daunting foe, though her recent thigh injury withdrawal from Eastbourne raises questions, per *The Independent*.
Should Raducanu advance, a third-round showdown with top seed Sabalenka, who opens against qualifier Carson Branstine, awaits, per *Sky Sports*. Sabalenka, a two-time semifinalist at Wimbledon, has a 1-0 head-to-head edge over Raducanu, winning 6-3, 6-4 at Indian Wells 2024, per *ESPN*. Raducanu’s back issues, treated with acupuncture and taping, add uncertainty, but her emotional Eastbourne win over Ann Li (6-7(5), 6-3, 6-1) showed resilience, per *The Guardian*. Fans on X, like @islandtennisace, called the draw “brutal,” noting potential fourth-round foe Elina Svitolina, while @TennisworldUSA emphasized Sabalenka’s threat. Raducanu’s home-crowd support and grass-court flair will be tested in this challenging path.
