The Female Wimbledon Wildcards To Watch (And Name Drop) This Year

Katie Boulter has stormed up the world rankings despite taking all of 2016 out due to injury. Currently world no. 127, she has won six singles and four double titles on the ITF Women's Circuit. She made her Wimbledon debut in 2021 and leads the next generation of tennis stars rising this year as wild cards. 'Whether we dominate this year or in five years' time is something we will have to see,' she told the Telegraph last year, 'I'm 21 - The average age [at Wimbledon] is a lot higher so I've got many more years to experience - I hope we are going to be seeing more of the next generation.

Katie Swan is coming into Wimbledon ranked 163. We caught up with her ahead of her first match last year to find out how she felt preparing for the world's biggest tennis tournament, where she specified hopes for not needing a wildcard ranking in years to come. 'Hopefully my ranking will be high enough to get in to the tournament of my own,' she told Grazia of her ambitions, 'but I'm really grateful for the opportunity...and I feel like I'm ready for it, and will go out there and give it my everything.'

Serena Williams, a wild card? We know. We were confused at first too. The biggest icon in tennis over the past two decades hasn't competed in competitive singles since limping off the court during last year's first round due to injury. Although she has previously won seven singles titles at the tournament, nobody knows what to expect when she takes to the court this year. After suffering her ham string injury, she plummeted through the rankings to 1,208th, and so needed a wildcard to compete for 2022.

Jodie Burrage, 23, just beat the world number four player Paula Badosa at the Rothesay International Eastbourne. She's currently ranked 169th and has won four singles titles and five doubles titles on the ITF Circuit. Last year, she was defeated 6-2, 6-1 at Wimbledon by Lauren Davis. 'I gave it my all,' she said of the loss. 'I tried to work things out there. It just didn't happen. I'm going to speak to my coaches in further detail later, but I'm really happy to be here at Wimbledon.' And she's back better than ever for 2022.

Born in South-East London, raised in Brighton, 20-year-old Sonay Kartal has been zoomed up the rankings to 268th ahead of the Wimbledon tournament. 'I remember at the start of the year, someone asked me what my goal for the season was and I said my goal was to be top 500,' she told the Ealing Times. 'And then I think two weeks after that I did it and I thought: "Oh God." And then the next goal was 300 and I've done that now. 'I always believed that I wasn't far off,' she added. It was just whether I could prove whether I was far off. My belief has always been there.'

26-year-old Lily (Yuriko) Miyazaki switched her allegiance from Japan to Great Britain in March and went on to beat Magdalena Frech at the Rothesay Open Nottingham in June. 'I have really enjoyed my grass court season, this is my first one so I am just enjoying every match I get,' she told reporters. This will be her first adult Wimbledon, although she has previously played at juniors and is ranked 199th.

Russian-born Australian player Daria Saville has had an incredible comeback season after suffering an achilles injury and dropping down the rankings, only to climb back up to the top 100 in 96th place just shy of Wimbledon's cut-off deadline. Of her wild card, Saville said: So excited and grateful for the opportunity to play another Wimbledon! Thanks so much to the AELTC for the WC! Can’t wait!!!'