The women to watch at Wimbledon

The Brit to Watch. World ranking: 19

Britain’s number one has had a phenomenal rise — she’s gone from a ranking of 126 before Wimbledon in 2015 to the top 20 in a year. The 25-year-old is a real inspiration, proof that dedication, grit, hard work and application can pay off. She used to be a bit jittery, but now she’s unbelievably fit. Her serve is a massive weapon and she’ll be tough to beat on grass.

The Champion. World ranking: 1

Our greatest current player is one title shy of Steffi Graf’s 22 grand slams — and has come very close to equalling it. At the 2015 US Open she lost in the semi- finals, then put herself in the position again to match Graf at the Australian Open and French Open this year, but lost in the final of both. At 34, she hasn’t quite managed to get herself over the line, so it’s a hugely significant time in her career. It seems she’s just slightly faltering with the pressure, but she’s definitely my top pick for Wimbledon. It will be all about how she handles the situation, because it seems as if, in the past three slams, what she’s been trying to do has slightly got the better of her.

The Spanish Hotshot. World ranking: 2

Garbiñe Muguruza is a real revelation, and a new star in women’s tennis. It’s so thrilling that she’s broken through now — the game needed someone new. She reached the final at Wimbledon last year and, at 22, has just won the French Open, her first grand slam. She has a wonderful poise and elegance in the way she handles herself on the court. She’s got a lovely personality, too — she’s extremely popular, she’s very classy both in terms of her game and the way she goes about her business off court, so I think she’s going to be a real crowd-pleaser.

The Brit to Back. World ranking:55

The 24-year-old Brit is my second pick for the title — she’s so exciting. She’s got a neat and tidy game, she was beaten by Serena Williams at Wimbledon in the third round last year, but has vastly improved since then. She plays a different type of game — she’s light on her feet, and makes you play very hard.