Wimbledon Day 1 preview: Naomi Osaka makes SW19 return; Coco Gauff, Matteo Berrettini headline opening day

Is Yastrenska just a big-stage player now? That’s one way of interpreting her results in 2024. The Ukrainian slugger won eight matches at the Australian Open, coming out of qualifying to reach the semifinals. After that, she went 5-8, and she hasn’t made it out of the second round anywhere. Right on cue, though, she has played well so far in Paris, winning her last match 6-2, 6-0 over Yafan Wang.

Yastremska will probably need to find another level beyond that to survive her third-round match. Gauff is the No. 3 seed and a former finalist at Roland Garros. She also won their only previous encounter, 6-4, 6-1, just last month on clay in Madrid. Gauff also hasn’t dropped a set in her first two rounds this week.

Gauff is the better player, but this rematch will be decided mostly on Yastremska’s racquet. She’s the bigger hitter, the bigger risk-taker and the much more erratic player. Gauff will want to make a solid percentage of first serves, because Yastremska won’t hold back on her second-serve returns. If her shots are clicking, she can blow them past even the speedy American. But they’ll need to be clicking for much longer than normal. Winner: Gauff

Gauff, the No. 3 seed and a former finalist at Roland Garros, won her only previous encounter with Yastremska, 6-4, 6-1.

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Ben Shelton vs. Felix Auger-Aliassime

Clay doesn’t exactly suit either of these guys’s games, but they haven’t minded too much in 2024. Shelton won his only title of the season on dirt in Houston, while Auger-Aliassime reached his only final on clay in Madrid.

Their first meeting should bring some late-day shot-making fireworks to Court 14. Both guys rely on their serves as their most important weapons, and then kind of muscle the ball around the court from there. That means the sets might be decided by a point or two. Which of them is more likely to connect on a couple of returns that will get him a break? Which is more likely to raise his game in a tiebreaker?

FAA has been ranked higher and may be the better overall player, but Shelton likes a crowd, and he’ll get a lively one on this side court. Winner: Shelton

Shelton won his only title of the season on dirt in Houston, while Auger-Aliassime reached his only final on clay in Madrid.

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Carlos Alcaraz vs. Sebastian Korda

When Korda beat Alcaraz two years ago in Monte Carlo, it was possible to imagine the young American and Spaniard being rivals at the top of the sport for years to come. Korda had already reached the fourth round at Roland Garros, and he had major-champion genes from his father. So far, though, only Alcaraz has kept up his end of the bargain. Korda is ranked 28th, and he hasn’t made much progress at the Slams. In Rome two weeks ago, he followed a strong performance in his opener with a listless loss to Taylor Fritz in the second round.

There will be no room for listlessness on Friday. He’ll be playing at night, in Chatrier, against the most popular young star in the sport. The crowd, as they are everywhere he goes, will be behind Alcaraz. But how much will Alcaraz back himself? He has been nursing a right forearm injury, and he had his share of shaky moments against 135th-ranked Jesper de Jong in his last match. But he also settled down and recovered well from those moments.

Korda is oft-injured, but right now he’s healthy, and he has an opportunity on a big stage, against a big name. Let’s see what he can do with it. Winner: Alcaraz

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