Krejcikova, Paolini, Gauff, or Raducanu: Which players have the most points to defend on grass?

The grass season has begun this week on the WTA tour with the tournaments at Queen’s and ’s-Hertogenbosch.

Several Top 10 players like Qinwen Zheng, Madison Keys, or Emma Navarro are already in action at Queen’s, while Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, and Jessica Pegula will compete at the WTA 500 in Berlin next week.

The women’s Top 10 as a whole has very few points to defend, except for Jasmine Paolini (1,495 points), who reached the semifinals in Eastbourne and played the Wimbledon final last year. World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka could lose just 108 points, as she exited in the quarterfinals in Berlin and withdrew from Wimbledon due to a shoulder injury.

Behind her, Coco Gauff (425 points) and Jessica Pegula (505 points) also face little threat. Mirra Andreeva (11 points), who has risen to new heights this season, has a big opportunity ahead.

Iga Swiatek, who dropped to No. 7 in the rankings, will defend 130 points, having only played at Wimbledon last year, where she lost in the third round.

Outside the Top 10, Barbora Krejcikova, the defending Wimbledon champion, has a lot at stake. The world No. 17, who missed the first part of the season due to a back injury, could lose up to 2,055 points and suffer a significant drop in the rankings.

Finally, Emma Raducanu, who is currently in the quarterfinals at Queen’s, is defending 446 points. Last year, she reached the semifinals in Nottingham, the quarterfinals in Eastbourne, and the fourth round at Wimbledon.