The 2026 Wimbledon women’s singles event is one of the most unpredictable in recent memory.
Several big-name players, including Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, and Elena Rybakina, have failed to impress on grass ahead of Wimbledon.
So there is every chance that a dark horse comes through and causes a surprise or two at the All England Club.
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During the latest episode of the ‘Love All‘ podcast, former world number one Kim Clijsters shared her dark horse pick.
Kim Clijsters names Tatjana Maria as her Wimbledon dark horse
“I feel like on the grass courts, Tatjana Maria can always cause some upsets,” she said.
“There are so many players who don’t like playing against her, because she has that very unorthodox game style.
“I like seeing that, players who are so good on a surface where the game really matches.
“She is somebody who can make it really tricky for a lot of players.
“On any other surface, a lot of her shots would just get punished, but it works on grass.”
Tatjana Maria’s game has caused problems for several players this year, winning six matches on grass.
And even in her three defeats, she’s looked dangerous.
Maria came close to knocking the former Wimbledon champion, Rybakina, out of the Queen’s Club Championships, narrowly falling short in three sets.
Tatjana Maria’s record on grass this year (6-3)
- Birmingham Classic 1R [WIN] vs Linda Fruhvirtova, 6-0, 6-1
- Birmingham Classic 2R [LOSS] vs Rebeka Masarova, 4-6, 3-6
- Queen’s Club Championships Q1 [WIN] vs Yuriko Miyazaki, 6-2, 1-6, 6-2
- Queen’s Club Championships Q2 [WIN] vs Kamilla Rakhimova, 6-4, 6-3
- Queen’s Club Championships 1R [WIN] vs Maria Sakkari, 6-3, 6-3
- Queen’s Club Championships 2R [LOSS] vs Elena Rybakina, 7-6, 5-7, 0-6
- Nottingham Open 1R [WIN] vs Janice Tjen, 6-3, 6-2
- Nottingham Open 2R [WIN] vs Dayana Yastremska, 6-1, 6-2
- Nottingham Open QF [LOSS] vs Marie Bouzkova, 5-7, 0-6
- Eastbourne Open 1R [WIN] vs Jasmine Paolini, 6-4, 6-3
- Eastbourne Open 2R [WIN] vs Anastasia Zakharova, 6-2, 6-1
It was at Queen’s that Maria had a point to prove, having been denied a main draw wild card, despite winning the title a year ago.
Reminding everyone just how good she can be on grass, Maria advanced through qualifying, before defeating Maria Sakkari in her opener.
After losing to Rybakina, Maria reached the quarter-finals in Nottingham and Eastbourne, where she could yet win her first title of the season.
Maria will play Czechia’s Tereza Valentova in the Eastbourne Open quarter-finals.
The 38-year-old German may not be a genuine contender for the title, but you won’t find many top players who want to play her in the early rounds.
On her day, on grass, Maria can beat almost anyone, so don’t be surprised if she does just that at SW19 this summer.
Kim Clijsters would like Jessica Pegula to win her first Grand Slam at Wimbledon
Clijsters then shared her thoughts on a player who could well get her hands on the Wimbledon trophy next month.
“I’m very interested to see Jessie [Pegula],” she said.
“I think she’s ready to win a Slam, and I think she could do it probably better on the grass courts.
“So I kind of want to see her win one.”
Pegula is the highest-ranked player in women’s tennis without a Grand Slam title.
WTA Top 5 and their Grand Slam wins
- 1. Aryna Sabalenka (4)
- 2. Elena Rybakina (2)
- 3. Iga Swiatek (6)
- 4. Jessica Pegula (0)
- 5. Mirra Andreeva (1)
She came closest two years ago when she reached the final of the US Open, losing to Sabalenka at Flushing Meadows.
Clijsters believes Wimbledon might be her best chance, and given her recent performances, you can understand why.
Pegula was the champion in Bad Homburg 12 months ago and just reached the final of the Berlin Open.
However, her Wimbledon record leaves a lot to be desired.
Jessica Pegula’s Grand Slam record
| Grand Slam | Best performance | Latest performance | Win/Loss record | Win % |
| Australian Open | SF – 2026 | SF – 2026 | 20-7 | 74% |
| French Open | QF – 2022 | 1R – 2026 | 11-7 | 61% |
| Wimbledon | QF – 2023 | 1R – 2025 | 8-6 | 57% |
| US Open | F – 2024 | SF – 2025 | 23-9 | 72% |
Pegula has won just 57% of her matches at the All England Club, and lost her opening match in 2025.
If she wants to win the title this year, she will need to find another gear at the Championships.
Pegula will discover her first-round opponent when the draw is made on Friday, June 26.
