Wimbledon hands wild cards to Naomi Osaka, Angelique Kerber and Caroline Wozniacki
- The former world number ones, plus local hope and US Open winner Emma Raducanu, were granted entry into the main draw after lengthy breaks
A trio of former world number ones in Angelique Kerber, Naomi Osaka and Caroline Wozniacki have been handed wild cards into the main draw of next month’s Wimbledon championship, the tournament organisers said on Wednesday.
Kerber, down at 224th in the world rankings after 18 months on maternity leave, won the tournament in 2018 and finished runner-up in 2016.
Osaka and Wozniacki, who both also took lengthy breaks from the tour during their pregnancies, have five grand slam titles between them.
Japan’s Osaka, who reached the quarter-finals of the Rosmalen Grass Court Championships last week, has progressed to the third round at Wimbledon on two occasions.
The 26-year-old, a former world number one and twice winner of both the Australian and US Opens, will be playing in the main draw of Wimbledon for the first time in five years after becoming a mother.
Wozniacki has made it to the last 16 six times. Disappointed to miss out on a wild card at the French Open, Wozniacki told Britain’s PA news agency: “I have so many special memories.