Canada’s highest ranked female tennis player Bianca Andreescu has officially withdrawn from this year’s Wimbledon.
The 19-year-old, who is currently world No.25, is out with a shoulder injury which dates back to March when she won the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells.
Andreescu became the second-youngest player in history to claim that title – and the first ever wildcard winner.
Bianca Andreescu is Canada’s highest ranked player, but has had to pull out of this year’s Wimbledon tournament due to a shoulder injury
But the teenager’s injury meant she had to withdraw from the second round of the French Open in May, and now Wimbledon.
This means Eugenie ‘Genie’ Bouchard is the only Canadian woman entered in the women’s singles at Wimbledon.
In total, six Canadian players are in this year’s tournament and even tennis legend John McEnroe is taking notice of his neighbours in the Great White North, recently saying: ‘Who would have thought that the best prospects would be Canadians? We’re looking with egg on our faces in America.’
Here’s who will be playing in London when Wimbledon starts on Monday July 1.
Eugenie Bouchard
Genie is flying the flag for Canada as the only woman entered into the women’s singles this year
Eugenie ‘Genie’ Bouchard made her name back in 2014, when she was the first Canadian-born player representing Canada to reach the final of a Grand Slam tournament at the Wimbledon Championships, finishing runner-up to Petra Kvitova.
She won the singles title at the WTA Nuremberg Cup in 2014 and also reached the semifinals of the 2014 Australian Open and the 2014 French Open. That year, Genie made history by becoming the first female Canadian tennis player to be ranked in the top 5 in singles.
The 25-year-old tennis star is a twin, and they are named after UK Royals Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice. She is also a model who has been compared to Russian tennis ace Maria Sharapova.
Currently ranked world No.79, Genie, who has beaten Serena Williams before, took a break from tennis earlier this year to ‘get healthy’.
But she looked on fine form as she channeled Williams when she posted a photo of herself on social media wearing a black catsuit as she trained for Wimbledon.
It comes three years after she caused controversy at the tournament when her Nike dress ‘malfunctioned’.
The catsuit won’t make it onto the Wimbledon courts due to their strict dress code, but all eyes will be on Genie as she looks to win her first Grand Slam title.
Milos Raonic
Milos Raonic is one of the most successful Canadian singles players in history, with a career-high No.3 ranking, which matches Greg Rusedski, Canada’s most successful player to date
Milos Raonic was beaten in the 2016 Wimbledon final by Britain’s Andy Murray, but is back this year with hopes to win his first Grand Slam title.
The 28-year-old world No. 17 is one of the most successful Canadian singles players of all time.
His career-high No.3 ranking matches Greg Rusedski, Canada’s most successful tennis player to date.
Montenegro-born Raonic, who moved to Canada when he was three, is the first Canadian male to reach the French Open quarterfinals, the Australian Open semifinals and the Wimbledon final.
He is seeded number 15 in this year’s Wimbledon tournament.
Felix Auger-Aliassime
Felix Auger-Aliassime is currently the youngest player to have a world ranking, which is No. 21
Teenage hotshot Felix Auger-Aliassime will make his Wimbledon debut this year and is definitely one to watch.
The 18-year-old, who began playing at the age of five, is one of the biggest new talents in the world of tennis, and the youngest player to have a world ranking, which is currently No. 21.
Auger-Aliassime, whose nicknames are ‘FA2’ and ‘Ogr’, shares a birthday with his idol Roger Federer, who he has trained with in Dubai.
His father is a tennis coach and his sister Malika also plays tennis.
The Montreal native’s career highs so far are winning the US Open junior singles title in 2016 and the US open junior doubles title with fellow Canadian Denis Shapovalov – but he will be hoping for his first professional win at Wimbledon this year.
Denis Shapovalov
Can Shapo get his big career breakthrough at this year’s Wimbledon?
Nicknamed ‘Shapo’, the Russian-Canadian beat world No.1 Novak Djokovic in a Wimbledon warm up, so let’s hope he can do it when the real competition starts.
Currently ranked world No.27, Shapovalov is the youngest player to have cracked the Top 30 since 2005.
The 20-year-old rose to prominence by reaching a Masters semifinal at the 2017 Canadian Open, beating Grand Slam champions Rafael Nadal and Juan Martin del Potro. He has since reached another semifinal at the 2019 Madrid Open.
Shapo, who is billed as one of the NextGen tennis stars alongside his compatriot Auger-Aliassime, will be looking for his big breakthrough at this year’s Wimbledon.
Vasek Pospisil
Pospisil will make his comeback at this year’s Wimbledon after a back injury at the Paris Masters put him out of action
Vasek Pospisil has been out for nearly nine months due to a back injury, but is making his return at Wimbledon on a protected ranking of No.73.
The Vancouver native had surgery in January after injuring himself during a qualifying match at the Paris Masters in October, but is now back on fighting form.
He tweeted a photo of himself at the All England Club with the caption: ‘8 months since my lower back injury in October last year, and undergoing surgery, I’m ready to go!
‘Wouldn’t want my comeback tournament to be any other than @Wimbledon. So happy to be back and grateful for being healthy & ready for competition again. #Wimbledon.’
The 29-year-old caught the attention of the tennis world when he won the Wimbledon doubles crown with Jack Sock in 2014 and the Indian Wells doubles title in 2015.
Pospisil reached the quarterfinals in singles at Wimbledon in 2015, but lost in the first round – so could 2019 be his year?
Gabriela Dabrowski
Gabriela Dabrowski with her doubles partner Xu Yifan of China
Leading the women’s doubles hopes for Canada is Gabriela Dabrowski, who is seeded with partner, Xu Yifan, of China.
The Ottawa-born 27-year-old became the first Canadian woman to win a Grand Slam title when she triumphed in the French Open mixed doubles with Rohan Bopanna in 2017.
She also won the 2018 Australian mixed doubles title with Mate Pavic. Now Dabrowski will be hoping to make Grand Slam history with Xu.
Their team is seeded fourth in the women’s doubles at Wimbledon – so can Dabrowski make it a Grand Slam hat trick?