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Jasmine Paolini’s exit means only one of the top five women’s seeds — world number one Aryna Sabalenka — will be in the third round.
It is only the second time that this has happened in the professional era after Wimbledon 2018.
IMAGE: Russia’s Kamilla Rakhimova scored her first top-10 win, beating last year’s women’s singles runner-up and fourth seed Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in the second round of the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, on Wednesday, July 2, 2025. Photograph: Andrew Couldridge/Reuters
Last year’s runner-up Jasmine Paolini joined the exodus of fancied players at this year’s Wimbledon after the Italian fourth seed crashed out 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 to Russian Kamilla Rakhimova on Wednesday.
The ever-smiling Paolini’s sunshine tennis lit up the All England Club during her run to the title clash last year but the 29 year old cut a grim figure in the final set of her clash with Rakhimova on a shadowy Court Three.
IMAGE: Jasmine Paolini reacts after winning a point against Kamilla Rakhimova. Photograph: Andrew Couldridge/Reuters
Paolini, who was similarly dragged the distance in her opening victory over Anastasija Sevastova, was unable to muster the fight needed to quell the challenge of the unseeded Rakhimova and let her opponent build a 4-2 lead in the decider.
Rakhimova, enjoying her best run at the grasscourt Grand Slam, edged closer to victory when Paolini sent a shot long at the baseline in the final game and the 23 year old wrapped up her first top-10 win on her fourth match point.
Paolini’s exit means only one of the top five women’s seeds — world number one Aryna Sabalenka — will be in the third round. It is only the second time that this has happened in the professional era after Wimbledon 2018.
Raducanu back to her carefree best
IMAGE: Britain’s Emma Raducanu celebrates victory over the Czech Republic’s Marketa Vondrousova. Photograph: Isabel Infantes/Reuters
Facing a rival who has already experienced the joys of winning Wimbledon did not faze Emma Raducanu as the Briton rode out the ‘crazy pressure’ heaped on her slender shoulders to defeat Marketa Vondrousova 6-3, 6-3 in the second round.
In a battle between two Grand Slam champions, both unseeded after years of trials and tribulations, Czech Vondrousova would have fancied her chances of knocking out Britain’s big hope.
After all, the 2023 champion had arrived at the All England Club fresh from winning the grasscourt title in Berlin, with victories over Australian Open champion Madison Keys and world number one Aryna Sabalenka en route.
However, it was Raducanu whose game sparkled on Centre Court as she produced the kind of carefree, yet potent, shots that had carried her to the US Open title in 2021.
An eye-popping running backhand passing shot winner handed her the break for a 4-2 lead in the first set.
IMAGE: Marketa Vondrousova rushes to the net to return a drop from Emma Raducanu. Photograph: Isabel Infantes/Reuters
Although a sloppy service game gave Vondrousova the break back in the next game, the British number one wasted little time in regaining the advantage for a 5-3 lead after a forehand error from the Czech.
Moments later thundering roars from the Centre Court crowd could be heard around the All England Club, and beyond, as Vondrousova surrendered the set with yet another miscued forehand.
Clearly unsettled, the errors started piling up for Vondrousova, who had previously admitted that she did not envy the ‘crazy pressure’ Raducanu had to deal with day-in and day-out after becoming the first British woman to win a major in 44 years.
Yet another forehand slapped long by Vondrousova handed Raducanu a break for 2-1 and from then on there was no stopping the Briton. She sealed a third-round meeting with Sabalenka after her opponent swiped a backhand wide.
Keys stays on course
IMAGE: Madison Keys of the United States celebrates winning her second round match against Serbia’s Olga Danilovic. Photograph: Stephanie Lecocq/Reuters
There is nothing flashy about Madison Keys, but she knows how to get the job done and that priceless quality was on display as the American eased past Olga Danilovic 6-4, 6-2 to reach the third round.
The Australian Open champion is on the hunt for further Grand Slam glory at the All England Club and could become the first woman since the great Serena Williams to win those two majors in the same season.
Yet whereas Williams’s ferocious weapons were clear for all to see, sixth seed Keys, herself a big hitter, is more measured.
The 30 year old has a big forehand and serve, but a potent part of her arsenal is being able to step up when it matters most and it is something she has worked on.
IMAGE: 37th-ranked Olga Danilovic put up a brave fight, which included saving five break-points in one game in the second set. Photograph: Stephanie Lecocq/Reuters
The 37th-ranked Danilovic put up a brave fight, which included saving five break-points in one game in the second set, but Keys’ consistency meant she never looked like causing an upset.
On paper, the numbers were fairly even. The winners’ count was 19-15 in Keys’ favour while Danilovic made marginally more unforced errors — but Keys broke her opponent four times and lost her own serve once.
After a nervy opener when she beat Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse in three sets, this was far more comfortable for the American — and with rain returning to Wimbledon after scorching temperatures on the first two days, Keys was much happier.
Next up for Keys is Germany’s Laura Siegmund, who has already achieved her best result at Wimbledon by reaching the third round.
Sabalenka sees off Bouzkova
IMAGE: Aryna Sabalenka in action during her second round match against the Czech Republic’s Marie Bouzkova. Photograph: Isabel Infantes/Reuters
Aryna Sabalenka was given a tougher workout than she would have wanted before the top seed dismantled Czech Marie Bouzkova 7-6, 6-4 to advance to the third round.
As the sun played hide-and-seek with the grey clouds that hovered over Centre Court, Sabalenka kept knocking on the door in the opening set, but was shut out by Bouzkova each time and dropped serve with a double fault in the 11th game.
A frustrated Sabalenka let out a scream when she failed to convert a breakpoint in the next game, but the 27 year old quickly composed herself to force a tiebreak with a backhand winner on her next opportunity.
The three-times Grand Slam champion from Belarus, who has a golden opportunity to win her first Wimbledon title with several seeds losing early, led the tiebreak after a couple of errors from Bouzkova and wrapped up the set with a forehand winner.
An untimely error at the net by Bouzkova gifted Sabalenka the break in the fifth game of the second set and there was no looking back from there with the twice semi-finalist holding firm to close out the win.
Sabalenka said she was focused on avoiding the trapdoor after second seed Coco Gauff, number three Jessica Pegula, fifth seed Zheng Qinwen and number nine Paula Badosa were all sent packing in the first round.
