“I want to face [Aryna] Sabalenka!” These were the words that Teodora Kostovic had said after reaching Wimbledon‘s main draw as a qualifier on Thursday. Less than 24 hours later, the Serb’s wish was granted as she was drawn against the World No. 1 for the first round. Though most of the qualifiers won’t be buzzing about facing a player like Aryna Sabalenka in the first round, Kostovic is pretty optimistic about her chances.

“Let’s see if she can deal with my power,” the 18-year-old had said after qualifying for the main draw. “Of course, I can beat her. I can beat anybody when I’m in the zone.”

A former junior No. 4, Kostovic is touted to be Serbia’s next big hope in women’s tennis. Having reached the quarterfinals of the girls’ singles draw last year at Wimbledon, she is now set to make her first-ever Grand Slam main draw appearance.

After turning pro in 2024, Kostovic turned a lot of heads with her significant jump in the rankings in 2025. She had vaulted from No. 898 to No. 190 by the end of the year. This led to her being named on the qualifier list for the 2026 Australian Open. But she had failed to reach the main draw after being defeated 6-0, 6-2 in the second qualifying round by Marina Stakusic.

Kostovic’s fate wouldn’t change at the French Open either, as she would get defeated 7-6, 3-6, 6-2 by Kaitlin Quevedo in the second round of qualifying. However, Wimbledon proved to be a completely different story. A major reason behind this is that grass is a surface where Kostovic likes playing.

She had previously achieved success on the surface by defeating Iva Jovic to win the junior title at Roehampton two years ago. She gave solid performances throughout the SW19’s qualifying rounds and only dropped one set in the three matches.

Kostovic first defeated Yeon Woo Ku 6-1, 6-4 before taking on Rebecca Sramkova. This would prove to be the Serb’s biggest challenge as she would go on to lose the first set, and the second would go down to the wire.

However, Kostovic dug deep and pulled off a superb comeback to win 4-6, 7-6, 6-4. She then took on Zhu Lin in the final round of qualifying. The latter wouldn’t be able to provide much of a challenge, as the 18-year-old triumphed 6-3, 6-4.

Though Sabalenka is the clear favorite in her first-round clash against Kostovic, the Serb would definitely want to prove a point in her first-ever main draw match at a Grand Slam. She will be determined to pull off the major upset and will back herself to deliver against the World No. 1.

On the other hand, Sabalenka will be aiming to begin her campaign on a strong note. The 28-year-old will be hoping that she doesn’t get exhausted in the first round itself, as she can go on to face very tough opponents in the opening few rounds.

Aryna Sabalenka handed nightmare draw for Wimbledon

If she makes it past Kostovic, then McCartney Kessler may be the one awaiting Sabalenka in the second round. The Belarusian holds a 1-0 lead on the H2H record and will back herself to win this encounter.

The third round could be Sabalenka’s first big test at Wimbledon, as she can lock horns against Emma Raducanu. The two had met at the same stage at last year’s SW19, with Sabalenka winning 7-6, 6-4. Though she leads the H2H record by 3-0, she still can’t make the mistake of underestimating a player like Raducanu. The Brit has been in good form in the grass swing and has recently reached the final at the Queen’s Club.

Should Sabalenka navigate through, she can then be up against Naomi Osaka in the fourth round. The world No. 1 leads the H2H record by 3-1 and had defeated the Japanese at the French Open last month. Osaka did show form on grass this season by reaching the final of the Bad Homburg Open, where she eventually had to retire at 6-1, 1-0 against Karolina Muchova due to an issue with her right foot.

Coming back, Sabalenka’s problems would only increase in the quarterfinals as Mirra Andreeva could be her potential opponent. The Russian is coming off a monumental triumph at the French Open and is even considered by many as the player to beat. Though Sabalenka leads the H2H by 4-2, Andreeva certainly won’t be an easy opponent to tackle.

The semifinals could see the resumption of the rivalry between Sabalenka and Coco Gauff. The Belarusian leads the H2H record by 7-6, but she could be considered the favorite in this clash mainly because of Gauff’s dismal record at Wimbledon. Her best result at the tournament has only been a fourth-round finish. This could help Sabalenka get the structural advantage if the two meet in the later stages.

If Sabalenka goes on to reach the final, then her potential opponents could either be Elena Rybakina or Iga Swiatek. Neither of them will be a comfortable opponent to play against. Rybakina had defeated Sabalenka in the Australian Open final earlier this year and is considered a strong player on grass.

On the other hand, Swiatek is the defending champion and leads the H2H record against Sabalenka by 8-5. However, both Rybakina and Swiatek aren’t in great form at the moment, holding win-loss records of 1-2 and 0-1 on grass this season so far.

Reaching the final would already be a major achievement for Sabalenka, who has never made it past the semis at Wimbledon. It remains to be seen how the World No. 1 will handle the tough draw and if she will be able to go on a winning run at the Grand Slam.