This image is a derivative of Petra Kvitova, by Peter Menzel (CC BY-SA 2.0)

In addition to breaking 46 long years of unwanted Australian sporting history at the French Open, Ash Barty also confirmed something else.

That more than ever, the WTA is open for business.

By winning at Roland Garros, Barty became the 9th different woman to have collected a Grand Slam crown from the last 12 available, speaking clearly to how incredibly open the women’s game is right now. 

For comparison's sake, just six different men have shared the last 42 available major titles.

This is a golden period of competitive WTA diversity and provides so much confidence to the plethora of talent across the tour that their time is now to break through and claim a life-changing Grand Slam title.

Over the next couple of weeks, the green grass of Wimbledon will be the next opportunity for so many patiently waiting in line to take their chance at glory.

So who should we be watching over the next couple of weeks, and who has the best long-shot potential?

5 LADIES TO KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON AT WIMBLEDON

ASHLEIGH BARTY

As if all eyes won’t already be on Australia's new national sporting hero after her exploits at Roland Garros.

Not only is Ash Barty now a Grand Slam winner, but her victory on the grass court of Birmingham last week confirmed her status as the world’s #1 on the WTA Tour.

Barty will arrive in London secure in the knowledge that grass is indeed her strongest surface and where she boasts an impressive 27-11 record.

READ: Ash Barty's Wimbledon Test Worthy of a World #1

For Barty, Wimbledon will now be about confirming and solidifying her status as the world’s best, as well as Australia's greatest contemporary sportsperson. 

No pressure, Ash!

Stats Insider Tennis WORLD RANKING: #2

Stats Insider GRASS COURT RANKING: #3

TAB Odds: $5

RELATED: 2019 Wimbledon Men Singles Tournament Simulator

PETRA KVITOVA

When Petra Kvitova is at her best, there mightn’t be a single player on the WTA Tour capable of going toe-to-toe with her. Unfortunately, however, Kvitova’s best form has eluded her at Grand Slam level in recent years, with the exception of her brilliant runners' up performance at this year’s Australian Open.

Thankfully for Kvitova, the next couple of weeks of tennis will be played on grass which is undeniably her best surface, and where she’s already collected two Wimbledon crowns to support her superb 30-9 record.

While all the attention is on so many of the WTA’s rising stars, and the pushing and shoving that comes with claiming their first major, maybe it’s time for the 29-year-old Czech to reassert herself as tennis' best.

Stats Insider Tennis WORLD RANKING: #5

Stats Insider GRASS COURT RANKING: #7

TAB Odds: $13

NAOMI OSAKA

When Osaka bulldozed her way to the Australian Open earlier in the year - which made for her second consecutive Grand Slam title - she not only claimed the #1 mantle, as many were predicting she’d make 2019 a year of total dominance.

It hasn’t panned out that way at all.

While Osaka is still clutching to her #2 rank, she has made very little noise on tour post-Australian Open, contesting just a solitary Semi Final in the process, in Stuttgart, and which injury prevented her from even contesting.

A strong showing at Wimbledon will be essential for Osaka to reclaiming this year as her own.

Stats Insider Tennis WORLD RANKING: #6

Stats Insider GRASS COURT RANKING: #42

TAB Odds: $13

KAROLINA PLISKOVA

Sometimes one wonders how Pliskova has felt seeing so many of her contemporaries step up to claim Grand Slam titles while she continues to grind and go without.

All Pliskova has done for the past five years is remain entrenched as one of the games very best, collecting 13 career titles and - for a short time - even ranked as the world’s #1.

You could most definitely make the argument that there’s not a single player on either tour who’s more deserving of a Grand Slam win than Karolina Pliskova.

The 27-year-old arrives at Wimbledon in excellent form, while boasting a 37-18 record on grass which qualifies as her best surface.

Despite an underwhelming 8-7 record at the All-England club, there’s enough reason to believe that all the ducks are lining up perfectly for the Czech to get her hands on a crown.

Stats Insider Tennis WORLD RANKING: #3

Stats Insider GRASS COURT RANKING: #15

TAB Odds: $15

KIKI BERTENS

Like Pliskova, Kiki Bertens has been such a consistent performer on the WTA tour, even if her reign amongst the games' best hasn’t been as long as the Czech's.  

Bertens - just as Barty had - is knocking hard on the door of being considered the game’s very best, while a Wimbledon crown would absolutely be the cherry on the top of a career which is only now starting to catch up with her potential.

Bertens made the Quarter Final of Wimbledon last year, and in fact, had one foot in a Semi Final but for a 3^rd set meltdown. Anything less than an appearance at the final eight in London would be considered rather underwhelming for this precociously talented lady.

Stats Insider Tennis WORLD RANKING: #10

Stats Insider GRASS COURT RANKING: #10

TAB Odds: $26

THE 5 OUTSIDERS

MADISON KEYS

Keys is one of the tour’s real head-scratchers. Phenomenally talented, but whose laconic style and just four career titles seem like short change for an American who arrives at seemingly each and every Grand Slam and begins rolling through her draw.

Of the last 17 majors Keys has participated in, she's graduated to at least the QF stage seven different times.

One sometimes feels like pulling Keys aside and telling her that her results on the biggest stage are absolutely indicative of how much she could be a Grand Slam winner.

Stats Insider Tennis WORLD RANKING: #26

Stats Insider GRASS COURT RANKING: #91

TAB Odds: $26

ARYNA SABALENKA

Sabalenka has an opportunity at Wimbledon to make some serious noise, even if her 2019 so far has been a little underwhelming.

The 20-year-old Belarusian burst onto the scene during last year’s US Open, hard-court swing, and by February this year saw her ranking smash through to the WTA's Top 10.

It has, however, been slim pickings since then for the talented Sabalenka, qualifying for just a single tour SF in Strasbourg, while failing to make an imprint at either the Australian or French Open this year.

Wimbledon 2019 will be a huge chance for Sabalenka to prove so many of her admirers correct.

Stats Insider Tennis WORLD RANKING: #22

Stats Insider GRASS COURT RANKING: #31

TAB Odds: $34

JULIA GEORGES

There are few players on the women’s tour whose gulf is bigger between what they serve up on clay, in comparison to grass and hard courts than Germany’s Julia Georges.

And, so, while the clay-court season was an utter disaster for Georges (qualifying for just a single QF from the five events she contested), it’s much more important to assess her Wimbledon credentials through the lens of what she is capable of producing on surfaces more suited to her big game.  

Georges’ lead-in form to Wimbledon last year was as uninspiring as it’s been this campaign, yet she was able to make a brilliant Semi Final run which constituted her biggest Grand Slam breakthrough.

At 30, Georges is in the prime of her career, and should feel confident she has the game to claim a massive crown.

Stats Insider Tennis WORLD RANKING: #35

Stats Insider GRASS COURT RANKING: #8

TAB Odds: $51

DONNA VEKIC

Since Vekic has bought in Angelique Kerber’s former coach, Torben Beltz, a hardened edge and a more consistent run of form has been noticed in the wiry, but very talented Vekic, which may well culminate in a mighty run at the All England Club.

Still just 22-years-old, the Croatian is only now beginning to understand that she can mix it with the game’s best, currently enjoying a career-high WTA ranking of #22.

Vekic has a 25-18 record on grass, which constitutes her strongest surface. And, though she’s never advanced beyond the Round of 16 at a major tournament, Wimbledon looms as the perfect opportunity to remedy that statistic.

Stats Insider Tennis WORLD RANKING: #27

Stats Insider GRASS COURT RANKING: #11

TAB Odds: $51

RELATED: 2019 Wimbledon Women Singles Tournament Simulator

SOFIA KENIN

Australian fans might best know the young American by the fierce challenge she presented to Ash Barty at the French Open (in fact, no one pushed the newly-minted Grand Slam Champion further) but what fans mightn’t know, is that it's actually the grass court which best suits her game.

Kenin entered 2019 ranked in the mid 50s by the WTA, and having never won a tour title. She’s now number #28 on tour, and arrives in London with two titles.

Stats Insider Tennis WORLD RANKING: #28

Stats Insider GRASS COURT RANKING: #16

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