Wimbledon 2018: Serena Williams' return, in-form Simona Halep highlight unpredictable women's draw

Ever since Serena Williams went on maternity leave early last year, women’s tennis has been open and unpredictable. For so long, Williams cast a giant shadow over the field and the American legend essentially transcended the game.

Right now, perhaps refreshingly, Majors feel like a bit of a crapshoot with any number of players capable of triumphing – heightened at Wimbledon due to the vagaries of lawn. Williams has made an unconvincing return on the WTA tour but the 23-time Major winner can never be discounted and still commands a sizeable presence. However, she faces a deep field – arguably the most depth in the women’s game for some time.

Here are a few of the main plot lines for Wimbledon.

Can Serena get back to the top?

Williams has struggled since her return and is languishing at 183 in the rankings. However, due to her standing, she is seeded 25th and the hallowed turf of Wimbledon could well summon Williams’s best.

Truth be told, if Williams can even find 90 percent of her best then that is still probably good enough to triumph. Quite clearly, she has been operating at half speed since her comeback but undoubtedly Williams has an ace up her sleeve no one else possesses – aura and intimidation.

Her physicality and singlemindedness, particularly when she is bludgeoning winners, remains unparalleled and ensures Williams holds a psychological edge over opponents. Expect a deep run from Williams, who turns 37 in August, but one wonders if she has enough conditioning to claim an eighth Wimbledon crown.

Is Ashleigh Barty the dark horse?

In the midst of an open women’s game, it feels the time could be right for a left-field winner at Wimbledon. Emerging star Ash Barty is probably the best candidate to pull off an upset. The 22-year-old won her second WTA title last month at the Nottingham Open and has the firepower to succeed.

Barty has yet to make it out of the third round at a Slam but has the aggression and athleticism to be a handful on the grasscourts. This could well be the Australian’s breakout party.

Will Simona Halep cement herself as the world’s best?

The diminutive Romanian is riding high after her breakthrough triumph at Roland Garros. Make no mistake, Halep deserves her number one world ranking and top billing for Wimbledon after an ultra-consistent past 12 months, which includes finishing runners-up at last year’s French Open and the Australian Open.

It will be intriguing to see how Halep responds after climbing the mountain in Paris just three weeks ago. Without the burden of pressure, will Halep now start dominating the game or conversely lose some hunger?

Grass is Halep’s least favoured surface but a strong showing at Wimbledon could kick-start a period of dominance for the 26-year-old.

Who are the other contenders?

As mentioned, picking a women’s Wimbledon champion is extremely difficult and no one should be confident of their selection because there are so many worthy candidates.

However, there are several Major contenders who should make it to the pointy end of the tournament. Much like Halep, Caroline Wozniacki finally broke her Majors drought at the Australian Open – coincidentally against the Romanian – but she has historically struggled on grass. Victory at Eastbourne underlined her form and Wozniacki should be eyeing her maiden Wimbledon triumph.

Defending champion Garbine Muguruza, seeded third, was almost flawless during her memorable Wimbledon triumph but – frustratingly – has rarely managed to rediscover that sustained brilliance ever since.

Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova is a popular pick due to her prowess on grass but questions have been raised over her durability after struggling at the previous two Majors. Grand Slams aside, Kvitova has had a stellar year winning a tour-high five titles including defending her title in Birmingham.

After suffering a horrific home invasion in 2016, which left her left hand severely damaged, another Wimbledon triumph would be a fitting fairy tale for Kvitova.

Other fancies include French Open finalist Sloane Stephens and the hard-hitting Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia, while even evergreen veteran Venus Williams, the ninth-seed and five-time Wimbledon champion, can’t be totally written off.

It all means Wimbledon looms as one of the most intriguing women’s Grand Slams for some time with the draw filled with star power, in-form players and at least a dozen players genuinely capable of triumphing on tennis’ grand stage.