Last year at Wimbledon, Emma Raducanu made her tournament debut as a wildcard ranked No.338 and put together an inspired run to the Round of 16. A year on, the 19-year-old British star is the reigning US Open champion and No.10 seed at her home Slam. 

In just her second Wimbledon main draw appearance, Raducanu will make her Centre Court debut when she faces Belgium's Alison Van Uytvanck in the first round on Monday. She has been scheduled between two of the game's greats, with six-time champion Novak Djokovic opening play before her and two-time champion Andy Murray to follow.

Draw analysis | Order of Play | Wimbledon 411

"I think that's a pretty cool lineup," Raducanu told reporters at Media Day. "Just to be included amongst those names is special in itself. I never would have thought that."

Wimbledon will be Raducanu's first appearance since retiring due to an abdominal injury in the first round of Nottingham two weeks ago. The 19-year-old admitted there were some doubts as to her ability to be ready for her home Slam, but she was encouraged by her buildup in the week before the tournament. 

"It's full steam ahead," Raducanu said. "Everyone's really looking forward to it."

"Right now I'm fit. I'm ready to go."

Raducanu and Van Uytvanck faced off for the first time last summer at the WTA 125K in Chicago. Raducanu stunned the top-seeded Belgian 7-6(7), 6-3 en route to the final. But Van Uytvanck is no stranger to pulling off a big upset at Wimbledon. In 2017 she ended Garbiñe Muguruza's title defense in the second round. 

"She's a real tricky opponent, especially on grass courts," Raducanu said. I think this surface definitely suits her well. She plays a pretty quick, high-tempo game. It's definitely going to take some getting used to, being prepared for that straightaway."

Van Uytvanck has looked dangerous once again during the grass season, having won the WTA 125 in Gaiba and ITF W100 in Surbiton. Her two losses during this swing have come in third-set tiebreaks to Aryna Sabalenka ('s-Hertogenbosch) and Amanda Anisimova (Bad Homburg). 

Wimbledon 2022 Preview:

Along with Raducanu's Centre Court debut, here's what we're keeping an eye on during Day 1 at Wimbledon:

[3] Ons Jabeur vs. [Q] Mirjam Bjorklund
First meeting

The Tunisian will celebrate her rise to a career-high ranking at No.2 by kicking off play on a show court for the second straight Slam. But this time, Jabeur will be on her toes. As in Paris, Jabeur comes into Wimbledon as one of the in-form players and favorites for the title, having won her second title of the season in Berlin. 

But at Roland Garros, Jabeur struggled to handle the nerves of being the first match on Court Philippe Chatrier on Day 1, losing in three sets to Magda Linette. Jabeur says she took a lot of lessons from the loss, which proved true in watching her handle the pressure of being the top seed in Berlin. But Monday will be an important test and an opportunity to put her Paris heartbreak behind her.

Champion's Reel: How Ons Jabeur won Berlin 2022

[15] Angelique Kerber vs. Kristina Mladenovic
Kerber leads 4-2

Kerber is one of five former champions in the draw and Wimbledon always tends to bring out her very best. It is the only Slam at which she has made two finals, having made her first in 2016 and winning in 2018. Tack on her semifinal runs in 2012 and 2021 and it's indisputable that Wimbledon has been Kerber's most fruitful Slam. She has not lost in the first round since 2011.

Though Mladenovic is now ranked outside the Top 100, she did beat Kerber in their last meeting, which came in the first round of the 2019 US Open. 

[14] Belinda Bencic vs. Wang Qiang
First meeting

A former junior champion and one of the best active players on grass, Bencic should be one to watch over the fortnight. But the Swiss was forced to retire in the Berlin final due to an ankle injury and subsequently withdrew from Bad Homburg to be ready for Wimbledon. This will be her first competitive match since. 

[23] Beatriz Haddad Maia vs. Kaja Juvan
Haddad Maia leads 2-0

Beatriz Haddad Maia quickly established herself as a Wimbledon dark horse with her red-hot run through the grass season. The 26-year-old Brazilian won 12 consecutive matches to win her first two Hologic WTA Tour titles in Nottingham and Birmingham and continued her run of form in Eastbourne, where she finally fell to Petra Kvitova in the semifinals. 

Haddad Maia has good memories at Wimbledon. Ranked No.127 in 2019, she ousted Garbiñe Muguruza in the first round.