Wimbledon has reached its second week with a draw few would have predicted.

Several of the tournament’s biggest names have already left the grass courts of SW19, and the women’s singles draw has been hit especially hard. The top three seeds, Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina and Iga Świątek, are all out before the quarter-finals.

That has left the title race wide open, with new contenders suddenly facing a rare chance to make a deep run at the All England Club.

Top three women’s seeds crash out

The biggest shock came on Centre Court, where Naomi Osaka defeated world No. 1 and top seed Aryna Sabalenka 6-2, 7-6 in the fourth round.

Read also: “I lost my temper”: Deschamps steps in after France-Paraguay flashpoint

According to The Guardian, Osaka struck 21 winners and eight aces in one of the strongest performances of her comeback.

Sabalenka admitted afterwards that Osaka had simply been too strong.

“She overpowered me. I felt like it was an incredible level from her,” she said.

Her exit completed a remarkable collapse at the top of the women’s draw.

Read also: “You make him seem like a dictator”: Deschamps defends Mbappé after France win

According to The Guardian, No. 2 seed Elena Rybakina lost to Elise Mertens in the third round, while defending champion and No. 3 seed Iga Świątek was beaten by Alexandra Eala.

That means none of the top three women’s seeds will appear in the Wimbledon quarter-finals.

More seeded names disappear

The damage did not stop there.

Mirra Andreeva, the No. 5 seed, lost in the second round, while No. 6 seed Amanda Anisimova also failed to survive the first week. Elina Svitolina, seeded eighth, was beaten in the opening round.

Read also: Safety car finish at Silverstone sparks 2021 Abu Dhabi comparisons

Emma Raducanu did not even reach the start line.

According to Tennis365, Raducanu, the No. 29 seed, withdrew before her first-round match.

The result is a women’s draw with very few obvious favourites left.

Osaka now looks like one of the most dangerous players in the tournament, while Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Karolína Muchová and several others will sense that a major opportunity has opened.

Read also: Marquinhos: "We have to apologize to the Brazilian people, and those who came and watched the match"

Men’s draw also loses big names

The men’s tournament has not been quite as chaotic, but it has still produced several major exits.

The biggest early shock came when Ben Shelton, the No. 4 seed and highest-ranked American man in the draw, lost in the first round to Finnish qualifier Otto Virtanen.

According to ESPN, Shelton called it “one of the toughest losses of my career.”

He was not the only seeded player to fall early.

Read also: Osaka stuns Sabalenka as Wimbledon draw opens up

According to the official ATP seed list, Daniil Medvedev entered the tournament as the No. 8 seed, Casper Ruud as the No. 11 seed and Andrey Rublev as the No. 12 seed.

The official Wimbledon men’s draw shows Medvedev going out in the third round, while Ruud and Rublev both lost in the first round.

Second week opens with rare uncertainty

The first week has left Wimbledon with a very different feel.

On the women’s side, the removal of Sabalenka, Rybakina and Świątek has changed the shape of the tournament completely. Instead of a draw led by its three biggest seeds, the second week now looks like a race between players who may never get a better chance at the title.

On the men’s side, Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, Félix Auger-Aliassime and Novak Djokovic remain in the draw, but Shelton’s defeat and the exits of Medvedev, Ruud and Rublev have still opened several sections.

Wimbledon often rewards experience, patience and grass-court instinct.

This year, after a first week full of surprises, it may also reward whoever can stay calm while the rest of the draw keeps breaking apart.