Is Angelique Kerber still a contender—or even a factor—at Wimbledon?

In the lead-up to Wimbledon, we're asking six burning questions—three about the men's field and three about the women's field—about the 131st edition of the Championships. Click here to read them all.

Angelique Kerber is still the world No. 1 and the defending runner-up at Wimbledon. Will she be a contender—or even a factor—at this tournament?

Yes, Kerber is a contender at this year’s Wimbledon. And so is Petra Kvitova. And Jelena Ostapenko. And Venus Williams. And Coco Vandeweghe. And Eugenie Bouchard. (Yes, the 2014 Wimbledon finalist is capable of making a run at this year’s tournament, one of the most wide open in years.)

In other words, there is no clear-cut favorite with defending champion Serena Williams out of the picture. So why not start at the top with the contenders?

Kerber, the Wimbledon runner-up last year to Williams, has already had a 2017 to forget—and it’s only the halfway point of the season.  She’s suffered multiple early-round losses and has only reached one final all year, at the Monterrey stop.

It’s a far cry from 2016, where she started and ended the Grand Slam season as perfectly as it gets. Kerber, in her first Grand Slam final, defeated none other than Serena Williams for the Australian Open title. At the U.S. Open, Kerber took out Karolina Pliskova for her second major title of the year.

Those weren’t the only standout moments in a spectacular campaign. She was a silver medalist at the Summer Olympics and reached the finals of Wimbledon and the season-ending championships. It appeared that the bigger the tournament, the more the German stepped up her game.

While replicating those feats of 2016 would be a difficult task for any player, it was expected that Kerber would at least be able to come close. Instead, it’s been the complete opposite, and her grip on the No. 1 ranking is tenuous at best.

However, Wimbledon presents the latest opportunity to right the ship. And if she’s in good health, you can’t rule her out.

Aside from last year’s final, Kerber reached the semifinals in 2012 and the quarterfinals in 2014. Outside of Wimbledon, she has a 1-3 career finals record on grass, capturing her first title on the surface in 2015 in Birmingham.

Kerber's counter-punching style of play can frustrate opponents, and she’s also capable of hitting outright winners from the backcourt. It’s a potent mix of playing styles that’s helped her reach the top of the world rankings.

So yes, Kerber should be in the mix at this year’s tournament, right along with Agnieszka Radwanska. And Svetlana Kuznetsova. And Caroline Wozniacki. And Madison Keys. And…

LIVE this week on Tennis Channel Plus: 20 hours of live match coverage from The Boodles.

Watch all the action from The Boodles live and on demand on Tennis Channel Plus.

Watch former US Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro and rising star Nick Kyrgios live at The Boodles this week on Tennis Channel Plus.

WIMBLEDON: catch up on your grass court knowledge by watching some of the greatest matches on the Wimbledon Classics Channel on Tennis Channel Plus.

Watch encore coverage of the 2016 Wimbledon Finals and Semifinals on Tennis Channel Plus.

Subscribe today at buytcplus.com