Tennis' best female players are dropping out of Wimbledon in rapid succession, with just 3 of the world's top 10 left

• Six of the top 10 women's seeds at Wimbledon have already crashed out by the third round.
• Elina Svitolina, Sofia Kenin, and Serena Williams are all already out.
• It is second tennis major in a row at the women's top seeds have struggled with form and injuries.

Six of the top 10 women's seeds at Wimbledon have now already crashed out by the third round.

Third seed Elina Svitolina became the latest high profile casualty in the women's singles draw as she was dumped out by unseeded Magda Linette in the second round on Thursday.

The Ukrainian was beaten in straight sets by the Pole, who qualified for the third round at Wimbledon for just the second time in her career.

"Mentally it was not very good for me today," Svitolina told reporters after her defeat. "I have been on the Tour for years now and there have been different kinds of situations.

"But right now I wouldn't say it's a very smooth time in my career."

Svitolina's early exit came just a day after fourth seed Sofia Kenin, fifth seed Bianca Andreescu, and ninth seed Belinda Bencic were all knocked out.

10th seed Petra Kvitova and sixth seed Serena Williams were both also eliminated in the tournament's first round earlier in the week.

Former Wimbledon champion Kvitova was beaten in straight sets by American Sloane Stephens on Monday, while Williams was forced to withdraw through injury on Tuesday.

Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam winner, injured her leg during a fall during her first round clash against Aliaksandra Sasnovich and was unable to continue.

"I was heartbroken to have to withdraw today after injuring my right leg," Williams, who was given a standing ovation as she left Centre Court after she was forced to retire, wrote on Instagram.

"My love and gratitude are with the fans and the team who make being on centre court so meaningful. Feeling the extraordinary warmth and support of the crowd today when I walked on - and off - the court meant the world to me."

As of Friday lunchtime in the UK, number one seed Ashleigh Barty, second seed Aryna Sabalenka, seventh seed Iga Swiatek, and eighth seed Karolina Pliskova remain in the draw out of the top 10 seeds.

Only three of the world's top 10 ranked players remain in the tournament, with both Naomi Osaka and Simona Halep, ranked second and third in the world, missing Wimbledon entirely.

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This is now the second tennis Grand Slam in a row at which a number of the women's top seeds have struggled.

At the French Open in June, all of the top 16 seeds had been knocked out of the draw by the end of the quarterfinals.

The tournament was eventually won by unseeded Czech Barbora Krejcikova, who beat 31st seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the final to claim her maiden Grand Slam singles title.

"I'm super happy I was able to enjoy it. I'm just really happy," said Krejcikova after her shock victory at Roland-Garros.

"It is hard to put into words because I cannot believe what just happened. I cannot believe I actually won a Grand Slam."