Winners and losers of the Wimbledon draw

Wimbledon 2016 has been drawn and quartered, with the resulting bracket, as always, leaving some feeling better about their chances than others.

Before action kicks off Sunday at the All England Club, here are the biggest winners and losers of the men's and women's draws:

Men's Draw

Winner: Roger Federer

Yes, Federer will have to face Djokovic in the semis, but there was never getting around Djokovic anyway, and with this draw, he'll basically have a motorcade clearing his road to the quarterfinals. Probable early matchups against the likes of Guido Pella, Ricardas Berankis, and Alexandr Dolgopolov should give Federer a chance to shake off some cobwebs and find his footing before meeting stiffer competition in the Round of 16 (likely one of Gael Monfils, Gilles Simon, or Grigor Dimitrov). A potential quarterfinal clash with Kei Nishikori could provide a good measuring stick for Federer, as he gears up for a chaotic back half of the season with a heap of points to defend.

Loser: Kei Nishikori

Nishikori hasn't caught a break with his draw at the last few majors, and this one's no different. Seriously, how many big servers and dangerous floaters could possibly get drawn into his quarter? Sam Groth to start, Pablo Cuevas or Gilles Muller in the third round, Marin Cilic or Ivo Karlovic in the fourth. On grass, that could be a death sentence. Earning a stay of execution would likely mean meeting Federer in the quarters. There's never seemed much rhyme or reason behind Nishikori's struggles at Wimbledon, but this year's edition figures to continue that trend.

Winner: Stan Wawrinka

Some tricky early round opponents hover, but Wawrinka's in the half opposite Djokovic, Federer, Raonic, and Nishikori (four of the top six seeds), and the next-highest seed in his quarter is No. 8 Dominic Thiem, who's won just eight grass-court matches in his career. He could face Juan Martin del Potro in the second round, but the towering Argentine hasn't managed to put together a consistent run since returning from his third wrist surgery. Roberto Bautista Agut could be a tricky fourth-round opponent, but he can't match Wawrinka’s firepower. And if Wawrinka meets Thomas Berdych in the quarters rather than Thiem, well, Wawrinka's won nine of their last 10 head-to-heads, including six straight. For a guy who's never made the semis at the All England Club, there won't be many better opportunities to get there.

Loser: Milos Raonic

Another tough break for Raonic, the world No. 7, who's played sporadically exceptional tennis this year only to get repeatedly railroaded by injury. This time, it's a looming matchup that damns him to a disappointing fate. Grass is a great surface for Raonic, and his first four rounds should be relatively straightforward, but none of that will matter when it comes time to wrestle with Djokovic in the quarters. Djokovic has won all seven of their head-to-heads, including the last 14 consecutive sets. Early this year, Raonic looked primed to finally bust through and make a Slam final. Heck, he was one set away in Melbourne. If he'd been drawn into the opposite half, he'd have as good a shot as anyone to make it through. Instead, the can will likely get kicked a little further down the road.

Women's draw

Winner: Garbine Muguruza

Even though I predicted she'd lose in the first week, this is actually quite a favorable draw for Muguruza, especially if she can get past Camila Giorgi in Round 1. The first seeded player she can see is Lucie Safarova, who's recovering from illness and injury, and potential fourth-round opponent Sam Stosur has never been much of a factor on grass. If Muguruza can make it through her quarter, the semifinal in her half - whether it pits her against Madison Keys, Simona Halep, Angelique Kerber, or Karolina Pliskova - will be popcorn-worthy.

Loser: Aga Radwanska

Man, oh man. The world No. 3 is going to have to navigate some kinda minefield if she's to replicate her recent results at her best Slam, where she’s made semis or better in three of the past four years. The third round is where things will start to get real. That's when she could see Caroline Garcia, who's played her very tough and just won a grass-court title in Mallorca. Things wouldn’t get much easier in the Round of 16, where she could get the red-hot Dominika Cibulkova (fresh off a title in Eastbourne), local favorite Jo Konta, or punchy upstart Monica Puig. The quarterfinals could put her up against two-time Wimbledon champ Petra Kvitova, sneaky-good grass-courter Barbora Strycova, or teen phenom Belinda Bencic. Serena Williams looms as a potential semifinal opponent. This section is loaded, and Radwanska has about as tough a road as you'll see for a top-four seed.

Winner: Venus Williams

Venus isn't going to win this tournament, but the draw sets her up well for a run into the second week, which would be a great outcome for the 36-year-old. None of Donna Vekic, Saisai Zheng, or qualifier Maria Sakkari should disrupt her in the first two rounds, and the first seeded player she can face - 19-year-old Daria Kasatkina - has never played in a Wimbledon main draw. There's nothing resembling a clear-cut favorite in Venus' eighth of the draw, given that Carla Suarez Navarro struggles on grass and Jelena Jankovic is mired in a disastrous season. The five-time Wimbledon champ could be quarterfinal bound.

Loser: Simona Halep

The world No. 5 has made it past the second round at Wimbledon just once in five appearances. If nothing else, she has a good chance to get to Round 3 at this year's edition. (Neither her first-round opponent nor her two potential second-round opponents have won a Wimbledon main-draw match in the past three years). In the third round, though, she's looking at blazing youngster Jelena Ostapenko or French Open semifinalist Kiki Bertens. And given Halep's seed, she couldn't have been dealt a more difficult potential fourth-round matchup: a date with No. 9 Madison Keys. Survive Keys' heavy artillery, and Angelique Kerber could lie in wait. Tough luck for a player in desperate need of some consistency.