Defending champion Jannik Sinner opens Wimbledon on Centre Court on Monday, beginning his title defence against the experienced Serb Miomir Kecmanovic as the All England Club stages its first-round schedule under largely dry skies and cooler temperatures.
The top seed and world No 1, who carries a 20-4 win-loss record at SW19, will be keen to put an early French Open exit behind him. Sinner’s path through the draw could set up a quarter-final with Daniil Medvedev and a semi-final against Novak Djokovic – but first he must navigate Kecmanovic on the afternoon’s opening Centre Court slot.
Centre Court and Court No 1: The Marquee Matchups
After Sinner, women’s world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka begins her quest for a maiden Wimbledon title against Teodora Kostovic. The top seed has reached the semi-finals in each of her last three appearances at the All England Club – 2021, 2023 and 2025 – and is the bookmakers’ favourite at +320 with Caesars Sportsbook. Her projected route includes a potential third-round meeting with Britain’s Emma Raducanu and a quarter-final against French Open champion Mirra Andreeva.
Novak Djokovic, seeded seventh, closes Monday’s Centre Court action against Yibing Wu as he hunts a record 25th Grand Slam title. The significance of that pursuit cannot be overstated: Djokovic currently shares the all-time mark of 24 major singles titles with Margaret Court, and a 25th would break the long-standing record outright. With Serena Williams – a 44-year-old legend making her singles return to Wimbledon at 55-1 odds – also in the women’s draw, the narrative of chasing history runs through both sides of the tournament.
Djokovic’s 25th Grand Slam would cement his status as the most decorated singles player in tennis history, a milestone that has eluded him since his 2023 US Open victory. His performance on grass – a surface where he has won seven Wimbledon titles – makes him a formidable threat despite his lower seeding. The Serbian will close Centre Court under the lights, a prime-time slot that underscores the weight of his quest.
On Court No 1, 19-year-old newly-crowned French Open champion Mirra Andreeva faces Magda Linette. Andreeva’s stock has risen dramatically after her Roland Garros triumph, and she enters Wimbledon as the fifth seed. Also on that court, Emma Raducanu – seeded 30th and coming off a final appearance at Queen’s – opens against Antonia Ruzic. The British No 1 is on a collision course with Sabalenka in the third round for the second consecutive year. Court No 1 also features a blockbuster encounter between former Wimbledon finalist Marin Cilic and eighth seed Daniil Medvedev, a player who has reached the semi-finals at SW19 before.
British Hopes and Wildcards
A host of British players are in action across the grounds. Cameron Norrie, seeded 26th, faces Michael Zheng on Court No 2. Norrie is returning from a rib injury sustained at the French Open but is expected to be fit. Qualifier Oliver Tarvet, who reached the second round last year and is now eligible to keep his prize money after graduating university, takes on 25th seed Arthur Rinderknech on Court No 12. Jack Draper, another home hope returning from injury and working with Andy Murray, faces a headline blockbuster against sixth seed Taylor Fritz – one of the most anticipated first-round ties of the tournament.
Wildcards abound: Felix Gill plays 23rd seed Rafael Jodar; Jack Pinnington Jones meets 28th seed Brandon Nakashima; Alicia Dudeney makes her Wimbledon debut against Alycia Parks; 17-year-old Hannah Klugman faces 2024 champion Barbora Krejcikova; Mika Stojsavljevic takes on 11th seed Belinda Bencic; Francesca Jones plays Diane Parry; Toby Samuel faces 15th seed Jakub Mensik; and qualifier Billy Harris meets 19th seed Karen Khachanov. Max Basing, a wildcard qualifier who battled through a five-set match to reach the main draw, plays Shintaro Mochizuki on Court No 14.
Elsewhere on the Grounds
Court No 2 sees Jessica Pegula – who has had a strong grass-court season, including a final in Berlin – take on Darja Vidmanova, while fourth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime plays Aleksandr Shevchenko, and seventh seed Coco Gauff faces Tamara Korpatsch later in the day. On Court No 12, Karolina Muchova, the 10th seed, meets Anastasia Zakharova. Court No 18 features Belinda Bencic against British wildcard Mika Stojsavljevic, Tommy Paul against Alexandre Muller, and Roberto Bautista Agut against 24th seed João Fonseca – the young Brazilian who impressed at Roland Garros with wins over Djokovic and Ruud.
Other notable first-round matches include Casper Ruud against Hubert Hurkacz, a significant clash between two seeded players; Stan Wawrinka, in what is likely his final season, facing former finalist and grass-court specialist Matteo Berrettini; and a meeting between 19th seed Karen Khachanov and British qualifier Billy Harris. On Court No 16, eighth seed Andrey Rublev plays Roman Safiullin, and Stefanos Tsitsipas faces Hugo Gaston. Australian Open finalist and 22nd seed Leylah Fernandez takes on Janice Tjen on Court No 18.
The women’s draw is notably open in 2026, with six different Grand Slam champions in the last six majors and no back-to-back winner since Serena Williams in 2016. Naomi Osaka, nearing the Top 10 again after reaching the final in Bad Homburg before retiring with injury, faces Elsa Jacquemot on Court No 2. Madison Keys won the WTA 500 event in Eastbourne and rises to No 22. Tatjana Maria re-entered the Top 100 after a strong Eastbourne run. Qinwen Zheng, working back from elbow surgery and now ranked 160th, faces 32nd seed Katerina Siniakova on Court No 14. Asian players to watch include Lanlana Tararudee (career-high 94 after June 8, 2026), Aoi Ito, Xinyu Wang (career-high 30 on February 23, 2026), and Dayana Yastremska.
The weather forecast for the opening week is cooler and largely dry, with temperatures in the mid-20s Celsius – a welcome change after recent heatwaves – though there is a slight chance of drizzle in the second week. On the outer courts, expect a packed schedule: Court No 10 sees Sara Sorribes Tormo against Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva, Xinyu Wang against Elisabetta Cocciaretto, Adam Walton against Dino Prizmic, and Jesper de Jong against Rinky Hijikata. Court No 15 features Jaqueline Cristian against 16th seed Iva Jovic, Ann Li against Zeynep Sonmez, Ethan Quinn against 14th seed Luciano Darderi, and Magdalena Frech against 19th seed Anna Kalinskaya. Court No 17 includes Dalibor Svrcina against 16th seed Learner Tien, Jelena Ostapenko against British wildcard Harriet Dart, and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina against Juan Manuel Cerundolo.
The remaining matches on the schedule – incorporating players from across the ATP and WTA tours – see Emilio Nava face Ignacio Buse, Alycia Parks meet Alicia Dudeney, Thiago Agustin Tirante play Fabian Marozsan, Solana Sierra take on Anna Bondar, Marco Trungelliti against Martin Damm, Soonwoo Kwon versus Martin Landaluce, Oleksandra Oliynykova against McCartney Kessler, Dayana Yastremska against Aoi Ito, Denis Shapovalov against Pablo Carreno Busta, Bianca Andreescu against Shuai Zhang, Adolfo Daniel Vallejo against Nicolas Mejia, Anastasia Gasanova against Emiliana Arango, Aleksandar Kovacevic against Botic van De Zandschulp, Nuno Borges against Tristan Boyer, Peyton Stearns against Nikola Bartunkova, Aleksandar Vukic against Jenson Brooksby, Hamad Medjedovic against Sebastian Ofner, Lanlana Tararudee against Lilli Tagger, Jessica Bouzas Maneiro against 27th seed Anastasia Potapova, Luca Van Assche against Marton Fucsovics, Camilo Ugo Carabelli against Daniel Merida, and Claire Liu against Hanne Vandewinkel.
