The 2026 Wimbledon Championships are underway, featuring both current world No. 1 players in action at the All England Club. Jannik Sinner is set to begin his title defense, while Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic are also scheduled to play on the opening day. The forecast for the day is sunny and dry.
Jannik Sinner will face Miomir Kecmanović of Serbia in the first match on Centre Court. Following this, Aryna Sabalenka will compete against Teodora Kostović, also from Serbia. Novak Djokovic, a 24-time major champion, is also among the notable players making an appearance.
Early Matches and Notable Performances
In early matches, Iva Jovic, an 18-year-old American, secured the opening set tiebreak 7-1 against Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian on Court 15. This marks Jovic’s second main-draw appearance at the All England Club. Her performance in the tiebreak showcased strong play, contributing to her reputation as a promising player on the WTA tour.
On No. 2 Court, fourth seed Jessica Pegula took the first set against Darja Vidmanova after initially holding a 4-0 lead. Vidmanova, making her main-draw singles debut at a Grand Slam, managed to level the set at 5-5 before Pegula ultimately secured it.
Over on Court 9, Luca Van Assche experienced physical difficulties early in his match against Márton Fucsovics, requiring a medical timeout after just two games for a lower back issue. Van Assche later conceded the first set 6-3. Meanwhile, Maja Chwalińska, the 20th seed and French Open runner-up, established a double-break lead, leading 5-2 in the opening set against Thai qualifier Mananchaya Sawangkaew on Court 12.
Spain’s 23rd seed Rafael Jodar, a recent French Open quarterfinalist, is making his maiden Wimbledon main-draw appearance on No. 3 Court. He won the opening set 6-3 against British wildcard Felix Gill and holds a break advantage in the second set.
British teenager Mika Stojsavljevic, who won the U.S. Open girls’ singles title in 2024, achieved an early break against Switzerland’s 11th seed Belinda Bencic.
Return of Tennis Icons and Doubles Action
The tournament also sees the return of Venus and Serena Williams, who are playing doubles together. Serena Williams is also scheduled for a singles match tomorrow against Australia’s Maya Joint. This marks their first time teaming up in nearly four years, and the same duration since Serena Williams’s last singles match. Andy Murray is also present at Wimbledon as part of Jack Draper’s coaching team for the grass-court season.
In doubles, Gaby Dabrowski, a 34-year-old Canadian, is competing as a No. 3 seed with her partner Luisa Stefani of Brazil. Dabrowski, a two-time Grand Slam winner in doubles, has continued to play at a high level following breast cancer treatment two years prior. The pair recently won the Strasbourg Open and reached the semifinals of the French Open, and they won the Eastbourne Open, defeating Jesika Malečková and Miriam Škoch 6-1, 6-4.
The Wimbledon Championships are set to continue with a full schedule of matches across various courts.
Play officially commenced at 11 a.m. BST / 6 a.m. ET, with several first-round matches already in progress on the outer courts.
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Source: nytimes.com
