Tennis news

British No. 1 Cameron Norrie lost an agonising five-set first-round match to American qualifier Michael Zheng, who came through qualifying the previous week.

Jack Draper withdrew on opening day with a recurrence of the left arm bone injury that ended his 2025 season, calling it 'definitely the absolute worst' painful moment of the past 12 months.

Emma Raducanu had already withdrawn on the eve of the tournament with a lower leg stress fracture, compounding Britain's misfortune.

Harriet Dart was promoted to Court 1 to fill Raducanu's spot but lost to Jelena Ostapenko 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.

Katie Swan became the first British player to win a singles match at Wimbledon 2026, defeating Irina-Camelia Begu, with Jacob Fearnley and Arthur Fery also advancing.

44-year-old Serena Williams lost 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-3 to world No. 87 Maya Joint on Centre Court — her first singles match since the 2022 US Open.

Williams won the second-set tiebreak and led 2-1 in the third before Joint won five of the last six games.

She sustained a right knee injury during the match, putting her planned doubles appearance with sister Venus in doubt.

Joint's victory snapped an 11-match losing streak on tour and was her first win of the grass-court season.

Serena's comeback fuelled record Wimbledon viewership for ESPN, and her former coach Mouratoglou said the performance showed 'only good news for the future'.

Serena Williams, 44, made her singles comeback on Centre Court on June 30, losing to Maya Joint 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-3.

It was her first singles match since her retirement at the 2022 US Open — a gap of nearly four years.

Williams received a singles and doubles wildcard from the All England Club for the tournament.

Her return drove record Wimbledon viewership for ESPN.

She also played doubles alongside sister Venus Williams; a knee injury during the singles match threatened their doubles campaign.

Filipino wildcard Alex Eala defeated defending champion Iga Swiatek in the second round before reaching the fourth round of Wimbledon.

Her run ended with a 4-6, 6-4, 3-6 loss to 13th-seeded Jasmine Paolini on Day 8, with Roger Federer watching from the stands.

Eala was the first Filipino player to reach the fourth round at Wimbledon, generating enormous national pride in the Philippines.

She had beaten Swiatek — a former Wimbledon champion — in straight sets in the second round, one of the biggest upsets of the tournament's first week.

Paolini advanced to the quarterfinals and will face Elise Mertens for a spot in the last four.

Defending champion Jannik Sinner needed five sets to beat Miomir Kecmanovic in his Centre Court opener.

Sinner slipped and fell at 2-2 in the third set but avoided serious injury, admitting he felt tight on grass.

Seventh seed Andrey Rublev became the tournament's highest-profile first-round casualty, losing in five sets to Roman Safiullin.

Novak Djokovic also struggled in his opener, needing four sets to defeat Yibing Wu.

Carlos Alcaraz (wrist) and both British hopes Jack Draper and Emma Raducanu were absent through injury before a ball was struck.

For the first time in Wimbledon's 139-year history, players can request video reviews of disputed incidents such as double bounces or hindrance calls.

The system operates separately from electronic line calling — players cannot use it to challenge ELC line decisions.

Unlike the old Hawk-Eye challenge system, there is no limit on the number of reviews a player can request and no penalty for an incorrect challenge.

Video review is available on Centre Court and Court One throughout the Championships, plus four other show courts during singles matches.

The chair umpire — not a separate official — watches the replay and makes the final determination.

Defending champion Jannik Sinner defeated Miomir Kecmanovic 4-6, 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-2, 6-3 in a drama-filled opener on Centre Court.

Sinner had a worrying slip and fall mid-match and committed 52 unforced errors, having skipped all grass tune-up events.

Seven-time champion Novak Djokovic beat Wu Yibing 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 to set up a second-round meeting with Tsitsipas.

No. 12 seed Andrey Rublev was upset by qualifier Roman Safiullin, who saved two match points in a marathon deciding tiebreak.

No. 11 seed Casper Ruud was eliminated in straight sets by Hubert Hurkacz on an upset-heavy opening day.

Carlos Alcaraz (world No. 2, two-time defending champion) withdrew weeks before the tournament due to a lingering right wrist injury.

Emma Raducanu pulled out on the eve of the event with a lower leg stress fracture; Jack Draper withdrew on opening day with a recurrence of a left arm bone injury.

2023 champion Markéta Vondroušová was ineligible after receiving a four-year anti-doping ban, while Lorenzo Musetti withdrew due to a thigh injury.

Victoria Mboko (seeded 10th in the women's draw) suffered a knee injury at Eastbourne and was also ruled out.

The wave of withdrawals created a record number of lucky losers entering both draws, reshaping the tournament picture significantly.

Top seed Aryna Sabalenka dominated Teodora Kostovic 6-2, 6-3 on the opening day of the women's singles.

French Open champion Mirra Andreeva (No. 5 seed) beat Magda Linette 7-5, 6-4, while Coco Gauff (No. 7) won 6-2, 6-1.

Naomi Osaka, seeded 14th, defeated Elsa Jacquemot 6-1, 7-5 in a confident display on her return to Grand Slam action.

No. 20 seed Maja Chwalinska, French Open finalist, was upset by Thai qualifier Mananchaya Sawangkaew in three sets.

Leylah Fernandez (No. 22) was also beaten in the first round by Janice Tjen, adding to a day of seeded upsets in the women's draw.

The 139th Wimbledon Championships began on June 29, running through July 12 at the All England Club.

Jannik Sinner is the defending men's champion and top seed for the third consecutive year.

Iga Swiatek defends her women's title and aims to become the first woman since Serena Williams to successfully defend at Wimbledon.

Aryna Sabalenka is the women's world No. 1 seeking her first grass-court Grand Slam crown.

Prize money stands at £64.2 million, a record for the Championships.