Former champion Elena Rybakina charges into the third round with a convincing win over Caty McNally on Centre Court at Wimbledon 2026

Former champion Elena Rybakina produced a masterclass to surge to a straight-sets win over Caty McNally.

The 2022 winner was utterly dominant as she swept the world number 50 aside courtesy of a 6-1 6-2 victory in just one hour and 11 minutes.

The reigning Australian champion unleashed her easy power with devastating ease throughout a one-sided opener, breaking twice before serving out in just 29 minutes.

The Kazakhstani star did not let up as she broke and consolidated early in the second stanza to make it seven games in a row.

McNally kept battling and got back on the board, but the second seed was simply too powerful and broke again before serving out on her second match point with a stonking backhand winner.

The crowd roar as McNally snares the opening point of the game; they don’t want to go home yet.

Rybakina quickly takes control with an ace moving her 30-15 up, but Caty rakes a deep forehand to the corner to force an error.

The American makes a poor decision rushing to the net and gets burnt, but Elena somehow contrives to knock an overhead into the net on a first match point.

The Kazakhstani dusts herself down and quickly earns a second – and this time she seals the deal with a huge plus-one backhand.

Rybakina goes for the jugular again, continually dictating the rallies off the McNally serve and popping away a lovely, angled volley to snare two more break points.

The second seed miscues a backhand into the net on the first but bags tine insurance break with a backhand winner down the line on the second.

The reigning Australian Open champion will now serve for the match.

Rybakina bombs down a succession of those powerhouse first serves to seal a very routine hold to 15.

If McNally is going to change the narrative here, she’s going to have to make her move soon.

McNally battles back from 15-30 as she corks away a lovely backhand winner and lures a mid-court forehand just long to scrap her way through and stay in the hunt.

McNally has been hoping for a dip from Rybakina – but she can’t quite take advantage this time around.

The American is fuming when she fails to keep a backhand in play at 0-30 and can’t make anything of a look at a second serve at break point.

Elena earns game point at deuce but double faults before eventually navigating her way through despite the sudden lapse in first serves.

Back on the board!

Rybakina ups the ante again as she makes Pulp with a clinical crosscourt volley, but the second seed lulls with a poor slice long before she gets too cute with another slice into the net that allows Caty to stop the rot.

It’s seventh heaven for Elena.

The second seed overcomes a double fault and a miscue on the forehand to power away an overhead from deuce before making it seven games without reply when her opponent scoops another line-licking backhand off the island.  

Rybakina turns the screw from 30-0 down, unleashing a thunderbolt of a crosscourt backhand winner on her way to break point.

McNally comes up clutch on serve to fight it off but can only scoop another lightning return to her feet long to offer up a second chance.

Caty digs deep again with another timely first serve, but over-presses with a deep forehand before double faulting to allow Elena to break once again.

Elena nonchalantly reaches to her left to angle away a volley to the open court to tee up two set points.

The second seed only needs one as she serves out the breadstick in just 29 minutes, clocking 10 winners along the way.

This is just too good.

Rybakina continues to red-line and reels McNally on from 30-15 down, nailing a peach of a forehand winner down the line on the run.

The second seed continues to unleash with a great power and consistency and it’s too much for Caty as she surrenders her serve for a second time.

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Rybakina powers through a clean hold to consolidate with the minimum of fuss.

Again, that first serve and the easy power on the ground strokes can be unplayable when they are all firing in sync.

This time it’s Caty’s turn to feel some heat.

Rybakina showcases that easy power she has at her disposal with a thumping forehand winner to tee up two break points.

The second seed miscues a forehand off the island on the first and McNally blocks away a delicious, angled volley at the net to fend off the second.

Elena keeps the heat on my earning a third and then a fourth break point, which leads to the American eventually crumbling with an ill-timed double fault.

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Rybakina coughs up a double fault and then spews an error long off the plus-one backhand to face up to two break points.

The Kazakhstani star is relieved to see McNally blast wide on the return on the first and makes deuce when she fizzes away a backhand winner down the line on the second.

The American can’t make any further in-roads as the world number two leans on the hefty first serve to edge out of danger.

Caty gets her reward for some excellent hustle deep behind her baseline when Elena fails to connect with a volley.

The American could have been feeling heat at Pulp (30-30) but instead swings freely at 40-15 and lands her maiden ace of the game to get on the board.

The Spaniard had reached the last three Wimbledon finals, winning the title in 2023 and 2024 before losing to Jannik Sinner last year.

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Rybakina crushes an early forehand as she dictates off the big first serve.

McNally is apparently in the top 10 statistically on tour in 2026 for first serve return points won, but she makes little impression on this occasion as Elena angled away a block volley to close-out a hold to 15 to open.