Jack Draper and Emma Raducanu get tough starts but Serena Williams gets favourable opener - Wimbledon draw analysis
Updated 26/06/2026 at 13:39 GMT+1
React to this story
The men's and women's singles draws for Wimbledon 2026 have been made - but who were the winners and losers? There are intriguing ties across the board, with Grand Slam winners littered throughout both draws.
'One of my biggest inspirations' - Draper thanks Murray for joining coaching team
Video credit: SNTV
The big story from the men's draw is that British No. 1 Jack Draper will face world No. 7 Taylor Fritz, as he bids to finally get beyond the second round of his home Grand Slam.
Jannik Sinner will begin his defence of the Wimbledon crown against Miomir Kecmanovic, while seven-time champion Novak Djokovic will face Wu Yibing first up.
Meanwhile, in the women's draw, holder Iga Swiatek will begin her defence against Taylor Townsend, while Britain's Emma Raducanu will face world No. 60 Antonia Ruzic before potentially running into the world No. 1.
Who has the toughest-looking draw at this year's Wimbledon championships? And who looks set to go on a deep run?
We dive into the draw and look at the takeaways before the action gets underway in SW19 on Monday, June 29.
Can Draper get past Fritz and go beyond?
Draper has tumbled out of Wimbledon in the second round on three successive occasions.
He faces a difficult opener against sixth seed Fritz, who reached the semi-finals last year before a four-set defeat to Carlos Alcaraz.
If he gets through his first test, then Draper, who is being coached by Andy Murray, could face Americans Patrick Kypson or Mackenzie McDonald in his much-anticipated crack at reaching the third round.
Should he get beyond that, it is a real possibility that he will face No. 10 seed Alexander Bublik in the tournament's fourth round.
Considering he has just returned from injury at Eastbourne, reaching the second week would be a huge achievement for Draper.
Sinner looking to bounce back
With no Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon this year due to injury, reigning champion Sinner is the clear favourite.
Sinner will kick his defence off against world No. 51 Kecmanovic, and will not face a top 10 seed until at least the quarter-finals in what looks a relatively kind draw.
Daniil Medvedev could be a tricky test for Sinner in the quarters, but the Russian faces a difficult opener against former Wimbledon runner-up Marin Cilic.
Sinner is playing for the first time since his shock exit at the French Open, when he struggled in the Paris heat and was left feeling "dizzy" and "weak".
| Projected men's quarter-finals |
| Sinner (1) v Medvedev (8) |
| Auger-Aliassime (3) v Djokovic (7) |
| De Minaur (5) v Shelton (4) |
| Fritz (6) v Zverev (2) |
Will Djokovic end wait for No. 25?
Djokovic is facing three seasons without a Grand Slam title to his name, as he continues his quest for a record 25th major title.
Since winning his first major in 2008, Djokovic has never gone more than two campaigns without a Grand Slam victory (2009 to 2010 and 2024 to 2025).
And he has come mightily close to breaking the all-time record for most Grand Slam titles.
He reached the semi-finals in all four majors last season and made the Australian Open final earlier this year.
Whether he can make another final at Wimbledon remains to be seen, considering he has been drawn in the top half of the draw alongside Sinner.
Djokovic starts against Wu and could play Stefanos Tsitsipas in the second round, and perhaps Joao Fonseca in the fourth round in a rematch of their French Open epic.
- Draper regrets outfit choice but advances to Eastbourne semis
- Refreshed Sinner plots Wimbledon charge after shock Roland-Garros exit
Raducanu gets tough run after injury scare
Raducanu appears to have a winnable opener against world No. 60 Antonia Ruzic.
However, that is if she is fit enough to play.
The 2021 US Open winner is in a race against the clock to be fit for the championships, after missing a training session and being spotted in a protective boot earlier in the week.
Should she recover in time and get past Ruzic, her path quickly becomes more daunting. Raducanu could face fellow Brit Harriet Dart in the second round, or world No. 35 Jelena Ostapenko.
If she were to reach the third round at Wimbledon for the fourth time in her career, four-time Grand Slam winner Sabalenka could be waiting.
World No. 1 Sabalenka beat Raducanu at the third round of Wimbledon a year ago.
| Projected women's quarter-finals |
| Sabalenka (1) v Andreeva (5) |
| Pegula (4) v Gauff (7) |
| Svitolina (8) v Swiatek (3) |
| Anisimova (6) v Rybakina (2) |
Will Sabalenka win first Wimbledon title?
Sabalenka has been handed a relatively kind opening few matches in her latest shot at a Wimbledon title.
The two-time Australian Open and US Open winner will face No. 184-ranked qualifier Teodora Kostovic in her opener, before potentially meeting No. 62 McCartney Kessler or No. 49 Oleksandra Oliynykova in the second round.
That is when she could then run into Raducanu or Ostapenko, before things get even trickier.
Should she reach the last 16, Naomi Osaka could prove a challenge, before another cluster of tricky opponents awaits in the quarter-final, in the form of Mirra Andreeva, Karolina Muchova, Maja Chwalinska and Qinwen Zheng.
The likes of Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula are likely semi-final opponents, before a potential first Grand Slam final meeting with defending champion Swiatek.
Sabalenka has lost in the semi-finals on her last three Wimbledon appearances.
Swiatek will not meet a top 10 player until at least the quarter-finals, where she could run into Elina Svitolina.
How will Williams fare on singles return?
Serena Williams, 44, is making her return to tennis after a nearly four-year hiatus.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion has played just two doubles matches before her Wimbledon comeback.
She will start in the first round against 20-year-old Maya Joint, who has lost 13 of her last 14 matches on tour.
Should she come through that test and beat either Alexandra Eala or Renata Zarazua, Williams may face Swiatek in what would be a blockbuster between past and present greats of the game.
Add TNT Sports as a preferred source here to enjoy more content like this.
Enjoy daily highlights from Wimbledon 2026 on tntsports.co.uk and the TNT Sports app, plus watch and stream highlights each evening and the men's and women's singles finals live on TNT Sports and HBO Max
Related Topics
Advertisement
Advertisement