After a dramatic and highly surprising installment of Roland Garros, we may be in for something similar at Wimbledon.
In Paris, Alexander Zverev finally got his first major with the help of Jannik Sinner’s early exit and the absence of Carlos Alcaraz. Meanwhile, six of the women’s top 10 failed to make the second week before Mirra Andreeva defeated the qualifier Maja Chwalinska in the final.
Less than a month on, we are still without Alcaraz due to a wrist injury. Sinner, the defending champion and by far the most dominant player of 2026 with a 37-3 record, is unlikely to waste two consecutive majors.
Beyond him, Zverev’s major-winning sheen is unlikely to last in London as he really struggles on the grass. This is the German’s worst grand slam and he is yet to reach the last eight.
Assuming Novak Djokovic is in relatively good health, this looks like another excellent opportunity for the 39-year-old to compete for a major. Seven times a champion here, Djokovic has at least made the last four of Wimbledon 14 times out of 20 appearances.
If there is to be another new male champion, it will probably be someone from across the Atlantic.
Taylor Fritz is a five-time titlist on grass and has already made a couple of finals coming in here. The 28-year-old lost in those championship matches to compatriots Ben Shelton (Stuttgart) and Frances Tiafoe (Halle). They are all potential bets if Sinner or Djokovic falter.
Moving to the women’s section, Serena Williams has arrived at a particularly chaotic time for the top players.
The 44-year-old returns to a tour where the world no.1 has just imploded again at Roland Garros (Aryna Sabalenka); Elena Rybakina and defending champion Iga Swiatek have gone off the boil; last year’s finalist Amanda Anisimova is still recovering from a wrist issue; and Coco Gauff arrives at her worst grand slam.
Will the stars align then for the 23-time major-winning icon?
I don’t think so. While Williams has undergone a physical transformation in retirement and is no doubt in superb shape, limitations in her movement were exposed before she left tennis in 2022. She may well pick up a few wins on her return, but I don’t think her legendary serve can cloak the aging process against elite women 20 years her junior.
Finally, after much consternation over prize money, the organisers of Wimbledon have increased the total fund by 20% to £64 million (€74 million). However, players still feel that this does not meet the percentage of total revenue desired so there will be some further work-to-rule action around media commitments.
Men's Draw
Jannik Sinner’s early exit at Roland Garros was so surprising because he had been the imperious force on tour since Australia. That loss broke a streak of nine grand slams with at least a quarter-final appearance for the Italian. We should expect him to get back in gear at SW19.
Sinner starts against world no.51 Miomir Kecmanovic and has been handed an excellent draw this year. From there, the world no.1 shouldn’t really be challenged before a possible fourth round match with the rising Rafa Jodar. The 24-year-old might then get Queen’s finalist Tommy Paul in the last eight, and Djokovic in the semis.
Unless a lengthy match gets the better of him, Sinner may roll all the way to the business end this fortnight.
Novak Djokovic will fancy his path to the end too, with an opener against world no.99 Wu Yibing. There may be a glamour tie with Stefanos Tsitsipas in round two but the Greek’s game is suffering and he has never been a factor at Wimbledon. Later on, there could be a repeat of that exciting Roland Garros clash with Djokovic potentially meeting Joao Fonseca in round four.
The top half features three of the most exciting young talents on the ATP Tour in Fonseca, Jodar and Learner Tien. Wimbledon generally favours grass experience on the men’s side though, so there may not be another breakout performance.
While it looks like two men in the top half, downstairs the draw looks there for the taking.
While he is now a major winner, Alexander Zverev has never conquered the grass and is vulnerable at Wimbledon. The German hasn’t made the last eight here but could surprise given a new surge in confidence. I have doubts though.
There could well be an American flavour to this half with the presence of last year’s semi-finalist Taylor Fritz, 2025 quarter-finalist Ben Shelton, and the Halle winner Frances Tiafoe. Big serving Fritz is extremely comfortable on the turf and will fancy his chances of coming through.
However, he has been handed a horrendous first round with Jack Draper, who’s now coached by Andy Murray. The Brit is a magnificent talent who has a game built for grass, but injuries have blighted his young career. This could be a superb contest if the 24-year-old plays well.
Elsewhere in the bottom half, 2024 quarter-finalist Alex de Minaur; Roland Garros finalist Flavio Cobolli; and Queen’s champion Francisco Cerundolo will all feel that they can potentially derail proceedings with a bit of luck.
To close, in his last appearance at Wimbledon, Stan Wawrinka will take on former finalist Matteo Berrettini in another opening match to savour.
Women's Draw
Three-times a semi-finalist, Aryna Sabalenka is yet to reach the championship match at Wimbledon. Given her recent form, the 28-year-old may not make it this year either.
After that strange implosion against Diana Shnaider in Paris, the world no.1 was just bagelled in the final set of her semi-final loss to Jessica Pegula in Berlin. There’s an air of uncertainty about Sabalenka at the moment and her draw is less than kind.
While she has a comfortable start against qualifier Teodora Kostovic, there are some real obstacles in her section in the shape of Jelena Ostapenko, Emma Raducanu and the four-time major winner Naomi Osaka.
Even if she overcomes those players, Mirra Andreeva or Karolina Muchova may await in the last eight. All told, the Belarusian needs to bring her best form to London or we may see another early exit.
Now a major champion, this could be an opportunity for consolidation at the top for Mirra Andreeva. The 19-year-old has made the last eight here before and might just be ready to take control of the top half if Sabalenka falters.
As for the Czech, Muchova has long been a wonderful talent but injuries have disrupted her progress. The 29-year-old is a two-time quarter-finalist at Wimbledon and has just won Bad Homburg as I write. After a string of early exits in London, she may finally be back in form.
World no.4 Jessica Pegula also resides in this half and is a former quarter-finalist at SW19. The American just made the final of Berlin where she defeated Sabalenka and Madison Keys
The other high seed in this half is Coco Gauff but she’s having some problems. The American is still in the process of technically rebuilding her game and after a third round loss at Roland Garros, the 22-year-old crashed out of Berlin in her opener.
A few others to watch out for in the top half include 2025 semi-finalist Belinda Bencic; Iva Jovic, the 18-year-old American who just made the last four at Queen’s; and the inspirational Roland Garros finalist, Maja Chwalinska.
Moving to the bottom half, we find the defending champion Iga Swiatek and the former winner Elena Rybakina.
Swiatek was magnificent last year as she dropped only one set en route to her sixth grand slam title. However, she hasn’t really reclaimed the poise of previous seasons with her game still in a state of flux.
The world no.3 lost to Marta Kostyuk at Roland Garros and just fell to Emma Navarro in her only grass court match before Wimbledon at Bad Homburg. The Pole won’t be delighted with the draw she’s been given here either.
Swiatek has a difficult opener against the highly talented doubles major-winner Taylor Townsend. The American loves the grass and has a classy, aggressive game. From there, the 25-year-old may have to get past former Wimbledon finalist Karolina Pliskova, and then a certain 23-time major winner just to make the fourth round.
Yes, Serena Williams has landed in this section and will be encouraged by an opening match against the world no.53 Maya Joint. She could well win that match but Alex Eala would make for a difficult second round.
21-year-old Eala is already a phenomenon in The Philippines and plays well on grass having just made the semis of Berlin. I think she could be a step too far for Williams before that potential blockbuster with Swiatek.
Beyond Swiatek and Williams, this quarter may well be determined by the form of Donna Vekic and the Ukrainian pair of Elina Svitolina and Marta Kostyuk.
Always a menace on grass, Vekic is the Queen’s champion and has the talent to go all the way if she puts it together. Svitolina is a two-time semi-finalist here and is playing very well in the Autumn of her career. Meanwhile, her compatriot Kostyuk dispatched Swiatek at Roland Garros en route to the semis.
Finally, we’ll go to the last quarter and the 2022 champion Elena Rybakina. After an imperious opening to 2026 where she claimed the Australian Open title, the Kazakh continued that form through the spring before some early losses at Roland Garros and Queen’s.
The 27-year-old is supreme when on form but can produce a flurry of unforced errors when her game is off. Her draw is reasonable this year but Caty McNally could cause some issues in the second round. Roland Garros semi-finalist Diana Shnaider and Nottingham champion Marie Bouzkova are also difficult players to overcome in this section.
Broadening it out, this could be a really competitive quarter with last year’s finalist Amanda Anisimova, Linda Noskova, Madison Keys and Sorana Cirstea also in the mix. A very talented Czech, Noskova should be followed in particular after her win at Berlin.
