Wimbledon 2026 begins in just three days and runs from June 29 to July 12.
The organisers released the men’s and women’s draws on Friday, June 26. The draw has created several exciting first-round matches.
It also sets up potential blockbuster clashes in the later rounds.
Here are the Wimbledon 2026 fixtures you will not want to miss.
Jannik Sinner faces Miomir Kecmanovic
Reigning Wimbledon champion and world number one Jannik Sinner will face Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic in the first round.
Kecmanovic relies on his strong rally tolerance to wear down opponents. He also covers the court extremely well.
If Wimbledon experiences conditions similar to Roland Garros, those qualities could help Kecmanovic.
Sinner struggled in the French Open. He lost in the round of 64.
However, Sinner has an impressive Wimbledon record. He has won 20 of his 24 matches at the tournament.
Therefore, the Italian should have enough quality to progress.
Sinner sits in the same half of the draw as Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev.
As a result, he could face Medvedev in the quarter-finals. A semi-final against Djokovic could then follow.
That route could produce one of the biggest matches of the tournament.
Brit Jack Draper faces tricky first round
Jack Draper faces sixth seed Taylor Fritz in the first round.
The match presents a major challenge for the British player. Draper has only recently returned after an injury-hit 11-month period.
Still, Draper will hope to use home support to his advantage.
His best Wimbledon result remains a second-round appearance. This time, he will target a much deeper run.
Draper also enters Wimbledon with positive momentum.
He reached the semi-finals of the Eastbourne Open. He will face Frenchman Ugo Humbert on Friday.
Meanwhile, Fritz arrives with plenty of confidence.
The American recently defeated Alexander Zverev and Ben Shelton at the ATP Halle tournament. Both players rank above Fritz.
Draper therefore faces a difficult opening match. However, his recent form gives him reason for optimism.
Serena Williams has hopes boosted
All-time great Serena Williams returns to Wimbledon for the first time since 2022 through a wildcard.
She has won this historic tournament seven times.
Williams’ hopes of a positive return to Wimbledon were boosted when she was drawn against unseeded Australian Maya Joint, who is 20 years old.
Joint’s best result at Wimbledon is a first-round exit in 2025, her only appearance of her career.
This match will be a prime example of experience against youth.
Williams will definitely fancy her chances of advancing into the second round – and she will also feature in the doubles tournament alongside sister Venus Williams.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: ATP grass court season, week two: Underdog victory for Francisco Cerundolo at Queen’s; Frances Tiafoe triumphs at Halle
Emma Raducanu hopes for more positive Wimbledon
Emma Raducanu, who hasn’t really found her form again since her illustrious US Open victory, will be hoping she can go far this year.
At Wimbledon 2025, Raducanu played very well – however, she had to face world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the third round and ultimately lost despite playing very competitively.
Raducanu will play Croatian Antonia Ružić in the first round of the 2026 tournament – and Ružić has only ever played in the first round at Wimbledon.
Raducanu comes off the back of a positive London performance, in which she lost in the final at Queen’s.
This is certainly a winnable fixture for Raducanu.
Other Brits playing in the first round are: Cameron Norrie who faces qualifier Zheng and Katie Boulter who faces Italian qualifier Tyra Grant.
Djokovic begins hunt for record 25th Grand Slam title
Djokovic, 39, will face Yibing Wu in the first round of the competition.
Wu is ranked 99th in the world, compared to Djokovic’s ranking of eighth.
Djokovic is expected to breeze past Wu and advance further into the tournament.
The Serbian great will have to beat Sinner in the semi-finals, if they both reach that stage, in order to get into the final.
This is a tall order given the fact Sinner has been remarkable all season and quite noticeably better than the rest.
However, Djokovic has beaten Sinner before and it’s not wise to rule out a 24-time Grand Slam champion.
READ NEXT: Betting analysis: 10bet review – Markets, odds and best free bets
