logo
Wimbledon briefing: Day one preview, order of play and must-see match

Wimbledon briefing: Day one preview, order of play and must-see match

Rhyl Journala day ago
Women's world number one Aryna Sabalenka and defending men's champion Carlos Alcaraz start their campaigns on Monday while 14 British players take to the court hoping to thrill the home crowd.
Here, the PA news agency breaks down what to expect on day one of the Championships.
British tennis fans are spoiled for choice on Monday as 14 of the 23 home players in the singles draws take to the court.
Emma Raducanu faces Welsh 17-year-old Mimi Xu in the day's 'battle of Britain' while British number two Katie Boulter and number three Sonay Kartal have their work cut out against seeds Paula Badosa and Jelena Ostapenko respectively.
Sixteen-year-olds Hannah Klugman and Mika Stojsavljevic are also against seeds – former US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez and Ashlyn Krueger respectively – while Harriet Dart plays Hungary's Dalma Galfi.
In the men's draw British number two Jacob Fearnley takes on hot Brazilian prospect Joao Fonseca while Cameron Norrie faces Roberto Bautista Agut.
Debutant Oliver Tarvet, former boys' champion Henry Searle, Billy Harris, Arthur Fery and Oliver Crawford also take to the court on Monday.
A post shared by @emmaraducanu
A post shared by @emmaraducanu
Emma Raducanu made the fourth round last year in her biggest moment since winning the US Open in 2021 but this time is dealing with some difficult personal news, a niggling back problem and a very tough section of the draw.
But the 22-year-old is determined to enjoy her time in SW19.
'Truthfully I don't expect much from myself this year (at Wimbledon),' she said. 'I know I've just been dealing with certain things. I just want to go out there and embrace the moment. I want to embrace the occasion.
'Right now I'm just happy to be at Wimbledon. I think that is a great motivation to just keep going and deal with everything else afterwards.'
Carlos Alcaraz is full of confidence as he starts his bid for a third successive Wimbledon men's singles title – a feat managed only by Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic in the Open era. The Spaniard comes into the tournament in superb form, with his 18th-straight victory securing the title at Queen's to follow up successes in Rome and, memorably, at the French Open.
The 22-year-old, who opens play on Centre Court against veteran Italian Fabio Fognini, said: 'Obviously I feel a lot of confidence. But right now I'm not thinking about who I could join if I win three Wimbledons in a row.'
Katie Boulter's hopes of a long Wimbledon run were handed a major early obstacle when she was drawn against Spanish ninth seed Paula Badosa. But the 28-year-old is confident she can give anyone a match on Wimbledon's lawns.
'I do feel like I can play very well on these courts and I don't think that a seed is going to want to see me in their part of the draw either for a first round,' Boulter said.
'I'm very, very excited. I feel like it's a totally different situation for me coming in this year. I'm not seeded. I'm kind of like a dark horse and I like that feeling. I do like the fact that I can go out and swing free and I've got nothing to lose.'
The Order of Play for Day One at #Wimbledon has been confirmed…
Tap the card below to view the full schedule 👇
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 28, 2025
Centre Court (from 1.30pm)Carlos Alcaraz (2) v Fabio FogniniKatie Boulter v Paula Badosa (9)Alexander Zverev (3) v Arthur Rinderknech
Court One (from 1pm)Aryna Sabalenka (1) v Carson BranstineJacob Fearnley v Joao FonsecaEmma Raducanu v Mimi Xu
Hot and sunny, with highs of 33 degrees Celsius, according to Accuweather.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Dan Evans wins battle of Britain to set up likely clash with Novak Djokovic
Dan Evans wins battle of Britain to set up likely clash with Novak Djokovic

Rhyl Journal

time15 minutes ago

  • Rhyl Journal

Dan Evans wins battle of Britain to set up likely clash with Novak Djokovic

The 35-year-old picked up his first win in SW19 since 2021 with a 6-1 7-5 6-2 success over fellow wild card Clarke. Evans has endured a tough year on the court and slipped down the rankings to outside the top 150. Dan Evans charges into round two at Wimbledon!!! 👊 He comes out on top in this all-British first round battle#BackTheBrits 🇬🇧 | #Wimbledon — LTA (@the_LTA) July 1, 2025 But he raced away with the first set, overhauled an early break to claim the second and wrapped up a handy victory in two hours and 14 minutes. He celebrated the win wildly, and afterwards admitted: 'It was amazing. 'Really unfortunate to have to play Jay, two lads from the midlands, I've known him since he was really small. I'm just delighted to come through it.' Evans is one of a handful of active players to hold a winning record against Djokovic, having beaten the 24-time grand slam champion in their only previous meeting in Monte Carlo in 2021. The Serbian faces Frenchman Alexandre Muller later on Tuesday. 'I'd love it to be on Centre, to get a chance to play him,' added Evans. 'He's at the latter end of his career and I'd go out there and give it a really good go. It would be special in England to play the greatest of all time.' Derby pro Clarke found himself in the awkward position of having to explain to Wimbledon chiefs why he was originally named as a plaintiff in a case which has pitted the Professional Tennis Players Association, a body co-founded by Djokovic, against tennis' governing bodies. The 26-year-old world number 199, who decided to take his name off the lawsuit, was still granted a wild card for a fifth time and will earn £66,000 for his appearance.

Dan Evans wins battle of Britain to set up likely clash with Novak Djokovic
Dan Evans wins battle of Britain to set up likely clash with Novak Djokovic

North Wales Chronicle

time15 minutes ago

  • North Wales Chronicle

Dan Evans wins battle of Britain to set up likely clash with Novak Djokovic

The 35-year-old picked up his first win in SW19 since 2021 with a 6-1 7-5 6-2 success over fellow wild card Clarke. Evans has endured a tough year on the court and slipped down the rankings to outside the top 150. Dan Evans charges into round two at Wimbledon!!! 👊 He comes out on top in this all-British first round battle#BackTheBrits 🇬🇧 | #Wimbledon — LTA (@the_LTA) July 1, 2025 But he raced away with the first set, overhauled an early break to claim the second and wrapped up a handy victory in two hours and 14 minutes. He celebrated the win wildly, and afterwards admitted: 'It was amazing. 'Really unfortunate to have to play Jay, two lads from the midlands, I've known him since he was really small. I'm just delighted to come through it.' Evans is one of a handful of active players to hold a winning record against Djokovic, having beaten the 24-time grand slam champion in their only previous meeting in Monte Carlo in 2021. The Serbian faces Frenchman Alexandre Muller later on Tuesday. 'I'd love it to be on Centre, to get a chance to play him,' added Evans. 'He's at the latter end of his career and I'd go out there and give it a really good go. It would be special in England to play the greatest of all time.' Derby pro Clarke found himself in the awkward position of having to explain to Wimbledon chiefs why he was originally named as a plaintiff in a case which has pitted the Professional Tennis Players Association, a body co-founded by Djokovic, against tennis' governing bodies. The 26-year-old world number 199, who decided to take his name off the lawsuit, was still granted a wild card for a fifth time and will earn £66,000 for his appearance.

Sinner enjoys 'beautiful' month in wake of crushing French Open final loss
Sinner enjoys 'beautiful' month in wake of crushing French Open final loss

Reuters

time17 minutes ago

  • Reuters

Sinner enjoys 'beautiful' month in wake of crushing French Open final loss

LONDON, July 1 (Reuters) - Jannik Sinner would have been forgiven for spending the last month licking the open wounds from his French Open final defeat by Carlos Alcaraz, but the Italian said the experience had been beautiful after kicking off his Wimbledon campaign on Tuesday. Sinner marched into the second round at Wimbledon with a 6-4 6-3 6-0 drubbing of Luca Nardi and if he still bore the scars of his epic five-set loss to Alcaraz at Roland Garros, they were certainly not on show as he bulldozed past his fellow Italian. When asked how tough it had been over the last month, which also included an early exit at Halle in his only grasscourt warm-up, the world number one was almost entirely positive. "As a person, I know how important tennis is for me and for my life. I think it taught me so many things. But I also know that outside of tennis is a different life, which is more important," he told reporters. "For sure last month was not easy at times. But in the other way, it was beautiful, you know? So many things happened. Never thought that I would play a final of a Grand Slam like this. "So all positive things, to be honest. "Now I'm here. I'm here to show also myself that I'm capable of playing tennis also on grass hopefully. I showed it last year. I felt like I have improved a lot on this surface. So let's see what I can do this year." Three-times Grand Slam champion Sinner, who has never got past the Wimbledon semi-finals, looked every inch a grasscourt master as he dismantled Nardi in stifling conditions on Court One. He lost only four points on his first serve, which was functioning like clockwork against Nardi, who bravely clung on for the first two sets before capitulating completely in the third. When it was suggested to Sinner that he had modelled his serve on John Isner, who wrote his name in Wimbledon history with his 11-hour marathon win over Nicolas Mahut in 2010, the Italian suggested there also others he was trying to emulate. "Of course, you try to improve by watching some other servings, no? For sure he (Isner) is one of the list we try to watch," added top seed Sinner, who will face Aleksandar Vukic in the next round. "I feel quite comfortable at the moment. We worked a lot in this week of preparation with the serve, trying to slow a little bit the rhythm in the beginning. "So today it felt very well, especially the first serve. He (Nardi) was struggling also to return the second serve today. But again, I'm happy about the progress. Of course, we try to keep working."

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store