logo
Wimbledon Round 1: Who are Alcaraz, Djokovic & Raducanu facing?

Wimbledon Round 1: Who are Alcaraz, Djokovic & Raducanu facing?

Wimbledon 2025 is here, so grab the peaches, cream and Pimm's.
Arguably the most prestigious tournament in the sport, 2025's third Grand Slam starts on Monday, 30 June and runs until Sunday, 13 July.
Carlos Alcaraz is the red-hot favourite to make it three titles in three years, but Novak Djokovic is always lurking.
22-year-old Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz is undoubtedly the man to beat at Wimbledon in 2025. He's won 18 matches on the trot this year, including titles at Roland Garros and Queens, the warm-up event to Wimbledon. That Roland Garros win still reverberates around the tennis world; an epic five-set triumph against Jannik Sinner spanning five hours and 29 minutes. Alcaraz came from two sets down, saving three consecutive match points deep into the fourth. Carlos Alcaraz , on a quest to make it a three-peat of titles, will play the talented, sometimes temperamental Italian veteran Fabio Fognini.
, on a quest to make it a three-peat of titles, will play the talented, sometimes temperamental Italian veteran Fabio Fognini. World Number 1 Jannik Sinner faces compatriot Luca Nardi.
Fourth-seeded Englishman Jack Draper has a tricky clash with dirt-balling Argentine Sebastian Baez.
Seven-time champion and finalist every year since 2018, the legendary Novak Djokovic, meets Frenchman Alex Muller.
22-year-old home favourite and poster girl Emma Raducanu meets teenage Welsh star Mimi Xu.
Roland Garros winner Coco Gauff squares up against big-hitting Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska.
There's a potential last dance for two-time champion Petra Kvitova against the scrappy 10th-seeded American Emma Navarro .
. 2022 champion, the big-serving and smooth-striking Elena Rybakina, has a glamorous tie with Russian-Armenian star Elina Avanesyan. 2021 US Open champ Emma Raducanu has battled injuries in the last four years. Image: The Independent
Let us know by leaving a comment below or sending a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Also, subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

'No panic' says Medvedev after shock Wimbledon exit
'No panic' says Medvedev after shock Wimbledon exit

eNCA

timean hour ago

  • eNCA

'No panic' says Medvedev after shock Wimbledon exit

LONDON - Former US Open champion Daniil Medvedev said he was "not panicking" after a shock first-round defeat at Wimbledon extended his dismal Grand Slam form this year. The Russian ninth seed lost 7-6 (7/2), 3-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 to France's Benjamin Bonzi in three hours and seven minutes in sweltering conditions on Court Two Medvedev reached the Wimbledon semi-finals in 2023 and 2024 but the Russian's bid for another strong run at the All England Club came to an abrupt end at the hands of the world number 64. It was the first time in seven Wimbledon appearances that Medvedev has failed to advance past the opening round. Medvedev, a six-time Grand Slam finalist, has endured a dismal year at the majors, losing in the Australian Open second round and French Open first round before his Wimbledon flop. The 29-year-old, who won the US Open in 2021, defeated top-seeded Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon quarter-finals last year before losing to defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals. But the Russian was sanguine about his defeat on Monday, saying he would be "very worried" had he not reached the final at this month's Halle grass-court event, which he lost to Alexander Bublik. "I had a great week of preparation because I come in with confidence after Halle," said Medvedev. "I literally won every practice set I played. But it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter for the match. The match is a new story. "First round, for sure many, many times you play a bit worse. If it would be second or third round, maybe I could have better shots, play better." The Russian had angrily slammed his racquet against his chair after losing, but said he was confident he will get back on track. "It's not panicking. But I was really worried after Hertogenbosch (where he lost in the quarter-finals to Reilly Opelka). It was a lot of losses," he said. "For me it's a matter of confidence. Again, I come back to this Halle tournament. If it would not be there, I would be here and say, 'Look, something is definitely missing'. "But no, just a matter of couple of matches, win matches. I feel like this year I lost a lot of close calls. When I start winning them, I can go up the rankings.

Carlos Alcaraz survives Fabio Fognini scare to open 2025 Wimbledon account
Carlos Alcaraz survives Fabio Fognini scare to open 2025 Wimbledon account

IOL News

time10 hours ago

  • IOL News

Carlos Alcaraz survives Fabio Fognini scare to open 2025 Wimbledon account

Carlos Alcaraz celebrates after winning a point against Fabio Fognini during their men's singles first-round match at Wimbledon. "First of all, I don't know why it is probably Fabio's last Wimbledon because the level he has shown shows he can still play for three or four more years," Alcaraz said. Alcaraz shrugged off an inconsistent display including 62 unforced errors as he refused to wilt on the hottest opening day in Wimbledon history. It was the first time since Roger Federer narrowly beat Alejandro Falla in 2010 that a defending champion had been taken to a fifth set in the Wimbledon first round. Alcaraz battled to a 7-5, 6-7 (5/7), 7-5, 2-6, 6-1 win over the 38-year-old Italian in a first-round clash lasting four hours and 37 minutes in sweltering conditions on Centre Court. Carlos Alcaraz survived a major scare in his Wimbledon opener against Italian veteran Fabio Fognini on Monday before coming through in five sets to launch his bid for a third straight title at the All England Club. Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. "Playing on Centre Court for the first match of any tournament is never easy. I've been practising pretty well and playing on grass really well, but Wimbledon is special and different. "I could feel the difference between Wimbledon and the other tournaments. I just tried to play my best but I would say that I could play better." The 22-year-old secured a crucial break in the second game of the deciding set, roaring "vamos" after saving two break points in the next game. Fognini had given Alcaraz a much sterner test than expected, but the world number 138 ran out of steam as the indefatigable Spaniard once again showcased his final set prowess. Alcaraz has never lost in a Grand Slam first round in 18 appearances. Having vanquished Novak Djokovic in the past two Wimbledon finals, Alcaraz is looking to join an elite group of Wimbledon icons. His clay-court credentials are firmly established after he fought back from two sets down to beat Jannik Sinner in an epic French Open final earlier this month. Alcaraz is equally dynamic on grass, winning 30 of his 33 Tour-level matches on the surface, with his last defeat at Wimbledon coming against Sinner in the fourth round in 2022. He is bidding to become the fifth man in the Open Era to win at least three consecutive Wimbledon titles after Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and seven-time champion Djokovic. If he achieves that target, Alcaraz would be the second-youngest player in the Open Era to win six Grand Slam men's titles after Borg, who reached that landmark in 1978. He will face British qualifier Oliver Tarvet in the second round. "He is playing great tennis on grass and if he is in the second round of Wimbledon then he is playing at a great level," Alcaraz said. "I will try to improve the things that didn't work today, such as the return and the forehand. Let's keep enjoying being at Wimbledon as well." AFP

Medvedev in early exit with Wimbledon meltdown, Tsitsipas retires
Medvedev in early exit with Wimbledon meltdown, Tsitsipas retires

TimesLIVE

time13 hours ago

  • TimesLIVE

Medvedev in early exit with Wimbledon meltdown, Tsitsipas retires

Daniil Medvedev found the roasting conditions and a French opponent who had not won a match on grass for three years too hot to handle on Monday as the ninth seed suffered a 7-6(2) 3-6 7-6(3) 6-2 loss to Benjamin Bonzi in the Wimbledon first round. The Russian, who reached the semifinals at the All England Club for the last two years, got all hot and bothered as Bonzi brought out what he described as his 'A-game' to dispatch the 2021 US Open champion on Court Two, which felt like an oven throughout the three-hour match. With Medvedev desperate to preserve his 100% record of reaching at least the second round at Wimbledon, he took out his frustrations on his racket, smashing it to the ground after Bonzi had got the better of him yet again in the third set. But there was no respite for the former world number one. 'I was surprised by his level — there was not much I could do better,' Medvedev said.

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