Wimbledon 2026 draw sees Serena Williams face Maya Joint, Jack Draper to play Taylor Fritz
Serena Williams is set to make her singles return at Wimbledon against Maya Joint in the first round. Williams, a seven-time women’s champion at the All England Club, received a wildcard to re-enter singles play at the age of 44, having not competed in singles since the US Open in 2022. Joint, who is 20 years old, experienced a first-round exit in her main-draw debut at Wimbledon last year and has secured only one victory in her last 14 matches.
The draw also features British number one Emma Raducanu, seeded 30th, who will begin her campaign against Antonia Ruzic of Croatia. However, concerns have been raised regarding Raducanu’s fitness after she missed practice due to a shin injury. Raducanu could potentially meet top seed Aryna Sabalenka in the third round, a repeat of their encounter at Wimbledon last year.
Men’s and Women’s Draws Unveiled
In the men’s draw, Britain’s Jack Draper faces a challenging first-round match against American sixth seed Taylor Fritz. Draper is continuing his return from a series of injuries and has reached the semi-finals at Eastbourne in his first tournament since April. His coaching team now includes Andy Murray.
Seven-time champion Novak Djokovic will start his bid for a 25th Grand Slam title against Wu Yibing of China. World number one Jannik Sinner, who has not played competitively since his second-round exit at the French Open in May, will start against Miomir Kecmanovic of Serbia as he aims to defend his Wimbledon title. However, Carlos Alcaraz will not participate in the tournament due to a wrist injury.
Reigning women’s champion Iga Swiatek will commence her title defence against American Taylor Townsend. The women’s draw ceremony at the All England Club on Friday saw significant anticipation surrounding Williams’s placement. As a wildcard entry, Williams could have been drawn against a top-ranked player but instead drew Joint, a match that appears favourable for her.
If Williams advances, she could face 29th seed Alexandra Eala, with a potential third-round match against Swiatek. Williams has played two doubles matches since starting her comeback this month and will also compete in the Wimbledon doubles event with her sister Venus, a tournament they have won six times together.
British Players’ Prospects
The British contingent in the singles draws is substantial, aided by numerous wildcards from the All England Club. The draw appears challenging for many home players, particularly for Draper. This will be only his second tournament back from injury, and he might have hoped for an easier opponent than Fritz, who reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon last year.
Draper, a 24-year-old left-hander, was still ranked within the top 100 when the entry list closed, securing his spot despite dropping out of that ranking since. Cameron Norrie, seeded 26th in the men’s singles, is the highest-ranked Briton and leads the six players who gained direct entry by ranking. Norrie, a 2022 semi-finalist, will play American qualifier Michael Zheng and could face Canadian third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in the third round.
Raducanu is the only other British seed, having climbed into the top 32 after reaching the Queen’s final earlier this month. She could potentially meet former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in the second round, who first plays Harriet Dart, with Sabalenka as a possible later opponent. Katie Boulter, Francesca Jones, and Jan Choinski also secured their places through their rankings.
Twelve Britons received wildcards, six men and six women. However, a wildcard was not granted to Dan Evans, who is expected to retire after the tournament. Evans had to go through qualifying but lost in the second round. Wildcard recipient Toby Samuel has a notable first-round match against French Open semi-finalist Jakub Mensik. Three players, Ollie Tarvet, Billy Harris, and Max Basing, successfully qualified after winning three matches this week, marking the highest number of home players to qualify since 1999.
Other significant first-round matches include Sabalenka against Teodora Kostovic, Jessica Pegula versus Darja Vidmanova, and Coco Gauff playing Tamara Korpatsch in the women’s singles. In the men’s singles, Casper Ruud will face Hubert Hurkacz, and Daniil Medvedev will play Marin Cilic. Serena Williams will return to singles action on Tuesday.
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Source: bbc.co.uk
As NewsUK's Senior Football Correspondent, Thomas Beckwith reports on the Premier League, the EFL and the England national side for readers across the country. He reported on three World Cups for a national news agency. He holds a degree in Sports Journalism from Sheffield Hallam University and completed an NCTJ diploma. Thomas lives in Sheffield, where he watches lower-league football most weekends. “Football writing is about the decisions, not just the result.”
