Carlos Alcaraz begins his third quest for the Wimbledon title, bringing a career-high 18-match winning streak against dangerous Italian Fabio Fognini, while women’s top Seedalina Sabalenka opens a campaign with Canadian qualifier Carson Branstin.
Friday’s draw at the All England Club created a normal plot in an eye-catching first-round clash.
The men’s top seed Janik Sinner, beaten by Alcaraz in the French Open Finals, meets Italian Luca Nardi and sixth seed Novak Djokovic, and is trying to tie Roger Federer’s eight Wimbledon singles title records, with a tricky opener against Alexandre Marer, the 40th world.
Women’s champion Barbora Klezikova, the 17th seed drawn from the Eastbourne tournament with thigh tension on Thursday, faces Alexandra Eerra from the Philippines.
No. 2 Coco Gauff’s first round opponent is Ukrainian Dayana Yasutermska. Golf’s potential semi-final opponent, third seed Jessica Pegra, plays Italian qualifier Elisabetta Cocchialetto.
Fourth seed Jasmine Paolini, who was runner-up at Wimbledon last year, faces Latvian Anastasiyasevatova and is seeded to meet Sabalenka in the semi-finals.
The UK has 23 players in the singles event, the most for home nations since 1984, with the male fourth seed jack draper carrying a weight of anticipation on the shoulder after a rapid rise. However, the draper faces a tough road when emulating two-time champion Andy Murray.
The 23-year-old Draper has a tricky opener against 38th-placed Sebastian Baez and could face Marin Sirik, who finished second in Round 2 and Kazakhstan’s Alexander Babrik.
To win the title, the Draper could have to beat Djokovic in the quarter-finals. Sinner in Samis, Alcaraz in the final.
UK No. 1 in the women’s UK Emma Radukanu opens against compatriot Mingge Xu, one of three British teen wildcards in the women’s draw. When 2021 US Open Champion Radukanu won, she played 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova or 32nd McCartney Kessler in the second round.
A potential outstanding second round match could feature Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen against four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka.
Alcaraz, who has warmed up to Wimbledon with the Queen’s Club title, will be wary of the threat posed by the mysterious Fonini, the 38-year-old Italian, who reached ninth in the rankings in 2019 and has never passed his third round in his 14 previous appearances at Wimbledon.
Alcaraz could then face British qualifier Oliver Turbett. Oliver Turbet could face World No. 719, the reward to reach the main draw, his first match against Swiss qualifier Leandro Reidi. Alkaraz’s potential semi-final opponent is Alexander Zverev, No. 3, who plays France’s Arthur Linderneck in the opening match.
Gauff, who left his second major title at French Open, will open Wimbledon on Tuesday against 2024 Australian Open semi-finalist Dayana Yasutermska.
If he wins, Goff may face former No. 1 and two-time Australian Open Champion Victoria Azarenka in the second round. Kenin eliminated Gouf in the opening round at Wimbledon two years ago.
Petra Kvitova, the 2011 and 2014 Wimbledon champion, announced that he would retire later this year, will take on 10th place Emma Navarro in the first round.
As the defending men’s champion, Alcaraz will open his play on centre court on Monday. This features the lower half of the male draw and the upper half of the female draw.
Krejcikova will begin playing on the centre court on Tuesday.
Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to the report.
