Fourth round singles action commences on Sunday.
We are down to 16 gentlemen and 16 ladies in the singles draws, with all players four wins away from a Wimbledon title. Two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz headlines play on Day 7, against big-hitting Andrey Rublev. That match will be proceeded on Centre Court by a battle between friends and former championship doubles partners, as World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka takes on Elise Mertens.
Plus, US Open finalist Taylor Fritz looks to march on in an open section of the draw. And another American, recent WTA 1000 champion Amanda Anisimova, goes up against the 30th seed and fellow Major quarterfinalist, Linda Noskova.
Throughout the tournament, this preview will analyze the day’s four most prominent matches, while highlighting the other notable matches on the schedule. Sunday’s play begins at 11:00am local time.
Aryna Sabalenka (1) vs. Elise Mertens (24) – Second on Centre Court
Sabalenka picked up her 45th win of the season on Friday night, in a competitive straight-set victory over Emma Raducanu. But it was not the best performance from Aryna, who only landed 64% of her first serves, and only won four of 15 break points. Regardless, the top seed is yet to drop a set, and she’s won her last 10 matches in the round of 16 at Majors.
Mertens earned an impressive win in the last round over Elina Svitolina, to reach the fourth round of Wimbledon for the fourth time. However, she is 0-3 in this round at The Championships, and just 3-11 in this round across all Slams, having lost her last seven. The most recent of those losses came against Sabalenka, in a straight-setter last September in New York.
Overall Aryna has dominated their head-to-head, with a 10-2 edge, and claiming the last nine. Seven of those consecutive victories came in straights, before Elise finally took a set off her a few months ago in Madrid. The World No.1 is a significant favorite to defeat Mertens again on Sunday afternoon.
Nicolas Jarry (Q) vs. Cameron Norrie – Second on No.1 Court
Both of these men have overcome considerable issues this past year. Norrie missed nearly three months of competition last season due to a forearm injury, and saw his ranking nearly drop out of the top 100. However, this is now the second straight Major where he has advanced to the round of 16, and he’s now on the brink of returning to the world’s top 50. Cam already notched a notable upset over 12th-seeded Frances Tiafoe two rounds ago.
Ever since reaching his first Masters 1000 final last May in Rome, Jarry has been battling vestibular neuritis, an inner ear condition which impacts your balance and vision. He has struggled to win matches for the past 12 months, and saw his ranking drop from No.16 to No.150. But Nico has now won six matches across the past two weeks (including qualifying), and defeated teenage standout Joao Fonseca in the last round. This is his second time in the fourth round of a Major, after first achieving this feat two years ago in Paris.
They have split two previous meetings at all levels: Jarry prevailed seven years ago on a hard court in Miami, while Norrie prevailed six years ago on a clay court in Rome (during qualifying). On grass, Norrie is the more accomplished player, and the 2022 Wimbledon semifinalist should be favored to advance, especially in front of a partisan British crowd. But Jarry’s serve and big groundies certainly give him a shot, and I expect an extended affair on Day 7.
Andrey Rublev (14) vs. Carlos Alcaraz (2) – Last on Centre Court
Like Sabalenka, Alcaraz earned his 45th win of the season on Friday, in four sets over Jan-Lennard Struff. With that victory, as per OptaAce, Carlito is one of only four men under the age of 23 to win 21 or more consecutive matches, along with Jim Courier, Rafael Nadal, and Juan Martin del Potro. And Alcaraz is a nearly perfect 11-1 in the round of 16 at Majors, with his only loss coming three years ago at this event to Jannik Sinner.
Since his Major quarterfinal record plummeted to 0-10 lifetime, Rublev has lost prior to the quarterfinals at the last five Majors, as his on-court temper tantrums and self-harm rose to alarming levels. Andrey recently worked with the ATP to release a documentary, in which he reveals he has been focusing on better controlling his emotions and being kinder to himself, with the help of his new coach and former Major champion, Marat Safin. After falling out of the world’s top 10 for the first time in years, Rublev is now on the verge of returning.
However, through three rounds, the average ranking of Andrey’s opposition has been No.168, so this is a huge step up in competition. Alcaraz leads their head-to-head 2-1, though Rublev did defeat him in fast conditions last year in Madrid. And if Carlitos has an extended letdown in his level, Andrey’s power can take advantage of that. So while Alcaraz is a big favorite, it will be interesting to see if Rublev can pose a threat.
Linda Noskova (30) vs. Amanda Anisimova (13) – Last on No.1 Court
Anisimova is currently at a career-high ranking of No.2, and may debut inside the world’s top 10 in a week’s time. She reached her first WTA 1000 final last summer in Canada, then won her first WTA 1000 title this past February in Doha. Now Amanda looks to match her result from her last main draw appearance at The Championships, when she reached the quarterfinals back in 2022.
Noskova achieved her first Major quarterfinal last year in Melbourne, where she upset Iga Swiatek. Yet Linda has failed to follow-up on that result until now, losing in the first or second round of the last five Slams. But the 20-year-old has taken advantage of an open draw, in which she didn’t face a player inside the top 60 to this stage.
And Noskova won their only prior meeting, though that took place over two years ago at Indian Wells, when Anisimova was not in a good place with her mental health, and would soon take an extended break from the tour. However, in 2025, Amanda is playing the best tennis of her career, and her serve and backhand are legitimate weapons this surface likes to reward. So I like the American’s chances of returning to the Wimbledon quarterfinals.
Other Notable Matches on Sunday:
Karen Khachanov (17) vs. Kamil Majchrzak – Khachanov has survived back-to-back five-setters, and went all the way to a match tiebreak in the last round against Nuno Borges, as he vies for his second Wimbledon quarterfinal. Majchrzak took out Matteo Berrettini earlier this week in five sets, and this is now his best result at a Major to date. Khachanov leads their head-to-head 3-0.
Sonay Kartal vs. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova – Pavlyuchenkova has already eliminated three notable players: Tomljanovic, Krueger, and Osaka. And she was a quarterfinalist here back in 2016. Kartal is a 23-year-old Brit making her debut at this stage of a Major, and she upset Jelena Ostapenko in the first round. This is their first career meeting.
Taylor Fritz (5) vs. Jordan Thompson – Both of these men have played a possible 14 out of 15 sets through three rounds, with each contesting five-setters in their first and second rounds. Fritz is a two-time quarterfinalist at The Championships, while Thompson is 0-2 in this round of Majors. They have split two prior encounters, with their grass court meeting going to Jordan, just last year at Queen’s Club.
Solana Sierra (LL) vs. Laura Siegemund – Sierra is a 21-year-old who trains at the Rafael Nadal Academy, and despite having never won a main draw match at a Slam prior to this fortnight, has become the first lucky loser through to the Wimbledon round of 16 in ladies’ singles during the Open Era. Siegemund upset Madison Keys in the last round, and the 37-year-old is yet to drop a set. This is another first-time meeting.
Sunday’s full Order of Play is here.
