Second round singles action continues on Thursday.
Despite all the upsets we’ve seen to this stage, the biggest favorites remain in both gentlemen’s and ladies’ singles, and many of them will play their second round matches on Day 4. Top-seeded Jannik Sinner and seven-time champion Novak Djokovic bookend the Centre Court schedule, while 2022 champion Elena Rybakina faces two-time Major semifinalist Maria Sakkari on No.1 Court. And that will be followed by perhaps the most anticipated match of the day, as British No.1 Jack Draper takes on former US Open champ and Wimbledon runner-up Marin Cilic.
Throughout the tournament, this preview will analyze the day’s four most prominent matches, while highlighting the other notable matches on the schedule. Thursday’s play begins at 11:00am local time.
Dan Evans (WC) vs. Novak Djokovic (6) – 1:30pm on Centre Court
In his opening round, Djokovic was tested a bit more than most expected by Alexandre Muller, requiring four sets and well over three hours to advance. He is now 22-8 on the year, and 98-12 lifetime at The Championships. Novak is vying for reach the Wimbledon final for the seventh straight time, and his 11th time overall.
On Tuesday, Evans ended a four-match losing streak at his home country’s biggest event, beating fellow British wild card Jay Clarke in straights. Dan recently saw his ranking dip outside the top 200, but the 35-year-old quickly re-entered it with a few impressive grass court wins across the last few weeks, over the likes of Frances Tiafoe and Tommy Paul. And it was less than a year ago when Evans prevailed in the longest match in US Open history, outlasting Karen Khachanov after five hours and 35 minutes of play.
Dan actually claimed his only prior encounter with Novak, a straight-set victory four years ago on the clay of Monte Carlo. Yet while he’ll certainly be excited to return to Centre Court, it would be quite shocking if Evans can defeat Djokovic again on Thursday.
Maria Sakkari vs. Elena Rybakina (11) – Second on No.1 Court
Rybakina’s season hasn’t been all that remarkable, but she’s been a consistent performer, with a record of 30-12. In May, Elena won her first title in over a year. And she has reached the fourth round of both Majors during 2025, losing tight three-setters at that stage: to Madison Keys in Melbourne, and to Iga Swiatek in Paris, neither of which are embarrassing losses. At Wimbledon, she’s now a superb 20-3, having advanced to the quarterfinals or better in each of the last three years. Rybakina is a significant threat to win this title for a second time, especially with four of the top five seeds already eliminated.
Sakkari achieved two Major semifinals back in 2021, yet she has struggled mightily at Slams ever since. Maria has failed to make the second week of a Major in her last 13 appearances, which includes seven losses in the first round. The 29-year-old is now ranked 77th in the world, and has a losing record in 2025.
And to top all that off, Sakkari has lost four of five matches against Rybakina, though two of her recent losses to Elena were extremely tight contests. But still, considering Elena dropped only three games in her opening round, the 2022 champion should be favored to advance.
Jack Draper (4) vs. Marin Cilic – Last on No.1 Court
Draper didn’t even have to complete a third set to advance on Tuesday, receiving a mid-match retirement from Sebastian Baez while up two-sets-to-love. The 23-year-old Brit is now 29-8 this year, and won his first Masters 1000 title this past March in Indian Wells. However, Jack remains a modest 3-3 at The Championships, where much is now expected of the player deemed to be Andy Murray’s successor in the UK.
Cilic’s runner-up performance at this event took place back in 2017, and he also reached the quarterfinals here in all three years before that. However, this is actually Marin’s first Wimbledon appearance in four years. He’s dealt with multiple knee issues across the last few years, but is now 20-10 this season at all levels, and won a Challenger title on grass just two weeks ago. Cilic won his opening round here in straight sets.
In their first career meeting, a confident Draper is the clear favorite, especially since Cilic has never been a strong performer against top five players, even during his prime. As per Tennis Abstract, Marin has lost 23 of his last 25 matches against top five opposition. But I’m curious to see how Jack performs against a notable opponent with so many British eyes watching.
Jannik Sinner (1) vs. Aleksandar Vukic – Last on Centre Court
Along with Draper, Sinner was one of only a few higher seeds to advance easily through their first round, dropping just seven games. He’s now 20-3 in 2025, though of course he experienced some excruciating heartbreak just a few weeks ago in Paris, losing that epic final to Carlos Alcaraz despite holding three championship points. And Jannik also has some scar tissue at this event, including from last year when he lost a five-set quarterfinal to Daniil Medvedev.
Vukic is a 29-year-old Australian who prior to this season was 3-10 at Majors. Yet he notably reached the third round of his home Slam this past January, winning a pair of five-setters, including one over 22nd-seeded Sebastian Korda, before losing a five-setter to Draper. And while Aleksandar only has four other tour-level wins this season, he did come through qualifying at both Queen’s Club and Eastbourne on grass.
But Sinner remains a huge favorite in this second round matchup. He’s 2-0 against Vukic, having never lost a set. And there’s nothing in Vukic’s game, or almost anyone’s game nowadays, that can truly bother the World No.1.
Other Notable Matches on Thursday:
Barbora Krejcikova (17) vs. Caroline Dolehide – Krejcikova came from a set down on Tuesday against an in-form Alexandra Eala. And she beat Dolehide in straights six years ago at an ITF-level clay court event.
Iga Swiatek (8) vs. Caty McNally – Swiatek won her opening round in straight sets, and now vies to reach the third round of Wimbledon for the fifth consecutive year. Three years ago in Ostrava, she defeated McNally 6-4, 6-4.
Thursday’s full Order of Play is here.
