Day 1 at The Championships is one of the most special days on the tennis calendar, with play commencing at the sport’s most historic tournament, on the nearly-pristine green grass of The All-England Club.
As tradition dictates, the defending gentlemen’s singles champion opens Centre Court play on Day 1 of the fortnight. And that gentleman is Jannik Sinner, who won this tournament for the first time by defeating two-time champion Carlos Alcaraz in four sets. Unfortunately, Alcaraz will miss this year’s Wimbledon, just as he did Roland Garros, due to an ongoing wrist injury. The only other former champion in the gentlemen’s singles draw is seven-time champion Novak Djokovic. The No.2 seed is recent first-time Major champ Alexander Zverev, though he won Roland Garros without having to face a top 10 player, and has never advanced beyond the round of 16 at The Championships, so he’s far from a top contender for this title.
The defending ladies’ singles champion is Iga Swiatek, who stormed her way to her first Wimbledon title, and double-bageled first-time Major finalist Amanda Anisimova in the championship match. The top seed is Aryna Sabalenka, though she is now 0-3 in Wimbledon semifinals. The other former champions in the ladies’ singles draw are 2022 champ Elena Rybakina, 2024 champ Barbora Krejcikova, and seven-time champ Serena Williams, who will be playing her first singles match in nearly four years.
Sinner headlines Monday’s schedule alongside Djokovic and Sabalenka, while newly-minted Major champion Mirra Andreeva also plays her first round match. Plus, in a battle between US Open champions, it’s Daniil Medvedev vs. Marin Cilic.
Here’s a rundown of the most notable matches on Day 1 (in chronological order, all times local):
Mananchaya Sawangkaew (Q) vs. Maja Chwalinska (20) (WC) – 11:00am on Court 12
Despite reaching the final of Roland Garros, and as a qualifier no less, Chwalinska is the rare seeded player who required a wild card into this main draw, as entry is determined by ranking ahead of Roland Garros. This is just her 14th career match on grass, and Maja has only earned one tour-level victory on this surface. Sawangkaew is a 23-year-old qualifier from Thailand who has never won a match at a Major.
Jannik Sinner (1) vs. Miomir Kecmanovic – 1:30pm on Centre Court
Sinner is a superb 37-3 this season, but he has not played a match in a full month. After fading in the heat during the second round of Roland Garros, the World No.1 did not enter a grass court tuneup event. Kecmanovic has a losing record on the year, and is 0-4 against Sinner, which includes a straight-set loss two years ago at this same tournament.
Casper Ruud (11) vs. Hubert Hurkacz – Second on No.3 Court
Ruud’s aversion to grass is well-documented, as he’s just 3-5 lifetime at The Championships. By contrast, this is the Major where Hurkacz owns his best record, and he advanced to the semifinals back in 2021. However, he missed this event a year ago to undergo knee surgery, and is yet to rediscover his form. Ruud is 3-1 against Hurkacz, but they’ve never played on grass.
Marin Cilic vs. Daniil Medvedev (8) – Second on No.1 Court
Medvedev was a semifinalist here in both 2023 and 2024, was eliminated in the first round in 2025. So his results here have been typically Medvedevian. Cilic reached the second week here a year ago, his first time advancing that far since was a finalist back in 2017. Medvedev leads their head-to-head 4-1, and just a few weeks ago on the grass of ‘s-Hertogenbosch, he defeated Cilic in three sets.
Aryna Sabalenka (1) vs. Teodora Kostovic (Q) – Second on Centre Court
Sabalenka is 33-5 this year, but she’s lost four of her last 11 matches, and hasn’t won a title since March. The World No.1 reached the semifinals in her last three SW19 appearances, yet lost all three of those semifinals in three sets. Kostovic is an 18-year-old Serbian making her Major debut.
Roberto Bautista Agut vs. Joao Fonseca (24) – Third on Court 18
In his Wimbledon debut last year, Fonseca advanced to the third round. And he’s coming off his first Major quarterfinal a few weeks ago in Paris, where he earned a few thrilling victories, including over Novak Djokovic. Bautista Agut was a Wimbledon semifinalist in 2019, and since that run, has twice reached the second week. However, the 38-year-old is just 4-12 this year at tour level.
Magda Linette vs. Mirra Andreeva (3) – Third on No.1 Court
In her only grass court match after winning her first Major, Andreeva lost this past week to Ekaterina Alexandrova in straight sets. But the teenager was a quarterfinalist here last year, and her game is well-suited for grass. Linette is just 7-10 lifetime at The All-England Club, yet she advanced to the semifinals of ‘s-Hertogenbosch earlier this month. Andreeva is 3-1 against Linette, with Magda’s only victory coming at the 2024 Paris Olympics on clay.
Yibing Wu vs. Novak Djokovic (7) – Third on Centre Court
This will be a 21st Wimbledon for Djokovic, and he’s reached the semifinals or better in 14 of his 20 appearances. However, he’s only 9-4 on the year, and only 4-3 since losing in the final of January’s Australian Open. Yibing has just recently re-entered the world’s top 100 after injuries derailed his career, and he’s 0-1 lifetime at The Championships.
Monday’s full Order of Play is here.
