The most prestigious tournament in tennis is almost here, and this year’s Championships look set to deliver another fortnight of storylines, drama and high-quality tennis.
Sinner favourite to defend title
At the start of the year, few would have expected Alex Zverev to be the only 2026 Grand Slam champion in the men’s Wimbledon draw. Carlos Alcaraz, who won the Australian Open, has been ruled out through injury, while Zverev arrives after winning his first major title at Roland Garros.
Jannik Sinner has dominated much of the ATP season, but he is still waiting for a Grand Slam title in 2026. He lost to Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open semi-finals, then suffered a surprise second-round defeat to Juan Manuel Cerundolo in Paris while struggling physically.
Sinner’s first match since that Roland Garros exit will be on Centre Court on the opening Monday. Despite that setback, he remains the clear favourite to defend his Wimbledon title and win The Championships for a second successive year.
Zverev, the second seed and newest Grand Slam champion in the draw, has never gone beyond the fourth round at Wimbledon. However, his powerful game gives him the tools to challenge, and his Roland Garros win may give him the belief to go deeper this time.
Djokovic also arrives with questions to answer after an early exit in Paris. Wimbledon has been one of his great stages, and he will hope for another deep run in what could be one of his final appearances at The Championships.
Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton could lead the American challenge, alongside Halle champion Frances Tiafoe. Jack Draper, who returned from injury this week, will carry British hopes. If his body holds up, he has the game to give the home crowd plenty to support.
Stan Wawrinka is among the wildcards for what will be his final Wimbledon appearance. Younger names will also be worth watching, with Jakub Mensik, Rafael Jodar and Joao Fonseca all looking to build on deep runs at Roland Garros.
Sabalenka hunts first Wimbledon title
The women’s draw is also wide open. Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff are all still waiting for a Grand Slam title this season. Elena Rybakina won the Australian Open, while Mirra Andreeva claimed her first major title at Roland Garros.
Defending champion Swiatek has yet to find her best level this year and is still without a title in 2026. Sabalenka, meanwhile, has been one of the strongest players on the WTA Tour, but she has not yet converted that form into a Grand Slam title this season.
After her collapse against Diana Shnaider at Roland Garros, Sabalenka will be keen to put recent major disappointments behind her. A first Wimbledon title would be a significant addition to her career and would underline her position at the top of the sport.
Serena Williams is the most high-profile wildcard in the women’s draw. Her singles return will attract huge attention, with her last singles appearance coming in 2022. She has played only two doubles matches in the build-up, so it remains to be seen what level she can produce at 44 years of age.
Serena will also compete in the doubles alongside her sister Venus, adding another major storyline to the fortnight.
Maja Chwalinska arrives after her surprise run to the Roland Garros final. She will become the first seeded wildcard in tennis history, as her ranking was too low at the Wimbledon entry cut-off to earn direct entry into the main draw.
World number nine Victoria Mboko will miss the tournament after sustaining a knee injury at Queen’s. Emma Raducanu, meanwhile, showed at Queen’s that she still has the level to trouble top players, although reports of injury concerns make her prospects harder to assess.
With established champions, returning icons and emerging contenders all in the draw, Wimbledon 2026 has the ingredients for a compelling Championships.
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