
Zverev wins the second set 7-6, levelling Rinderknech at 1-1
An epic tie-break to end an epic day at SW19, and a set point for Rinderknech. Zverev launches an ace down the line for 7-7. Then another, and Zverev has set point. Not for long. A big serve cannot be returned. 8-8. He does far better next time, and Rinderknech can’t reach the volley. Zverev can serve out. And with a punch of the air, he celebrates levelling it. And with that, all play is suspended at Wimbledon.
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Big serving from Rinderknech and Zverev once again has to serve to save himself. He does so, and here comes the tie-break. Zverev wins the first point after a long rally. Rinderknech hits hardest to level it. He climbs to 3-2 up. But 3-3 follows. Zverev’s serve is looking more solid than it was. Then again, Rinderknech’s serve’s always been decent. And he chases one of his own down to 5-4 with the forehand. Then comes an error from Zverev at 5-5. A set point on the Rinderknech serve but he can’t control his forehand from the baseline when it skids up.
We conclude the night by visiting a match that surely won’t be finished. Zverev must hold his serve to not go two sets down to Rinderknech. It’s 30-0 on the German’s serve. Now 30-30. Play will stop at the end of this set. Big serve, and it’s 40-30. Next a feathered drop and it’s deuce. Zverev is a troubled soul. And he coughs up a set point as Rinderknech goes on the offensive, but then misses a backhand. Zverev holds…and it’s 5-5.
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Well, just as we were ready for a fifth set, and much to Fritz’s annoyance, the game has been stopped, and will be restarted tomorrow. The American is fuming, Perricard is rueful, knowing he could have won it. He set the fastest ever serve at Wimbledon. The ref is not too popular though there’s a long old bus ride to Southfields and Wimbledon for those left. Last orders in Wimbledon Village, too.
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Fritz levels it, as Perricard blows his chance
Perricard shows he not just a hammer man, he also feathers a drop that sends poor Fritz sprawling. A mini-break lead of 2-1, followed up by an overhead for 3-1. Make that 4-1 with a missile of an ace. Fritz is blitzed. And then a rally sees Perricard come forward and Fritz slices his drop wide with a chopped backhand. It’s 5-1 and now it’s on the Frenchman’s serve. The first is saved for 5-2. Next, an even better rally where Perricard fails to scrape the ball over the net cord. 5-3, now 5-4. Three serves for Fritz to save himself. He levels it with another chop, down the line. 5-5. Wow. Now it’s 6-5 to Fritz, and Perricard must save himself. Perricard equalises with another missile. What a match. Perricard has the serve. Oh no, a double fault. Fritz has set point…and takes it. We go to five sets.
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Perricard’s first return is a beauty but then he messes up his attempt to win a long rally. Next up, one hell of a lob for 15-30. Fritz is all at sea. Then comes 30-30 after some poor shot selection. And here we are, another tie-break. This is massive.
Perricard and Fritz reaches a vital point. It’s 4-5 and Fritz is serving to stay in the match. Can Perricard work him over? 30-0 says no. So does 40-0. Perricard will now serve to avoid a break. He goes to 30-0, and with a measured backhand, it’s 40-0. But suddenly, Perricard misses a very winnable shot, to hold serve. Fritz must serve to save himself once more.
Zverev and Rinderknech go to a tie-break. It’s a night for a tie-break, the Frenchman having held five break points. Rinderknech takes a 4-1 lead against a stone-faced Zverev, then 5-1. The German is not moving well on the grass. The Frenchman, by contrast, very much is. And wins a big rally by bullying Zvereb to claim set point with a squawk.
Fritz is serving for the third set Can Perricard stop him? Two set points suggest not, and the first is taken. The next set will see the barrage continue.
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Fritz has a foothold, and it’s 4-3 in the third set, Perricard having been broken earlier in the set but just held his serve.
It’s 4-2 to Zverev against Arthur Rinderknech on Centre Court, under the roof and under the lights. It’s still hot out there.
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Perricard’s serve is huge, and now Fritz cannot afford to be broken. It’s proper crash-bang-wallop stuff. Fritz’s serve is just as fearsome in holding his serve to love. 1-1 in the third set, the Frenchman is two sets up.
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Perricard has taken the second set, on a tie-break. Fritz will need a five-setter to make it through. They’re under the roof on Court No 1.
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There’s still games being played out there. France’s Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard is on Court No 1, and won the first set against Taylor Fritz. The late man on Centre Court is Sasha Zverev, who is taking on Arthur Rinderknech, another Frenchman, under the lights presumably, in the Newsnight slot.
That’s Boulter’s fourth defeat of a top ten player, and the smile is broad. “I just felt I had some really good juju going on there. I’m just happy to be in the second round. I was bricking it, I just tried to compete, hoped she missed. It happened and I am thrilled. This court is the epitome of what every young kid dreams of. I felt like a young girl again.”
That’s the shock of the day, and it went the way of a Briton. What a day it’s been for us in Albion.
Boulter beats Badosa 6-2 3-6 6-4
Big cheers for Katie at 0-15. Even bigger as she reads an overhead and top spins it home for 0-30. Second serve offers up a chance, and three match points. Badosa’s turn to wobble. The first sees an attempted winner fly wide. Two more to go. The second does the job, a low return cannot be returned. Katie Boulter is through! Centre Court rejoices at a seventh Brit winner of the day. The ninth seed is beaten by the British No 2.
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Boulter wobbles at 40-0 up as a double fault and an unforced error shows her tightness. But Badosa nets, and now must serve to stay in the game.
Ashlyn Krueger 6-3 6-2 Mika Stojsavljevic is the final score, and the Ealing teenager gave everything against a high-quality opponent. She’ll be back soon, we hope.
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Henman Hill/Murray Mound/Radacanu Ridge has become Boulter bank. She’s 4-3 up on Badosa, and two more games will see her cheered to the rafters by the gin n’ pimms massive. At 30-30 there’s a sniff of a chance before a kick serve means she cannot break, and now must hold. New balls are served. Badosa picks up a new racket.
From our reporters at Wimbledon today.
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Naomi Osaka beat Australia’s Talia Gibson 6-4 7-6 (7-4) and goes through.
Boulter has broken back and serves with real determination, her wide eyes laser focused on the job. It’s quiet on Centre. It’s been a long, hot day. Wonderful rally to go 40-30 up, and a fine passing shot after some hard running. That’s woken them from their golden slumbers, their strawberry stupor. Still, deuce arrives. More fighting for Boulter to do but she holds. Still, a long long way to go.
Mika Stojsavljevic, the 16-year-old from Ealing who won the girls’ US Open, is a set down to Ashlyn Krueger in her SW19 senior debut. She’s just held her serve at the opening of the second set.
Big noise from Badosa as she has break points on Boulter’s first service game. But Boulter saves them to land at deuce. Now to hold? She has to face four break points, and Boulter saves with a crasher down the line. But then comes a double fault, and Badosa claims the break.
Badosa levels the sets with Boulter
Boulter has broken Badosa back, and it’s 5-3 as she follows up. Badosa must serve for the set, and does so with calm, going 40-0 up, and a fine winner.
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Jacob Fearnley was full of regret after losing to Joao Fonseca: “I didn’t really know what to expect going in. I had a good time, maybe didn’t need to put so much pressure on myself before the match. I definitely think that could have played against me a little bit, the pressure I put on myself, the nerves that I had. Going forward, I think I could definitely deal with them a little bit better, maybe get off to a little bit better start, more confident start, I would say.”
Fonseca’s warm-up partner? Carlos Alcaraz.
More Radacanu reaction:, via the BBC “I’m super pleased to have come through that match. It is so difficult playing against another Brit in the first round. When the draw came out, I can’t say that I was loving it.
“Mimi [Xu] is a really dangerous player, she is so young and she has some amazing weapons at her disposal. I’m just so happy to come through that. I just want to thank everyone for their support, it was a really great atmosphere.
“I’m glad people were having fun today! I saw a champagne cork fly onto the court so cheers to you! It’s really nice to be back. I love the support and I love playing in this atmosphere. It’s my favourite tournament by far so I’m happy to get another match here.”
Roar from Badosa as Boulter wobbles, and a bad miss hands the Spaniard a break point and control of the second set. Badosa next holds the next game. 4-1 up. Boulter must battle back.
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Jasmine Paolini is fighting hard, taking Anastasija Sevastova to a third set. Her opponent has taken an off-court medical timeout to regroup before taking on this third, deciding set.
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Some brief Radacanu reaction to beating Mimi Xu. “I’m super pleased to have come through that match. It’s so difficult playing another Brit first round. When the draw came out, I can’t say I was loving it.”
Boulter duly took that first set 6-2, and is playing well. Now to attack that Badosa serve again. Her opponent is a big hitter, and holds, and is showing off her frustrations with her game.
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Katie Boulter has got off to a steaming start, 5-1 up on Badosa, and has two set points, the first saved by a serve down the line. The second by speed around the court. Badosa has the advantage. Her serve is looking a bit shaky but that’s a big hold.
Some reaction from Carlos Alcaraz: “Playing the first match is never easy, I’ve been playing well on grass but Wimbledon is different. I tried to play the best I could but I would say I could be better. It was a great match.”
On British qualifier Oliver Tarvet in round two: “I saw his name when he qualified for the first time, he’s in the second round so he’s at a level. I will have to bring my best tennis to the match.”
Galfi beats Dart 6-3 3-6 7-5
Oh no, match point arrives for Galfi, arrives via a drop shot. The Hungarian is sent sprawling as Dart gives her all. They get to deuce, real plucky stuff. But it’s a fourth match point for Galfi. She will need second serve. And gets a let, too. But, Drat goes too long, and that’s the end for the British No 4.
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Radacanu beats Xu 6-3 6-3
Some relief that was done. It wasn’t easy, and Xu gave so much. Plenty to work on for Radacanu who has a winning smile as she looks to her coaching team. Big applause for Xu, with Radacanu leading the acclaim. She will face Markéta Vondroušová, the 2023 winner.
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Radacanu has a chance to see this out, at 30-30 on the Xu serve. The 17-year-old is a fighter – more to come from her, whatever happens here – and there’s a big roar as she holds. So, Radacanu has to serve this out. These are vital moments for plucky Brits.
Radacanu is 4-2 up now, having taken another break of serve. Meanwhile, Dart must face a break point from Galfi, and on second serve. That’s snaffled up and Galfi will serve for the match.
Dart has chance to see this out, if she can break Galfi, at 5-4 up but her opponent holds serve. So, back to the well they go.
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Anastasija Sevastova has taken the first set from Italian fourth seed Jasmine Paolini, last year’s runner-up. It’s with serve in the second set.
Two more British players in action: Harriet Dart is into the third set with Dalma Galfi where’s it going with serve. Katie Boulter is set to face Paula Badosa on Centre, having waited such a long time to follow Alcaraz on. Meanwhile, is the Radacanu serve going a bit wiffy? Two doubles in one game when it was previously locking Xu down. Xu claims a break point with an angled drive. And it’s claimed….back on serve. Epic stuff all over the court.
Radacanu breaks back…3-1 in the second set with Xu.

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Alcaraz will face Oliver Tarvet, one of today’s successful plucky Brits, who had this to say about facing the defending champion: “As a kid, it’s what you dream of. I came here when I was a little kid. It’s what you work for. Obviously, it’s a pretty long-term goal. But for it to happen so suddenly has been really special. I’ve come here and not really set myself any expectations. I’m quietly confident that I can win against anyone. Alcaraz isn’t an exception to that. Obviously, he’s done an incredible amount in the tennis world. He’s a difficult guy not to respect. But just go out there and try and treat it like another match.”
Alcaraz is just five months older than Tarvet, who’s been studying in San Diego while his opponent has won five slams.
We will have reaction from Alcaraz soon enough but back with Emma Radacanu we go. She’s got an early break on Xu, and with a huge roar. Then, Radacanu starts serving big, and she serves three aces in succession before Xu’s drop – unintended – catches her unaware. Both of them show good speed around the court and all of a sudden, it’s a break point, and Xu takes it, the break back. It’s 2-1 in the second set….
Alcaraz survives five-setter, beating Fognini 7-5 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 2-6 6-1
Alcaraz begins with gusto, a huge serve. Next, a feathered drop shot, the type Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario once made her own. Fab hits back, with his wife, Flavia Pennetta looking on, to 30-30. The boy from Sanremo is all heart but he soon faces match point. The Italian nets, and that’s four hours and 37 minutes of a classic match completed.
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Alacaraz wants this done quickly. 5-0 arrives to love. Fognini is shaking his head in personal agony. Never take Alcaraz to a five-setter. It will hurt. Perhaps for the last time, the Italian takes to the Wimbledon stage. He’s 38, you know. And he’s done just yet. It’s 30-30 after a forehand from Alcaraz proves un-returnable. But still, to cheers, Fabio whips a winner home. Now to meet the end?
Fognini and Alcaraz are back at it. The Italian stallion was 40-0 down but has forced back to deuce, only to make a further mistake. But Alcaraz takes the break, and it’s 4-0 in the fifth set, and the Italian shouts his curses into the Southfields sky.
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Radacanu claims the first set 6-3 from Xu
Good evening, play is about to resume on Centre Court after that spectator incident. Radacanu and Xu continues, with the younger Brit serving big at 30-30, but then offering up set point with a missed chance down the line. She misses the next one.
I’m going to hand back over to John Brewin. Thanks for reading and enjoy the rest of the day’s play. Cheers!
On Court No 1, Raducanu retains her break of serve, and leads Xu 5-3 in the first set. Raducanu has been battling a niggling back problem in recent weeks, with occasional spasms, but she seems to be moving freely here.
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You can also read Simon Chambers’ match report on Sonay Kartal’s win over former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko right here.
Remember the winner of Fognini-Alcaraz will progress to the second round to face British qualifier Oliver Tarvet, who remarkably shocked Leandro Riedi earlier.
Spectator incident pauses Fognini-Alcaraz match
The umpire has announced there will be a pause in play on Centre Court while medical staff attend to a spectator, who is experiencing some difficulty in the crowd. It’s unclear if this is due to the heat, or another issue.
Both players look restless at the pause but appreciative that safety is the priority. Alcaraz looks attentively towards the spectator, while Fognini takes shelter from the sun under the umpire’s chair.
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Centre Court is not the only place where we find a five-setter. Out on court 14, Felix Auger Aliassime was toiling against the Australian James Duckworth, but the Canadian does have a break in the fifth set.
This is ridiculous! Fognini earns two break points with some scintillating backhands down the line. A sublime Alcaraz drop shot saves the first break point and Fognini fumbles the second break point. It was a slow, short second serve from Alcaraz, and Fognini bins his return halfway up the net. Another wasted chance! From there, Alcaraz holds to go 3-0 up in the deciding set. This suddenly feels ominous, but one can’t help feeling that this was another huge chance missed for Fognini.
Alcaraz breaks in the fifth set! On his serve, Fognini races to 40-15 up, but a series of sloppy shot allows Alcaraz to claw himself back to deuce. For the first time in the match, 38-year-old Fognini looks fatigued and he is unable to match Alcaraz’s energy at the net. The Spaniard breaks and leads 2-0 in the deciding set.
Elsewhere, another Brit in Harriet Dart is going great guns against Hungary’s Dalma Galfi. The 28-year-old is both a set up and a break up in the second set.
Raducanu in action on Court No 1
Peeling ourselves away from Centre Court for the moment, Emma Raducanu has started her first-round match against fellow Brit Mingge Xu, the Welsh teenager. Raducanu is already a break up, it’s 2-0 there.
Wow. Just wow. Who on earth saw this coming after Alcaraz’s French Open final triumph? Alcaraz also appeared to be in top form at Queen’s Club, a tournament he won just over a week ago.
Fognini wins the fourth set against Alcaraz! We are going the distance!
Fognini holds to love! He leaves the court for the a comfort break and the camera pans to Alcaraz in his chair, staring blankly at his corner. We are going to five sets!
The last time that a defending champion went to five sets in the first round of Wimbledon was Roger Federer in 2010, against Alejandro Falla.
The last time a defending champion went out in the first round was Lleyton Hewitt in 2003, against then unknown qualifier Ivo Karlovic.
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If only to exaggerate my point, Alcaraz mis-hits a forehand into Row Z to allow Fognini to get to deuce in the next service game. Fognini earns two more break points and converts the second! Absolutely remarkable scenes as Fognini earns a second break, he leads 5-2 in the fourth set. Alcaraz is furious as he sits in his chair, shouting something to his corner.
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Back on Centre Court, Fognini breaks! I am not exaggerating in saying that the 38-year-old Italian is playing better than Alcaraz here. Every single service game for the defending champion is a chore and the Spaniard’s forehand from the back of the court looks like a real liability. Of course, Alcaraz’s game is still full of quality and outrageous drop shots, but Fognini is playing out of his skin! Not only does he break Alcaraz, but he holds serve and leads 4-2 in the fourth set! Alcaraz leads in sets, two to one.
On No 1 Court, João Fonseca has backed up his pre-tournament words by beating Jacob Fearnley in straight sets. The Brit came into this year’s tournament with confidence, having taken a set of Novak Djokovic in the second round last year. This year, 23-year-old Fearnley is just outside the top 50 but couldn’t keep up with the Brazilian today.
A couple of results to update you on. In the women’s draw No 12 seed Diana Shnaider is through in straight sets, beating Moyuka Uchijima. And the Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia has come through against Rebecca Sramkova, although the Slovakian put up a real fight in both sets. Sramkova did well at the Nottingham Open recently, reaching the semi-finals, but was unable to replicate that form here.
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Into the third set between Fognini and Alcaraz, and at 1-1, the Italian has THREE more break points … all of them saved by Alcaraz! It really is remarkable how Alcaraz gets himself out of these situations, time and time again. The defending champion is really struggling with his serve, has more than 50 unforced errors in this match, yet still he leads, two sets to one. After nearly a 10-minute game, Alcaraz holds and leads (on serve) 2-1 in the fourth set. Fognini can be heard chastising himself at the back of the court for those missed opportunities. The Italian has played well but surely a more accomplished player would have taken advantage.
“Afternoon Michael,” emails Simon McMahon. “Is it that time already? Wimbledon fortnight. I don’t think I’ll ever get over Andy Murray’s retirement, but I watched for long enough before he came along, and I’ll continue to watch still. Still plenty of British interest, though that was never the reason I watched, how could it be when you grew up in the era of proper shorts and greats like Borg, McEnroe, Connors, Becker, Edberg, Sampras, Agassi and Bates, Evert, Navratilova, Graf and Durie? It won’t ever be the same without Andy, though. He was a true one-off. A well deserved statue at the All England club on the way, who’d have thought that all those years ago?”
If you are catching up, Wimbledon will unveil a statue in Murray’s honour at the 2027 Championships. Murray has had a statue before, at the Shanghai Masters, and his facial expression at the unveiling in China in 2011 was really something to behold. Click here to see.
American fans will be relieved to learn that Madison Keys has a break of serve in her decisive third set against Elena-Gabriela Ruse. Keys leads 2-1 and will serve next.
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To emphasise the point, Fognini had seven break points in that set, he took just two. Alcaraz had six break points, and took three of them.
Alcaraz wins the second set 7-5! He leads Fognini 2-1
Alcaraz roars to the heavens as he closes out the third set to take a 2-1 lead. He knows how important this third set was. Both Alcaraz brilliance and Fognini dalliance are on show here, as a delicious drop shot from the former and a double fault from the latter contribute to Fognini’s break of serve. Alcaraz has played badly by his high standards, and Fognini has missed many opportunities to take a shock lead.
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Temperatures are rising at Wimbledon, this is perhaps the hottest part of the day, it is now around 32°C on court. Lots of players are using ‘ice towels’ on their changeovers, effectively ice packs wrapped in damp towels, to cool down.
If the heat continues to increase, players can apply to the umpire for 10-minute breaks between sets, although it appears we have not quite reached that threshold … yet.
Fognini and Alcaraz hold their serve, so the Italian must again serve to stay in the set and force a tie break. Who thought that Alcaraz would be facing this sort of resistance on day one?!
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David Beckham watches on from the Royal Box, sandwiched between his mum Sandra and Sir Gareth Southgate. The former England captain is sporting a bandage on his right arm and has a lovely linen suit on, the tailoring is considerably better than 24 hours ago, when he wore a rather cumbersome sling in Atlanta, as the football side that he co-owns, Inter Miami, took on PSG (a former side of Beckham’s at the Club World Cup). It’s believed that Beckham recently had surgery on his wrist – an injury that apparently dates back to something he sustained in an England match 22 years ago.
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One of the points of the tournament so far as Fognini breaks straight back! He shows incredible touch at the net, and Alcaraz shows incredible grit to fetch the Italian’s volleys, before a lob from the Spaniard sets up a remarkable Fognini smash from the back of the court. Somehow, Alcaraz chases down the powerful shot, but Fognini expertly moves to the net one final time to slice volley a winner. Fognini raises two arms into the air at the point, and Centre Court erupts. This is utterly enthralling tennis between two players 16 years and 129 rankings apart. It’s back on serve on in the third set, Fognini 4-5 down but with the ball in his hand.
Perhaps distracted by the angst of losing that last game, Fognini finds himself 15-40 down on his serve. But a brilliant second serve forces an error from Alcaraz, and then a beautiful forehand-volley combo gets the Italian back to deuce. But Fognini’s second double fault of the game proves to be significant, and Alcaraz capitalises to get the break. The defending champions will serve for the third set and a 2-1 set lead. It’s 5-3 to the Spaniard.
Fognini actually had three break points in that last game. Even though the Italian is playing extremely well – he hasn’t won a tour match this season – one would suggest that he has to take some of those chances against arguably the best player in the world on grass. Alcaraz, has been far from his best but as all great champions do, finds a way to win the big points.
You have to hand it to the 37-year-old Fabio Fognini. The handsome Italian is really competing with Carlos Alcaraz on Centre Court, and the scores are level: one set apiece and 3-3 in the third set. Alcaraz has become known for his drop shots and touch at the net, but Fognini is more than matched his younger opponent, a deft touch saving game point and a naughty slice forcing a break point! Fognini has a chance to go 4-3 up in the third set … but Alcaraz finds a powerful backhand to save break point, and after a 135mph serve to the body and an ace, holds to go 4-3 up. The healthy contingent of Alcaraz fans on Centre Court, dressed in red and yellow, cheer wildly.
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Hello, everyone. What have I missed? I see that Madison Keys, this year’s Australian Open champion, is a set down to unseeded Romanian Elena-Gabriela Ruse. The America is a break up in the second set so looking like that is heading for a deciding third set, unless Ruse can complete a big shock.
From Ruse to Rune in the men’s draw, as No 8 seed Holger Rune is being taken to five sets by Nicolás Jarry, who has come from two sets down to force a decider. Momentum certainly looks to be with the 6ft7in (!) Chilean, who you might remember reached the final of the Italian Open last year, losing to Alexander Zverev.
Right, that’s my stint done for now. Michael Butler is back in the chair, with a fair amount in the balance. Back later.
We are told that Joao Fonseca, like Arthur Fery, is the son of a hedge-funder. His father Roberto is CEO and co-founder of IP Capital Partners, the first independent hedge fund in Brazil.
Royal Box news via PA Media: “Sir Gareth Southgate, David Beckham and Princess Beatrice were among the well-known faces in the Royal Box on Monday as Wimbledon got under way.
They watched defending champion Carlos Alcaraz take on Italy’s Fabio Fognini on Centre Court, joined by Sarah, Duchess of York, and Princess Beatrice’s husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.
“The front row also featured Beckham’s mother Sandra and All England Club chair Deborah Jevans. The Royal Box hosts invited guests each day of the Championships, typically including members of the royal family, sporting stars and high-profile figures from public life.”
Beckham is yet to be knighted, let us recall.
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Further plucky Brit news: on Court 1, Jacob Fearnley, also schooled in the US, is taking on Joao Fonseca. He lost the first set 6-4, the second set is not going well, too many double faults against the slick Brazilian. It’s served out at 6-1 by Fonseca. Two sets down now, the Queen’s quarter-finalist.
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Another mention for a British wildcard, and another win. Arthur Fery causes a big upset knocks out 20th seed Alexei Popyrin in four sets: 4-6 1-6 6-4 4-6. Fery was schooled in Wimbledon, attended Stanford University and his dad, Loic, a hedge-funder, is president of Lorient in Ligue 1, a club he co-owns with the owner of AFC Bournemouth, Bill Foley.
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John Tumbridge gets in touch: “In 1979 I met up with an English line judge at the French Open, friend of a friend sort of thing, he was also a tennis journalist, and used to write reviews of the match he had just adjudged, for Big papers as well, won’t someone think of the journalists here?”
Fognini takes a set off Alcaraz!
Hello! In all that excitement on Court 18, we have a situation on Centre. Fognini has set point in the tie-break, a lead of 6-2. The first two are lost. Alcaraz is serving, and then it’s 6-5 with a backhand volley at the net. The Italian applauds…and then, a chance goes begging to level for Alcaraz who makes a mistake and flips the ball out. It’s 1-1 on sets.
Norrie beats Agut 6-3 3-6 6-4 7-6
Norrie takes a 4-3 lead, and has the serve. Make that 5-3 with some serve and volleying. More of the same and he has three match points. Court 18 roars him on as Agut smashed the ball out. Some Henman-style fist pumpage and that’s a heartening win.
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More news via PA Media: Former world number three Stefanos Tsitsipas is also out after retiring from his match against Valentin Royer. The Greek, seeded 24th, had treatment on his back in the second set and called it a day while trailing 6-3 6-2, handing Frenchman Royer, the world number 113, a first tour-level win.
Medvedev crashes out in angry fashion
Via PA Media’s Andy Sims
Furious ninth seed Daniil Medvedev smashed up his rackets after suffering a shock first-round defeat at Wimbledon to French journeyman Benjamin Bonzi.
The Russian, who reached the semi-finals last year, tumbled out 7-6 (2) 3-6 7-6 (3) 6-2 in just over three hours. He angrily battered his rackets into his chair and his bag at the end while Bonzi celebrated the biggest win of his career.
Bonzi, ranked 64 in the world, has never been beyond the third round of a grand slam.
The 29-year-old said: “Daniil is a great player. I knew it was a tough match but sometimes it’s good to play a tough match in the first round, anything can happen. He would get more confidence after some wins. Today it’s 50-50. You have nothing to lose. It was a good time to play my A game. I knew I could do something big today, and today was my day.”
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Norrie and Agut are in that fourth-set tie-break. “Super Cam Norrie,” sing the Cam fans. Norrie edges into a 3-2 lead.
I’ve received an email from the British Berry Growers, on the subject of strawberries.
Some info for you, useful perhaps, in a near-record spring, according to the Met Office.
Warm days, cool nights this spring are delivering sweet, shapely British strawberries this season, according to industry body representing 95 percent of all British-grown berries sold in the UK
Heightened bee activity during spring has resulted in excellent pollination, an essential factor in producing the classic strawberry shape that consumers love
The flavour profile of the 2025 yield of strawberries leans towards the sweeter end of the scale, owing to unusually high sunshine levels this spring.
Richard Morris gets in touch: “Gosh, imagine swinging a seat in the Royal Box on Centre Court and ending up sitting behind Richard Osman. You’d definitely be putting in a request for several extra velvet cushions....”
Hello! Make it 6-3 3-6 6-4 5-5 as Norrie has just broken back, and victory glimmers into hazy sight. Can he hold serve? At 40-30, he has that chance. And takes it with a well-constructed point.
Fognini has broken back…hold off the curse writing off. He’s 40-15 up….but then it’s back to deuce. Alcaraz shows off that recovery expertise. His opponent is now cursing himself but then the Spaniard plays the kind of shot you might see in your local park. Then is a little slow in the next point. Then there’s some Wimbledon waggery in the crowd. No crowd easier to please on the comedy circuit. But Fognini holds.
Alcaraz has a break on Fognini in the second set. The champion’s curse seems unlikely to trouble him, though the Italian has played very well. Norrie, by the way, serves to mean his opponent must hold serve to win the set.
Cam Norrie is sticking his racket back together. It’s hot, and the ump is allowing added time between breaks. Agut serves to go 5-3 up, Norrie having held. But he’s struggling with Agut’s serve. 5-3 comes up with an ace. A five-setter appears almost certain.
Let’s stick with Norrie for the moment in the fourth set. He’s been broken in the fourth set by Agut. Uh oh, at 3-2. Agut’s serve, with its slapping sound, is held, for 4-2.
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Others in the Royal Box today – Sue Barker, natch, and Richard Osman, not bad for a lad from Haywards Heath. Tan chinos are in, apparently.
Cam Norrie, these days not quite the greatest living Englishman, has a tough draw, facing Roberto Bautista Agut, but he’s in with a chance. It’s 6-3 3-6 6-4 2-1 and he’s just held his serve.
You may have heard about M&S’s new limited edition Strawberry & Creme dessert sandwich, which has gone viral on social media. But getting hold of one of the Japanese-inspired concoctions in the nearest store to the All England Club this morning proved easier said than done.
When the Guardian arrived at M&S in Southfields at 9.05am there were only six left on the shelves, with the company appearing not to anticipate that with over 40,000 people arriving for the first day of Wimbledon there might be significant demand for what it calls “the ultimate strawberries and creme experience”.
“We had over 300 of them at 8am this morning and that’s all that’s left,” said a stacker with Ash on his name tag. By the time the Guardian had bought one of the sandwiches, which are filled “with sweetened fat soft cheese and creme fraiche on brioche style bread” they were all gone.
The verdict? Not bad. Although I’ve had sweeter treats. However it will be interesting to see what the tax authorities think too. Under HMRC rules, most cold food, including sandwiches, is zero rated for VAT, but many sweet treats are counted as luxuries, and are subject to a 20% levy.
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Gregory Phillips gets in touch: “Something felt off, and I couldn’t put my finger on it until you just reminded me about the absence of the line judges. Not only toes the court look empty, but I’m surprised to fine I also miss their shouts and shrieks, like a supply teacher trying to assert authority. This feels like a minor tournament without them, and it’ll take some getting used to.”
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Fabio Fognini seemed to have a winner, only for the electronic liner call it out.
Most importantly, the culling of 300 line judges means fewer part-time opportunities for trained officials and it will affect the pathway of aspiring chair umpires. Many chair umpires started off as line officials.
And then Alcaraz breaks the Italian and serves out the set. The second continues rather like the first. Both serving well.
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The No 1 seed, Aryna Sabalenka has beaten Carson Branstine 6-1 7-5. Nice and easy despite some plucky play from the Canadian.
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The court looks resplendent, by the way, though a little empty without the line judges. They’ll be missed, though it was a job unforgiving on the old back. It continues to be back on serve. Alcaraz is not finding this at all easy and now must serve to stay in the first set, it’s 5-4.
Sir David Beckham is there as Alcaraz rides out the latest Fognini storm, and holds serve. Back on serve at 3-3.
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Good afternoon from a sweltering London. The first lunchtime of the tournament is in session and there’s been a run on strawberries and cream, washed down with aperol spritz, and the odd glass of shampoo. Water much needed to. Phew, what a scorcher as they used to say on Fleet Street.
I’m going to go and grab a bite, so will hand this over to John Brewin for the next couple of hours. Enjoy!
Back on Centre Court, Fognini has made a great start against Alcaraz! The Italian has held both of his serves and has a break point on Alcaraz’s second serve … but the Spaniard sends down a 110mph serve to the body, and the defending champion survives, closing out the game. The players are all square in the first set, 2-2.
Britain’s Cam Norrie has just lost the second set to Roberto Bautista Agut, so the pair are now all square at one set apiece.
Having won the first set against Mattia Bellucci, another British male in Oliver Crawford is now staring down the barrel of defeat. The 26-year-old trails 7-6 (2), 3-6, 4-6, 3-4. Bellucci is a break up in the fourth set, serving for 5-3 and closing on victory.
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A little quirk in the rules over the player’s use of towels. On the general tour, ballboys and ballgirls can help players wipe their brow by bringing them towels between points. But in grand slams, including Wimbledon of course, players must fetch their own towels between points.
It has been confirmed that Britain’s Sonay Kartal, who earlier shocked Ostapenko, will face Viktoriya Tomova in the second round. The Bulgarian progressed after her opponent, former finalist Ons Jabeur, retired hurt.
Elsewhere, No 9 seed Daniil Medvedev is in trouble, 2-1 in sets down to unseeded Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi, who has won two tie-breaks and now is just one set away from the second round.
World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka is in no mood to hang around. She is already one set to the good against Canadian Carson Branstine, winning 6-1. The Belarusian is keen to put her French Open final disappointment behind her.
Andy Murray told Sean Ingle last week that he has no plans to watch Wimbledon as a fan …
… but the BBC commentary team have just told us that the Scot played golf with Alcaraz yesterday. Perhaps Murray is here, although the Brit’s primary residence is just a short drive from Wimbledon, in Surrey.
Heeeeeeeere comes Carlos Alcaraz. The first match on Centre Court this year will be between the Spaniard and Fabio Fognini, the Italian veteran who is a former top 10 player.
Alcaraz is the defending champion and aiming for his third straight title. His last defeat at SW19 was – listen to this – three years ago, in the fourth round to Jannik Sinner. But this is still a dangerous first-round meeting for Alcaraz, who lost the first set to Fognini when they last met in 2023 (Alcaraz won in three sets).
The winner of this match, remember, will play Oliver Tarvet in the second round.
A reminder of the rules of prize money for US college athletes. As mentioned in Tumaini Carayol’s piece on Sunday, Tarvet spends most of his time playing tennis in college for the University of San Diego, something that has had a direct effect on the prize money he can claim.
Players that qualify for the first round normally bag £66,000 but college rules in the US mean that under NCAA rules, players are restricted in how much they can claim from professional tournaments. On Friday, Tarvet explained players are allowed $10,000 (£7,290) in profit every year, as well as any expenses incurred during the events. Tarvet would normally make a £99,000 just for making the second round. Ouch.
Oliver Tarvet speaks!
A lot of emotions! All the hard work I have put it has clearly paid off. To have a chance to maybe play Carlos [Alcaraz] on Wednesday is phenomenal. I’m so thankful to the crowd, to the University of San Diego, my coaches. I’m so overjoyed.
I’m not here for the money. I’m just here for the crowd and the experience and to stamp my mark on the ATP circuit.
Tarvet, the lowest ranked man at Wimbledon, beats Riedi 6-4, 6-4, 6-4!
The Brit has done it. Tarvet beams broadly and looks to the heavens, before running over to embrace his family and team, who are all wearing University of San Diego clobber. A reminder that the 21-year-old will not take home any prize money owing to his amateur status in college tennis, but he won’t care about that one jot right now. The The Wimbledon debutant is through to the second round!
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Perhaps a little unsportsmanlike but Tarvet is cheering every Riedi error and cursing every error of his own. He’s living every shot, and frankly, who can blame him? Tarvet sends down his seventh ace of the match, and second of the game, to to 40-0. Three match points …
Riedi, by the way, is no mug. He won the Australian Open as a junior and plays Davis Cup for Switzerland, but must break Tarvet to survive. Both players have won their service games since my last update. Tarvet is 6-4, 6-4, 5-4 up, and serves now for the match.
Yara is there for us on court four, and I should say that Tarvet is just two games away from victory over Riedi. He is 6-4, 6-4 and serving to go 5-3 up in the third set. That is some going for the young man ranked No 719 in the world.
If the British No 33 does win this match he will face in the second round … Carlos Alcaraz (assuming the Spaniard wins his first-round match against Fabio Fognini).
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The sun has not let up on court four but spectators are in full voice for Oliver Tarvet, who is two sets up against Leandro Riedi. Tarvet is the lowest ranked player at the tournament and made it through qualifiers to earn his debut appearance at a grand slam. Despite the heat, the Briton is animated and has played well, finding Riedi’s weaknesses quickly and trying to exploit them. He has just hit a wild forehand winner in the third set which took so much power he somehow landed lying down on his back, much to the appreciation of the crowd.
Kartal speaks to the cameras!
That was one of the toughest matches I have played. I struggle against the big hitters, she beat me easily last week [at Eastbourne]. Thank you for everyone for coming out.
After the year I had last year [reaching the third round at Wimbledon last year], I am happy to put myself under pressure to succeed. Last year I left this tournament feeling a different player. I want to see how far I can go this week.
It would be easy and understandable for the Brit to be excitable in that interview but she seemed icy cool. Last year, Kartal went into Wimbledon ranked No 298. Now she is No 51 and could easily break into the top 50 come the end of this tournament.
Kartal beats Ostapenko 7-5, 2-6, 6-2!
An ace for the British No 3 puts her 40-0 up, and a cross-court backhand secures victory over the former French Open champion, Ostapenko, in truth, didn’t look like she had the heart or the mobility to stay in the longer rallies, but you have to hand it to Kartal to raises her fist triumphantly as the crowd on Court No 3 go wild!
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Kartal is on the verge of a historic victory over Ostapenko! The Brit, ranked 51 in the world, was 5-0 up in the deciding third set, but Ostapenko is rallying and got the score back to 5-2. So Kartal has a second chance to serve for the match … can she hold her nerve? The home crowd are roaring her on as Kartal takes to the baseline, looking a little nervous.
Bad news for Oliver Crawford. The British qualifier lost the second set to Mattia Bellucci and is now a break down in the third set. Crawford is 3-1 down and searching for rhythm in his first ever grand slam appearance.
Cam Norrie, a semi-finalist here in 2022 remember, is out on court 18 and on serve against Spanish veteran Roberto Bautista Agut. It’s 3-2 to the Brit.
I really didn’t see this momentum change after Ostapenko won the second set, but following a game where the No 20 seed was broken to love with a double fault, Kartal is now 3-0 up and serving to make it 4-0 in the deciding third set!
Two other results to tell you about, the first of these championships not affected by injury.
No 14 seed Elina Svitolina is through after a straight sets win over Anna Bondar, while No 22 seed Donna Vekic has beaten Kimberly Birrell 6-0, 6-4.
Ons Jabeur retires hurt!
The two-time Wimbledon finalist had a medical timeout in the first set, which she lost 7-6 (5) to Viktoriya Tomova, before bowing out with an injury when 2-0 down in the second set. I’m not sure of the cause of Jabeur’s injury, but that is a huge shame. Tomova progresses to the second round.
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This is the first year where there are no line judges, as Wimbledon gets it in line with the majority of ATP and WTA tournaments, along with two of the other three grand slam tournaments is using electronic line calling.
The technology allowing challenges was first introduced in 2007, but will now be utilised to automatically call all outs, faults, and foot faults. Wimbledon say the system is almost failsafe, and that in the qualifying at Roehampton this year it broke just once for one point.
For more info on that, click here for Connor Myers’s handy article on what new things to watch out for this year, from more expensive strawberries to the total prize money pot rising 7% to £53.5m.
Having lost the first set to Kartal, Ostapenko looks visibly peeved and on a mission to put things right in the second, with some thunderous returns that are just too powerful for the Brit. The Latvian is 4-1 up in the second set and has another break point to make it 5-1.
Three matches in the men’s draw to update you on.
Two Brits, the aforementioned Oliver Tarvet, at No 719 the lowest-ranked player at Wimbledon, and Oliver Crawford are both a set up against their respective opponents, Leandro Riedi and Monica Mattia Bellucci. Tarvet leads 6-4 and is a break up in the second set, 3-2. Crawford won the first-set tie-break 7-6 (2) and is on serve in the second set, 1-2.
Elsewhere, No 12 seed American Frances Tiafoe is cruising against Elmer Møller, 6-3, 3-1.
Jabeur left the court for a medical timeout during her first set against Viktoriya Tomova. The Tunisian looked visibly upset in her chair and spent about 14 minutes off the court. It’s unclear what the issue is, or if it is just the heat – let’s hope she’s OK. Regardless of the cause, Jabeur is back out there, it’s 5-5 and Tomova’s serve.
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Kartal beats Ostapenko to the first set, 7-5!
From 3-0 down to now 6-5 up, Sonay Kartal now has a chance to serve for the first set against Jelena Ostapenko, the former French Open winner and Wimbledon semi-finalist! The British No 3 is really hitting his cleanly and looks very mobile at the back of the court, with Ostapenko visibly frustrated.
In the set’s deciding game, Kartal sends an ace down the T to move to 40-0 up, and after a wayward forehand, an unforced error from Ostapenko gifts the first set to the Brit. She is halfway to a real shock here!
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Another player who has previously gone very deep into the women’s draw is Elina Svitolina, twice a semi-finalist in 2019 and 2023. She is giving the Hungarian Anna Bondar a bit of a pasting on court 18, 6-3 and a break up in the second set, 1-0.
Ons Jabeur, who was a beaten finalist here in both 2022 and 2023, has had a rocky start against a fellow unseeded player, Bulgarian Viktoriya Tomova, but after going a break down, has brought things back to 2-3. The Tunisian is back on serve, out on court 14.
Answers to my game. Thank you all for playing.
1) Wimbledon! The Southfields sign in the background and Waitrose plastic bag in the foreground were a bit of a giveaway.
2) Glastonbury, 2008.
3) I don’t need to tell you the answer, do I?
4) A tougher one but this is Rufus the Harris’s Hawk, used to keep pigeons away from the Wimbledon courts, pictured with handler Donna Davis.
5) Wimbledon. My Spanish is poor but “Cabeza, corazon, cojones” translates to “Head, heart, balls”. I assume they are off to see defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, who starts his campaign on Centre Court against Fabio Fognini at 1.30pm BST.
“The grass looks simply amazing and people dressed as strawberries are daft but endearing,” emails Carrie Ilbrey. “So looking forward to the next two weeks.”
Another Brit wildcard, the 5ft3in Sonay Kartal, has had a tough start against the formidable Jelena Ostapenko on Court No 3. The former French Open champion had raced into a 3-0 lead in the first set but Kartal slowly clawed her way back into the match. Kartal held serve and now has two break points to get things back to 3-2, on serve but blows a forehand return wide and sends another forehand just wide to allow Ostapenko to get back to deuce. From there, the Latvian holds. A chance missed for the Brit, alas.
Out on Court 4, the lowest-ranked player in the men’s draw is 21-year‑old British qualifier Oliver Tarvet, who is currently on serve in the first set against Leandro Riedi.
As mentioned in Tumaini Carayol’s piece on Sunday, the No 719 in the world spends most of his time playing tennis in college for the University of San Diego, something that has had a direct effect on the prize money he can claim. Players that qualify for the first round normally bag £66,000 but college rules in the US mean that under NCAA rules, players are restricted in how much they can claim from professional tournaments. On Friday, Tarvet explained players are allowed $10,000 (£7,290) in profit every year, as well as any expenses incurred during the events.
“I know there have been complaints about it but I don’t want to speak too much about it and overstep the mark,” he told the BBC. “But in my opinion, I’ve worked hard to get this money. I don’t feel like it’s undeserved the money that I’ve got. I think it would be good to see a change in the rules of the NCAA, but at the same time, I don’t want to get involved. It’s not really my place. But I’ve done well this week. I think I deserve this money.”
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Wimbledon is officially underway!
Play has begun on the outer courts!
This wouldn’t be a Wimbledon liveblog without us mentioning the weather. Today’s weather is … scorchio! That’s bad news for the planet and bad news for the players.
The latest heatwave is expected to push temperatures close to record levels for June and result in the hottest ever start to Wimbledon.
Amber heat alerts remain in place until Tuesday evening for all of southern, western and eastern England with a warning of excess deaths particularly among those over 65, and increased demand on health and social care services.
Meanwhile, the London fire brigade has highlighted a “severe” risk of wildfires.
After the temperature rose to more than 30C (86F) in parts of southern England this weekend, it is forecast to hit 34C on Monday. This would make it the hottest day of the year so far, and just short of the UK’s record temperature for June of 35.6C, recorded in Southampton in 1976.
Here’s what some of the favourites in the women’s and men’s draw have had to say for themselves in the lead up to the tournament.
Wimbledon and Glastonbury are two English institutions on the complete opposite ends of the spectrum, yet they do share some similarities. I wonder if anyone has travelled from Worthy Farm directly to the queue at SW19. Hopefully they have had a shower.
Let’s play a game. It’s a simple one, where you guess whether the image is from Glastonbury or Wimbledon. Answers to come a little later, if they are not too obvious. Get yours in to michael.butler@theguardian.com.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
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To get you in the mood before the action starts, why not have a read of some preview content.
First, Simon Cambers on Emma Raducanu, who admitted her first-round battle with the 17-year-old Welsh player Mimi Xu that “truthfully I don’t expect much from myself this year.”
Next, Tumaini Carayol on Carlos Alcaraz. At just 22, he is seeking to become only the fifth man in the open era to win three consecutive Wimbledon titles. He would also become the fourth man to win the French Open and Wimbledon back‑to-back on multiple occasions in the open era, after Rod Laver, Björn Borg and Rafael Nadal. Ooooof.
Preamble
Here we go again. The first day of Wimbledon is here. The sun is out, the grass is so green it looks like it has been dyed (for the first week at least), the strawberries are prepped, the hamstrings are stretched, the players’ white uniforms and patrons’ red trousers have each been perfectly ironed, the ballboys and ballgirls have been trained to within an inch of their lives and here I am, dressed like Luke Wilson in the Royal Tenenbaums (minus the magnificent beard and arm bandages), sitting in my front room, on the edge of my seat, ready to bring the latest updates from SW19.
The live action starts at 11am BST on the outer courts, with notable seeds Frances Tiafoe, Daniil Medvedev, Elina Svitolina, Jeļena Ostapenko among those first up in action against their lesser-ranked opponents. Others like this year’s Australian Open winner Madison Keys and British male Cameron Norrie are due to begin just after midday, while the show courts will start at 1pm/1.30pm. Carlos Alcaraz kicks things off on Centre Court against Italian veteran Fabio Fognini, which is a particularly tasty encounter. World No 1 Arnya Sabalenka, Emma Raducanu, Alexander Zverev, teenage upstart João Fonseca and American hopeful Taylor Fritz are all in action on a bumper opening day.
Here is an order of play, for your perusal.
Centre Court (1.30pm BST start)
F Fognini (It) v C Alcaraz (Sp, 2)
P Badosa (Sp, 9) v K Boulter (GB)
A Rinderknech (Fr) v A Zverev (Ger, 3)
No.1 Court (1pm BST start)
A Sabalenka (Blr, 1) v C Branstine (Can)
J Fearnley (GB) v J Fonseca (Bra)
E Raducanu (GB) v M Xu (GB)
No.2 Court (11am BST start)
B Bonzi (Fr) v D Medvedev (Rus, 9)
E Ruse (Rom) v M Keys (US, 6)
J Paolini (It, 4) v A Sevastova (Lat)
T Fritz (US, 5) v G Mpetshi-Perricard (Fr)
No.3 Court (11am BST start)
S Kartal (GB) v J Ostapenko (Lat, 20)
H Rune (Den, 8) v N Jarry (Chi)
M Berrettini (It, 32) v K Majchrzak (Pol)
K Siniakova (Cz) v Q Zheng (Chn, 5)
Court 12 (11am BST start)
E Moller (Den) v F Tiafoe (US, 12)
V Royer (Fr) v S Tsitsipas (Gr, 24)
L Fernandez (Can, 29) v H Klugman (GB)
M Vondrousova (Cz) v M Kessler (US, 32)
Court 18
A Bondar (Hun) v E Svitolina (Ukr, 14)
C Norrie (GB) v R Bautista Agut (Sp)
M McDonald (US) v K Khachanov (Rus, 17)
N Osaka (Jpn) v T Gibson (Aus)
Do get in touch with me today with your thoughts, predictions, musings or reflections: michael.butler@theguardian.com.
