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Jack Draper has become the latest big name to withdraw from the 2026 Wimbledon Championships, while three players have retired mid-match on the opening day.

Before main draw action got underway at the All England Club on Monday, 18 players had withdrawn across both the men’s and women’s singles events.

Draper was due to face Taylor Fritz in the first round on Tuesday, but he pulled out on the opening day of the tournament due to a “recurrence” of a bone injury in his left arm, which ended his 2025 season.

“Devastated to share that I have had to withdraw from my first round match due to a recurrence of my arm injury,” said Draper in a statement.

“There have been a lot of painful moments in the last 12 months but this one is definitely the absolute worst as there is no greater honour for a British player than playing at Wimbledon.

“I will continue to persevere through this. Thank you for the support.”

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In addition to Draper’s withdrawal, Denis Shapovalov, Luca van Assche and Camilo Ugo Carabelli all retired during their first round matches on Monday.

Wimbledon 2026 mid-match retirements

• Denis Shapovalov ret. at 3-6, 6-7(7) vs. Pablo Carreno Busta
• Luca van Assche ret. at 3-6, 0-4 vs. Marton Fucsovics
• Camilo Ugo Carabelli ret. at 6-4, 6-3, 2-6, 0-3 vs. Daniel Merida Aguilar

ATP Wimbledon withdrawal list

Carlos Alcaraz and Lorenzo Musetti were among the eight men to pull out of Wimbledon before the draw was made on Friday.

Mattia Bellucci withdrew on Sunday before Draper followed on Monday, with the duo replaced by lucky losers.

• Carlos Alcaraz (world No 2) – replaced by Jan Choinski
• Lorenzo Musetti (world No 15) – replaced by Matteo Berrettini
• Valentin Vacherot (world No 20) – replaced by Sho Shimabukuro
• Tomas Machac (world No 42) – replaced by Jesper de Jong
• Sebastian Korda (world No 46) – replaced by Alexandre Muller
• Holger Rune (world No 63) – replaced by Titouan Droguet
• Mattia Bellucci (world No 65) – replaced by Pablo Llamas Ruiz
• Arthur Cazaux (world No 81) – replaced by Alex Molcan
• Eliot Spizzirri (world No 92) – replaced by Martin Damm
• Reilly Opelka (world No 102) – replaced by Dalibor Svrcina
• Jack Draper (world No 131) – replaced by Dusan Lajovic

WTA Wimbledon withdrawal list

Seven women withdrew from Wimbledon before the draw was made, while Raducanu pulled out on Sunday evening after entering the draw, which meant her place was taken by a lucky loser.

• Victoria Mboko (world No 9) – replaced Darja Vidmanova
• Hailey Baptiste (world No 26) – replaced by Hanne Vandewinkel
• Cristina Bucsa (world No 31) – replaced by Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva
• Emma Raducanu (world No 37) – replaced by Darja Semenistaja
• Marketa Vondrousova (world No 44) – replaced by Nadia Podoroska
• Sonay Kartal (world No 60) – replaced by Paula Badosa
• Varvara Gracheva (world No 67) – replaced Sinja Kraus
• Veronika Kudermetova (world No 86) – replaced by Francesca Jones

READ NEXT: Jack Draper issues ‘pretty worrying’ warning to tennis chiefs as players withdraw from Wimbledon

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Jannik Sinner came through his first round match against Miomir Kecmanovic – but he was made to work by the World No 58.

Sinner needed five sets to defeat the Serbian in a match which saw him take a tumble and suffer bleeding from his foot.

Nevertheless, Sinner was able to take the match 4-6, 6-3, 6-7, 6-2, 6-3 to continue his title defence and confirm his place in the second round.

Sinner will play Nuno Borges in the next round and he remains the overwhelming favourite to win the grass court Grand Slam again this season.

After his match, Sinner was asked by the BBC about his fall and bloody trainer.

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Asked if his injury was anything to worry about, Sinner responded: “No, no I’m good. It just seems much worse than it is. I’m actually very surprised they let me keep playing because all white turned into a little red.

“It’s just a nail that I didn’t want to disturb. I think Miomir we both had a great rhythm, I didn’t want to take any time. It’s all good, thank you!”

Sinner also took time to credit the Centre Court fans at Wimbledon, as he played the first match on the iconic court on the first day of play.

“Thanks for coming. Such a huge honour to start the tournament for the first player,” he said during his on-court interview. “I was a little tight in the beginning. I didn’t play my very best, but I tried to get into it.

“It was my first official match on grass, which is very important. I’m happy that I turned it around. The third set was a very tough one to swallow, but I’m very happy. Big honour to play in front of you so thanks for coming.”

This is the first time Sinner has opened up Centre Court at Wimbledon and he admitted that he was nervous ahead of his clash with Kecmanovic.

“It was a very different feeling. There’s a lot of nerves when you go down the stairs behind the court. Also mentally knowing it’s such a prestige and historic court,” he said.

“Coming back here as defending champion means a lot to me, even though every year is very tough. Very happy to win the first one, of course we will aim for a couple of improvements for the next match but today I can be very happy.

“I felt the first couple of sets there was a lot of mistakes on the forehand side. It’s normal, first round matches are never easy. I try to accept that, try to raise my level when I definitely needed to.

“Third set was very tough. Very great points from his side, but this is tennis. Every day is different.”

This is the second time in a row the defending champion has needed five sets to win their match, following Carlos Alcaraz’s scare against Fabio Fognini last year.

The post Jannik Sinner admits he was ‘surprised’ by Wimbledon organisers after first round win appeared first on Tennis365.

Jannik Sinner suffered an unusual injury during his first round match at Wimbledon against Miomir Kecmanovic.

As is tradition at Wimbledon, Sinner opened up Centre Court on day one of the Grand Slam as the defending champion.

Sinner is the overwhelming favourite to lift the title at Wimbledon again this year, particularly due to Carlos Alcaraz’s withdrawal due to a wrist injury.

Despite his favourite tag, Sinner was given a very tough task against Kecmanovic.

He lost the first and third sets, and suffered a fall on Centre Court, but that was not the worst of it for the World No 1.

Sinner looked to be bleeding from his foot throughout the match and the blood was seeping through his trainer during the match.

It was a scary sight for the Italian and BBC commentators Andrew Castle and Tim Henman were dumbfounded by what they were seeing.

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“It looks like his right foot is bleeding, although he’s not making an gesture towards it or showing no signs of upset,” said Castle on BBC One.

“Whatever’s coming out of his right foot is red and one can only assume that it is blood. Unless he’s got some kind of ointment in there or cream. That looks horrible! It’s getting worse as well.”

Henman, meanwhile, said: “It doesn’t look like it’s affecting his movement. He’s been charging around the court, as we saw in that third set tie-break, but it is very bizarre to have something like that coming through the shoe. It would be a bit tough if he got fined for infringing on the predominantly white rule.”

Sinner did not show any signs of discomfort and he didn’t call the trainer during the match, so it can’t have been bothering him too much.

The opening day of Wimbledon was plagued by injury issues, both on and off the court. Emma Raducanu withdrew early from her match against Antonia Ruzic, while Jack Draper also confirmed he would not play.

Maja Chwalinksa, who reached the Roland Garros final as a qualifier earlier this year, suffered a fall in her match against Mananchaya Sawangkaew.

The Pole was just one game away from reaching the second round, but the fall ensured she lost the match in three sets to end her Wimbledon journey.

Denis Shapovalov and Camilo Ugo Carabelli also suffered falls in their matches, with the former being forced to withdraw against Pablo Carreno Busta.

Much like most of the tennis season, injuries remain a strong through-line for Wimbledon, with plenty of players hit by the unfortunate trend.

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Martina Navratilova believes Carlos Alcaraz is having a major effect on Wimbledon even though he was forced to miss the event with a wrist injury.

The Spaniard injured his wrist at the Barcelona Open, and it was so severe that it forced him out of the next two Grand Slams at Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

While Alcaraz is likely set to return at the Canadian Open at the beginning of August, Martina Navratilova believes his playstyle is still having an influence over the players of Wimbledon this year.

Speaking during Jelena Ostepenko’s first round match against Harriet Dart at SW19, Navratilova was taken aback by the amount of drop shots the Latvian was hitting.

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“Ostapenko has two drop shots in two games. Whose fault is that? I blame [Carlos] Alcaraz for this!,” said Navratilova while on commentary for the BBC.

“He started the drop shout mania and now so many players are seeing how effective it is and using it a lot more,” said the multi-time Wimbledon champion.

Navratilova then took the time to send a message to the Spaniard after his lengthy time away from tennis. She said: “We need him on the court.”

Although Alcaraz is not playing at Wimbledon this year, he will likely have a keen eye on what happens, especially during the men’s side of the draw.

The World No 2 could suffer a fall down the rankings at Wimbledon this year, for the first time since he suffered his wrist injury in April.

The Spaniard has lost 1300 ranking points as Wimbledon kicks off, after the star is unable to defend his appearance in the final from the 2025 season.

At least year’s event, Alcaraz was beaten in the final by Sinner, which was his first defeat at Wimbledon for three years, as he won the event in 2023 and 2024.

This gives Alexander Zverev a very big chance of usurping the World No 2 at this year’s Wimbledon, as there are just 970 ranking points splitting the German and the Spaniard.

Zverev was knocked out of the first round of Wimbledon last year, so he has the perfect opportunity to gain ranking points at this year’s Grand Slam.

The World No 3 will need to reach the final of the event this year in order to take over from Alcaraz as the World No 3, which is definitely possible.

Zverev is in the opposite side of the draw to his nemesis Jannik Sinner, so he will not meet the World No 1 until the final at the earliest. As a result, the German is arguably the favourite in his section of the draw to reach the final of the Grand Slam.

The post Martina Navratilova blames Carlos Alcaraz for one major change in tennis recently appeared first on Tennis365.

Serena Williams has made some controversial comments in her pre-Wimbledon press conference after she slammed the doping control rules in tennis.

After former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova was banned for four years after missing just one doping test earlier this month, Williams has lashed out at the International Tennis Integrity Agency and their protocols after she re-entered the doping control pool in tennis last year.

Speaking to the media ahead of her first single match in almost four years following her shock comeback, Williams instantly created headlines with some explosive comments.

“It’s gruelling. They changed the rules now,” declared Williams

“I didn’t know some of the rules. So, apparently, if you miss a test outside of your window, it still counts as missed. I’m like, I guess I can’t go pick up my kids?

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“It’s unprofessional. I hate it. I think it’s necessary, but I think a lot of the stuff, if I want to go places outside of my window, I should be able to go without having it count as a missed test.

“I think that there has to be a different way to make it reasonable because that’s just unreasonable. That was a big reason why I didn’t want to come back either, because it’s just so hard.

“I mean, my life is busy, I run a company, I run a VC company, I travel the world. I have children. It’s like I could be in so many different cities so many different times. But just getting that discipline of, like, reporting.

“Obviously, I don’t mind because I love and I always have been very clear about what I do. Just getting in that routine of, like, all right, first of all, learning the new rules, then just getting back and reporting every day.”

Williams also revealed when she decided to return to singles action, after playing two doubles tournaments in her comeback this month.

“I had until Monday to decide. I think it was like Sunday. I just wasn’t sure up until then. Honestly, I’m still not even sure, but we’ll see,” she added with a smile.

“I thought not every day Wimbledon holds a wild card for someone. I can name probably like a handful of people. I happened to be one of those people.

“I thought I should really take this opportunity. Who knows if I’ll ever make it here again. This could be it. I was like, What’s wrong with me, Serena? What are you thinking? Are you nuts?

“Like you really should do this. People live to be an athlete. I have this great opportunity to showcase what I do, what I do best, I suppose. Yeah, I think ultimately I was like that is pretty cool, so I should do it.

” I never thought I’d be back here sitting in front of this. We all know how I feel about this. So I never thought I would do this again (smiling). Yeah, all the above. When I revolved or evolved, I had never thought I’d come back.”

READ NEXT: Serena, Djokovic, Eala & Sinner – Former British No 1 gives his Wimbledon predictions

The post Serena Williams makes ‘I hate it’ comment as she slams key element of tennis at Wimbledon appeared first on Tennis365.

Carlos Alcaraz appears to be stepping up his recovery from a wrist injury on the eve of the 2026 Wimbledon championships.

The tennis world was rocked by the news that Alcaraz’s injury was more serious than initially feared.

As a result of the issue he sustained during the Barcelona Open in May, the seven-time major winner was ruled out of much of the clay swing, including the French Open.

The 23-year-old also revealed he would not be back in time for Wimbledon, leaving a huge chasm in the men’s game.

Just over a month ago, he wrote on Instagram, “My recovery is going well, and I’m feeling much better, but unfortunately, I’m still not ready to compete, which is why I have to withdraw from the grass-court swing at Queen’s and Wimbledon.

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“They are two truly special tournaments for me and I will miss them a lot. We’ll keep working to come back as soon as possible.”

In recent weeks, the Spaniard has taken to social media to update fans on his recovery process, with the two-time Wimbledon winner slowly upping the intensity of his training.

Earlier on, Alcaraz was seen hitting with his left hand, in an effort to ease in his backhand, but forehand practice shots were conspicuous in their absence.

However, on Sunday, the day before Wimbledon starts, Alcaraz was seen gently hitting forehand shots. The former world No 1 captioned the post with the holding back tears emoji.

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Carlos Alcaraz Garfia (@carlitosalcarazz)

Denis Shapovalov was among those to comment on the post, with the Canadian saying, “Let’s go.”

The Instagram post was also liked by the likes of Boris Becker, Alexander Zverev, Matteo Berrettini, Grigor Dimitrov, Stan Wawrinka, and more.

It still remains to be seen when Alcaraz will return to the ATP Tour. Many fans will hope he is back for the North American hard court swing, but whether that is in Canada, Cincinnati, or the US Open is up in the air.

However, it is clear that Alcaraz does not want to rush back from injury. For instance, in April, he stressed the importance of trying to look after his body.

He said, “I have a very long career ahead of me, with many years still to come. Forcing things at this Roland Garros could really harm me for future tournaments.”

EXCLUSIVE: Thanasi Kokkinakis opens up on his incredible tennis comeback

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Emma Raducanu appeared to boost her hopes of playing at Wimbledon after coming through her first practice session on Sunday, but she then threw huge doubts over her participation by confirming she is ‘hoping’ to play her opening match on Monday.

Raducanu is due to begin her campaign against Croatia’s Antonia Ruzic on Court One at 1pm on Monday, but she has been nursing an ankle problem in recent days and was widely expected to pull out.

The British No 1 has opted out of practice sessions in recent days and when asked whether she expected to be on No.1 Court at Wimbledon on the opener day, she replied:

“I’m going to do everything with my team in terms of treatment, and that’s the current plan,” she said. “That’s the plan right now, to play

“I have a lower-leg niggle that I’ve been dealing with since before Queen’s, actually, from the back end of the clay court season. I’ve been managing it.

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“I think it’s something that I’d say recently has probably, after Queen’s maybe, during that week, was a lot of load for me.

“Five matches after having not competed for a while, I think it was just a lot of load. But yeah, I’m just managing it with my team as best as I possibly can, exhausting all options and doing what we can.

“It’s been tricky. I had a great week at Queen’s. All I want to do is to keep building on that momentum. I’ve had a tough start to the season, a lot of time out.

“I think hearing and feeling this is difficult. I have great people around me. I think that’s one thing that’s really been helping in this latest setback. I think having their support, they’re really in it with me. It means a lot to have that.

“I’d say the last couple weeks have been light on the court. I haven’t really practiced much. I had a couple of sessions here at Wimbledon, then practiced yesterday and today. Otherwise, I’ve been doing everything I can, managing, treatment, just to try to be as fit as possible.”

Raducanu went on to suggest she is making an extra effort to get back for Wimbledon as she added: “I think risk is always a factor. I think a lot of players are probably managing things.

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“I think there are certain tournaments you’re willing to do more for, put yourself on the line more for, risk more for. For me, of course, Wimbledon is that. I think I probably pushed beyond anything that I would for any other tournament. That’s for a fact. It’s just to what extent.

“I don’t think anyone can tell me I’m not going to make it worse. I just have to be aware of the risks I’m taking stepping out onto the court, weighing up if I’m willing to do that.

“It’s difficult waking up each day, not knowing how it’s going to be. Not knowing whether you’re in or out causes lot of uncertainty. All I can do is my best every day.

“That’s what I’m doing, whether that’s the treatments, whether that’s the practice. I know I’m putting everything I possibly can into each day. With the people around me, they’re pushing me in the right way.

“Keeping morale and spirits high is important as well. Even if you’re going through a difficult time, I think allowing yourself to have moments of joy when they do come through is important.”

Raducanu’s hopes of playing at Wimbledon appear to be hanging by a thread and it would be no surprise if she does pull out on Monday morning.

READ NEXT: Emma Raducanu cuts practice short & postpones press conference as Wimbledon withdrawal fears grow

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Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis will be back on the Wimbledon stage after being drawn against No 10 seed Alexander Bublik, with his appearance at the All England Club representing one of the most remarkable comebacks in the game’s recent history.

Kokkinakis became a Grand Slam champion when he lifted the Australian Open doubles title with his pal Nick Kyrgios back in January 2022 and he also won his first ATP Tour singles title in the same month as he lifted the silverware in Adelaide.

Yet injuries have constantly disrupted his progress throughout his career and a pectoral problem threatened to bring his career to an end for a player who toasted his 30th birthday in April.

It was after a five-set defeat against Britain’s Jack Draper that Kokkinakis accepted his career had reached a crossroads, with the medical intervention he turned as radical as it could get.

He underwent surgery in February 2025, with “Achilles of a deceased person” attached to his pectoral muscle in what was a final attempt to solve his injury woes.

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There was uncertainty whether it would work or if he could ever play tennis again, but Kokkinakis won a round at the French Open last month amid emotional scenes and now he is relishing his Wimbledon return.

Speaking exclusively to Tennis365 at The Boodles exhibition event at Stoke Park, Kokkinakis outlined his journey back to Wimbledon.

“I’ve had a peck problem since 2019 and I’ve been kind of trying to play through and manage it, but backing up matches was the tricky part,” he told Tennis365.

“So I hit a point in 2025 where I played a couple of matches in Adelaide when I said to myself, okay, I’ve got to do something.

“So I knew before I played the Australian Open last year, after I played Roman Safiullin and Jack Draper, I knew that I’d have to try something and go in for a surgery because if I didn’t, that was career over for me.

“I just needed to try everything to see if I could get back playing at a decent level. So yeah, going into the Draper match, I knew that whatever happened, that was probably my last match win or lose because I wouldn’t have been able to play the next one anyway.

“So I had a surgery and it’s been a year and a half or so since then, and trying to come back and find my feet and adjust to kind of a new arm and see what happens.

“Essentially, this all came down to some bad physio advice I got a long time ago and I kept trying to play through and make it worse.”

No one has tried to play professional tennis after an operation like this, but Kokkinakis is eager to explore his boundaries.

“
It’s very rare in general to have surgery like this and for a tennis player, no one has tried it,” he stated.

“I saw a bunch of doctors and a few didn’t want to operate on it. They thought it would be too risky.

“I was in a bit of a hole in my career and I had to try something. So let’s see what happens next and what I’ve got left. I wanted to try and give myself 12 months since coming back and playing and see how I feel.

“It was tough after the surgery. It was a long way back. We are here now, so let’s see where it goes.”

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Kokkinakis admits every match he plays now feels like a bonus, with his excitement ahead of his Wimbledon return palpable.

“I can’t wait to got back to Wimbledon,” he added. “I had a big win there a couple of years ago against Felix Auger-Aliassime in five sets and that was special. I’d love to have a moment like that again.”

The back story behind some of the players competing at Wimbledon this year highlights the passion they have to get onto the courts, with few fighting harder than Kokkinakis to continue his dream.

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Andy Roddick believes Serena Williams will win her opening match at Wimbledon, but warns she could run into trouble against Alex Eala in the second round as he admitted that match could be too close to call.

Nearly four years after playing her last singles match at the 2022 US Open, the tennis great will make her return at Wimbledon and she will face Australian youngster Maja Joint in the first round.

Since announcing her comeback, Williams has played only two official matches and both have been doubles with the first coming at the HSBC Championship alongside Victoria Mboko and the second at last week’s Berlin Open with Karolina Muchova.

The seven-time Wimbledon champion received a wildcard entry into the singles main draw and will take on world No 87 on Tuesday and if she gets through that encounter, then she could take on rising star Eala, who starts her campaign against Renata Zarazua.

Eala is seeded 29th and she has had some good results on grass as she won the WTA 125K Birmingham Open and also reached the semi-final of the Berlin Open, beating Elena Rybakina and Elina Svitolina before losing against eventual champion Linda Noskova.

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During his official Wimbledon bracket challenge picks, Roddick explained why the 20-year-old Filipina could bother Williams if they do square off.

“Okay, this is a tough one because Eala switches directions really well,” he said on the Served with Andy Roddick podcast.

“The one thing I’m worried about with Serena is someone hitting behind her when she’s [moving] … movement is going to be everything for her. That’s what we don’t know. We can’t see that during doubles. Like, you don’t really move during doubles, certainly not the way you do on a singles court.

“Serve looks good, ball striking looks good, haven’t heard a ton of reports, people are keeping it pretty locked up.

“Eala can spread the court, she can play both directions, this is a really hard one, she can expose Serena, but she [Eala] doesn’t serve that well.

“I mean, can we talk about how good you have to be to not play in five years? And I’m grinding on a second round prediction for your match. That’s like an ultimate show of respect, right?

“I’m buying myself time… I’ll take [defending champion Iga] Swiatek through to the third round. I have Eala written on my draw here right now [to beat Williams in the second round].”

But he opted for experience over youth as he eventually crossed Eala out and put down Williams to meet Swiatek in the round of 32 with the Pole going on to win that encounter.

The post Serena Williams gets Alex Eala warning from Andy Roddick appeared first on Tennis365.

Novak Djokovic, Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff have all shared their thoughts on Serena Williams’ sensational singles comeback at Wimbledon.

Williams has not played a singles match since the 2022 US Open, when she made what, at the time, seemed to be her farewell from tennis.

Earlier this month, Williams made her return to the sport at the Queen’s Club Championships, where she partnered Victoria Mboko in doubles.

The pair won their first round match, but Mboko was forced to withdraw before the second round due to injury.

Williams then played doubles at the Berlin Open, where she and Karolina Muchova lost in the opening round.

The 44-year-old American has received a main draw wildcard for the women’s singles event at Wimbledon.

The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, who has won Wimbledon seven times, will face world No 53 Maya Joint in the first round.

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Here is what Djokovic, Sabalenka and Gauff said about Williams’ Wimbledon return.

Djokovic: “First and foremost, what she’s doing is inspirational and it’s epic. That’s what I told her. I always admired her career, her journey, her story. Of course, Venus’, as well. For her to come back after years of being absent from the tour, two children later, and to give so much effort to, not just for her own satisfaction or coming back on the tour, but also to give all of us a pleasure of seeing her back on the court – in singles as well as doubles – is remarkable.

“I told her that whatever happens, what she’s doing is truly inspirational for me personally, I’m sure for millions around the world. I see her in the gym more than I have, I think, seen her when she was at her prime. It tells me that she really wants this to work out the best way possible. It’s admirable, honestly, the effort she’s putting in.

“Of course, all eyes are on her, her comeback. I just hope that she will enjoy because she really deserves. She created something historical, legendary in her career. She deserves every applause she’s going to get.”

Sabalenka: “I don’t know how far [Williams can go]. I’m super excited to see her play. That’s incredible. I heard she said she’s doing that for her kids to see her play. They really get excited about that. It’s amazing what she’s doing. Also it’s Serena Williams, everyone was talking about that. She’s bringing more eyes on tennis. It’s a good thing for tennis. I’m really excited to see her play.”

Gauff: “We haven’t seen Serena play in many years, so there’s not really much a scouting report you can go off of. I definitely think she (Joint) has to go in it believing she can win. Yeah, obviously, I don’t know, we haven’t seen her play. I don’t know how the match is going to be. Anyone playing a Williams sister, I don’t know what court they’re going to be on, I’m sure it’s going to be Centre or Court 1, it’s not going to be easy.

“I played the sport because of them [Serena and Venus Williams], believed that I could do things because of them. I look up to them a lot. Even when I played them, I’m still admiring. I think that’s the only time that’s happened to me in this sport.”

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The post Novak Djokovic, Aryna Sabalenka & Coco Gauff speak out on Serena Williams’ Wimbledon comeback appeared first on Tennis365.