Matteo Berrettini secured his first Wimbledon Centre Court victory since 2021 by defeating 20th seed Arthur Fils in the second round of the tournament. The former Wimbledon runner-up, who lost the 2018 final to Novak Djokovic, had previously fallen to Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner on the main stage in recent years. On Tuesday, Berrettini overcame Stan Wawrinka in four sets before following up with a composed 6-4, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 win against Fils, sealing the match with a precise volley on his third match point.
Berrettini said the win was especially meaningful after his memorable match against Wawrinka on Court One. “I will definitely remember this one for the rest of my life,” he remarked.
Joining Berrettini in the third round was second seed Alexander Zverev, who marked his 50th tour-level grass-court victory with a straight-sets win over Valentin Royer, 6-1, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3). Fifth seed Alex De Minaur also advanced with a commanding 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Adrian Mannarino. Sixth seed Taylor Fritz followed suit, dispatching fellow American Patrick Kypson 6-2, 6-2, 7-5; Fritz attracted attention with a sartorial change on court, removing his white trousers during play.
In the women’s draw, defending champion Iga Swiatek progressed to the third round with a 6-1, 6-3 win over 2021 runner-up Karolina Pliskova. Swiatek, who had previously struggled in a three-set opener against Taylor Townsend, delivered a dominant performance that drew praise from 18-time Grand Slam champion Martina Navratilova, who rated her display an A+. Swiatek expressed her appreciation for the endorsement during her on-court interview.
Meanwhile, Maya Joint, who made headlines by eliminating Serena Williams in the first round, was unable to maintain momentum as she lost in three sets to 29th seed Alexandra Eala. After capturing the opening set, Joint saw Eala win nine consecutive games to secure a 3-6, 6-2, 6-0 victory, setting up a third-round encounter with Swiatek.
Last year’s finalist Amanda Anisimova staged a comeback from a 3-1 deficit in the final set to defeat Sofia Kenin 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (10-3) and will face Madison Keys next. Keys, a two-time Wimbledon quarter-finalist, ended British hope in the women’s singles by overcoming Katie Swan 6-1, 6-4.
Other notable winners included 2022 champion Elena Rybakina, who breezed past Caty McNally 6-1, 6-2 on Centre Court, and 2024 runner-up Jasmine Paolini, who beat Viktorija Golubic 7-6 (7-0), 6-4. Seeds Marta Kostyuk and Emma Navarro also advanced, while 15th seed Diana Shnaider was upset 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 by Liudmila Samsonova.