Jack Draper is preparing for a challenging first-round match at Wimbledon after being drawn against sixth seed and 2025 semi-finalist Taylor Fritz. Draper, who reached a career-high world ranking of No. 4 in June 2025, has experienced a difficult period marked by injuries that have caused a significant drop in his ranking. The 24-year-old had not competed since April due to knee problems but recently returned to action at the Eastbourne tournament, where he reached the semi-finals before losing to world No. 30 Ugo Humbert.
Draper has been working under the guidance of new coach Andy Murray, the three-time Grand Slam winner, and has expressed optimism about his ongoing comeback and the opportunity to face a top player on grass. “I was prepared that I was going to play someone who’s a top seed, because I’m not seeded myself,” Draper said, acknowledging the difficulty of his draw and the need to rebuild his ranking. Fritz, who has demonstrated strong form on grass by reaching the finals in Stuttgart and Halle this month, presents a formidable challenge for Draper, who has yet to progress beyond the second round at Wimbledon.
The draw has also posed tough opening-round matches for other British men. Toby Samuel will face French Open semi-finalist and 15th seed Jakub Mensik, while Felix Gill is set to play against the 23rd seed and rising star Rafael Jodar. Billy Harris will take on 19th seed Karen Khachanov. Samuel, who lost his Eastbourne semi-final to Belgian player Zizou Bergs, faces a similarly demanding matchup at Wimbledon.
British women’s players largely avoided early encounters with high seeds, with the notable exception of Emma Raducanu. The British No. 1, seeded 30th, will meet Croatia’s Antonia Ruzic, ranked 60th. Raducanu lost to Ruzic in their previous meeting at the Dubai Open earlier this year.
Serena Williams will return to Wimbledon singles competition for the first time since 2022, facing world No. 53 Maya Joint in the opening round. The 44-year-old seven-time Grand Slam champion has received encouragement from fellow Australian Ajla Tomljanovic ahead of the match.
Among other notable first-round matches, defending women’s champion Iga Swiatek will begin her title defense against Taylor Townsend. On the men’s side, top seed and reigning champion Jannik Sinner is scheduled to play against Miomir Kecmanovic.
At Eastbourne, the women’s semi-finals were disrupted by two retirements due to physical discomfort. Jelena Ostapenko withdrew citing extreme heat, while Petra Marcinko retired with an abdominal injury after dropping the first set to Tatjana Maria, who advanced to the final.