Major players discover first-round opponents in Wimbledon draw as Carlos Alcaraz begins his chase for a third straight Wimbledon title by facing Italy’s Fabio Fognini, while women’s top seed Aryna Sabalenka will start her run against Canadian qualifier Carson Branstine. The draw held at the All England Club on Friday provided plenty of excitement, setting up several thrilling first-round battles.
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Key Men’s Matchups and Potential Clashes
Men’s top seed Jannik Sinner, who lost to Alcaraz in the French Open final, will face fellow Italian Luca Nardi in the first round. Novak Djokovic, seeded sixth and aiming to equal Roger Federer’s record of eight Wimbledon singles titles, has a challenging opener against France’s world number 40 Alexandre Muller. Defending champion Alcaraz, who won the Queen’s Club title before arriving at Wimbledon, will need to stay sharp against the unpredictable Fognini, even though the 38-year-old Italian is past his prime ranking days. Alcaraz could potentially meet Germany’s Alexander Zverev, seeded third, in the semi-finals if both progress.
British Hopes and Tough Road Ahead
Britain will have 23 players in the singles draw, the highest since 1984, with Jack Draper, the men’s fourth seed, carrying the nation’s hopes after his rapid rise. Draper will open against Argentina’s Sebastian Baez and might face former finalist Marin Cilic in the second round, followed by Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik in the third. If Draper is to claim the title, he could need to beat Djokovic in the quarter-finals, Sinner in the semi-finals, and Alcaraz in the final, setting up a tough path ahead.
Women’s Draw Brings Intrigue
On the women’s side, defending champion Barbora Krejcikova, seeded 17th, will play Alexandra Eala of the Philippines despite pulling out of Eastbourne with a thigh strain. Coco Gauff, the second seed, will face Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska, while third seed Jessica Pegula will take on Elisabetta Cocciaretto of Italy. Fourth seed Jasmine Paolini will play Anastasija Sevastova, with a possible semi-final clash with Sabalenka, who could meet Britain’s Emma Raducanu or Marketa Vondrousova in the third round if they progress. Raducanu begins her campaign against fellow Briton Mingge Xu in a potentially tricky first-round match.
Potential Osaka vs Zheng Showdown
Another match to watch could be Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, seeded fifth, potentially facing four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka in the second round, which would be a high-profile battle early in the tournament. As defending men’s champion, Alcaraz will start Centre Court play on Monday with the bottom half of the men’s draw and the top half of the women’s draw, while Krejcikova will open Centre Court play on Tuesday, promising a strong start to this year’s Wimbledon.
