Key events
38m ago
Alexander Bublik (10) beats Thanasi Kokkinakis 4-6 6-3 (10)6-7 6-3 6-4
55m ago
Rybakina defeats Boisson 6-4, 1-6, 6-3
1h ago
Virtanen shocks Shelton 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (8) , 6-2, 7-6 (9)
2h ago
Fearnley becomes third Briton into round two
2h ago
Swiatek survives against Townsend, 6-1, 2-6, 6-3
3h ago
Arthur Fery beats Damir Dzumhur 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-1
3h ago
Taylor Fritz (6) beats Dusan Lajovic 6-3 6-4 6-3
4h ago
Brandon Nakashima (28) beats Jack Pinnington Jones 6-3 7-6(5) 7-5
4h ago
Valentin Royer beats Henry Wendelken 4-6 6-3 6-3 6-3
4h ago
Madison Keys (26) beats Kayla Day (5)6-7 6-4 6-3
5h ago
Jasmine Paolini (13) beats Robin Montgomery 0-6 6-4 7-5
6h ago
Katie Swan beats Irina Begu 6-4 6-4
6h ago
Tyra Grant beats Katie Boulter 6-4 6-2
6h ago
Amanda Anisimova (6) beats Lina Gjorcheska 6-3 6-2
7h ago
Preamble
It’s tight on No 1, Wawrinka and Berrettini level at 4-4, while Mensik nails a forehand then a volley for 15-30; he’s two points from victory, but then reaches for a forehand with plenty at which to aim, only to flap it long. Another error then hands over 40-30, and a big serve does the rest, the return dropping long, and another banging contest – we’ve had a few today – goes to a match tiebereak.
Zverev makes 0-30 on the Blockx serve but from there, the hold is duly secured for 1-1 3-3, and this is a decent contest. Back with Samuel, though, Mensik holds for 6-5, and we’re a game away form a match breaker.
Back on centre, Zverev and Blockx are level at 1-1 2-2, while Wawrinka leads Berrettini 3-2 on serve. But the most compelling gear is to be found on 3, where a lovely volley gives Samuel 40-15, then he skates in to punish a backhand, and we’re level at 5-5 in the fifth. This is great stuff.
Second time lucky for Snigur in the Ukraine derby; she serves out a 7-5 set having trailed Svitolina 4-0 but, back on No 3, consecutive errors from Mensik give Samuel 0-40, a return dips over the net … and the Czech nets! We’re back on serve at 5-4 in the fifth!
Samuel is playing superbly, coming back from 15-30 down to raise game point with an ace. But he’s soon down advantage, Mensik netting to restore deuce, and this is a contest of serious intensity. A double, though, donates another opportunity and this time, Samuel goes long on the forehand; Mensik leads 5-3 in the decider and will now serve for the match.
Also going on:
A brilliant pass from Samuel, breaking the wrist on a backhand to send it cross-court, gives him a sniff at 40-30, but from there, Mensik secures the hold for 4-3 in the fifth. Elsewhere, Svitolina has broken back for 5-5 in the first … only to be broken again, Snigur about to serve for set one a second time; Zverev slipped not long ago but is fine, and trails Blockx 1-1 2-1; and Sonego leds Etcheverry 6-4 6-4 4-4.
Mensik isn’t going away, and he breaks Samuel back to 30; Svitolina, once up 4-0, now trails 4-5 and Snigur will shortly serve for the first set; and Zverev leads Blockx 1-1 1-0.
On No 1, Wawrinka opens against Berrettini with a hold, and I’d love him to have one last deep run. Three grand slams in the Big Three and Muzz era is amazing, especially given he won his finals against Djokovic and Nadal, appreciating their brilliance by going for and hitting almost everything. I’ll miss him and his ability to turn up on court like he’s come straight from the club, then play like God’s more artistic brother.
Stan Wawrinka reaches for a backhand. Photograph: Marko Đurica/Reuters Hang about! A fine backhand volley from Blockx gives him 9-8, then Zverev … serves a double! That’s one set apiece, and the no 2 seed is in a match. The young Belgian deserves that.
Samuel consolidates for 3-1 in the fifth, while Blockx is giving Zverev plenty – they’re level at 8-8 in their second-set breaker.
Samuel makes advantage, chases out of court to retrieve a ball hit to the corner … and Mensik nets! Oh my goodness me, the young Brit leads 2-1 in the fifth with a break! He’s four holds from his first round two, and looks a proper player; meanwhile, back on Centre, Zverev leads Blockx 6-5 in their second=-et breaker … but as I type, he slaps a backhand into the net, set point gone.
Alexander Bublik (10) beats Thanasi Kokkinakis 4-6 6-3 (10)6-7 6-3 6-4 He plays Jacquet next.
Nope – or at least not yet, Mensik hitting harder from the baseline, Samuel a little tentative, to make deuce.
Excellent net-play from Samuel snaffles 0-15; he’s playing really nicely and Mensik will have to be at it to win. Meantime, Zverev leads Blockx 2-0 in their second-set breaker, while Bublik is about to serve for the match against Kokkinakis. Oh, and as I type, Samuel makes 30-40; if he can break here, we’ll really be talking.
Toby Samuel breaks the serve of Jakub Mensik. Photograph: John Walton/PA Thanks Katy and hi again. I’m watching Zverev v Blockx, Kokkinakis v Bublik, Mesik v Samuel and waiting for Berrettini v Wawrinka.
And with that, my first stint of the day is done, so I’ll hand you back to Daniel. See you again in a couple of hours …
What of Zverev on Centre, you say? He’s 5-5 in second against Blockx, having taken the first 6-4. The return of You Know Who will follow.
A few words on the enigma that is Alexander Bublik: the 10th seed is midway through a fifth set against Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis, and Bublik has the break, leading 4-6, 6-3, 6-7 (10), 6-3, 4-2. Last year Bublik arrived at Wimbledon with much expectation and didn’t make it past the first round. This time the hype isn’t so big, but he’s edging closer to victory, just as Samuel takes the 15th seed Mensik to a decider with a 6-3 fourth set!
Rybakina defeats Boisson 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 Rybakina, much as Swiatek did, has found a way to step it up when it matters, breaking Boisson for 6-4, 1-6, 5-3, and she’s got herself two match points at 40-15. Rybakina sends down one of her stinging serves and Boisson isn’t getting that back. Rybakina has escaped against last year’s French Open surprise semi-finalist and the Wimbledon champion of four years ago is into the second round, even though it was shaky at times. “It was a really difficult match, hopefully the next match is going to be better, I need to improve a lot,” says Rybakina.
Elena Rybakina powers a forehand on her way to beating Lois Boisson. Photograph: Neil Hall/EPA Currently on the British front, after earlier wins for Fery, Jacob Fearnley and Katie Swan helped make up for yesterday’s total wipeout, Toby Samuel is two sets to one down but a break up against Jakub Mensik, the tremendously talented 20-year-old Czech who made the French Open semi-finals this month. It’s Samuel* 7-5, 3-6, 3-6, 4-2 Mensik. And Billy Harris also trails two sets to one against the 19th seed Karen Khachanov, 3-6, 7-5, 3-6. Gone are the days when Harris lived out of a campervan just to make ends meet while navigating the tennis circuit, but he’s still very much the underdog today.
Virtanen shocks Shelton 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (8) , 6-2, 7-6 (9) … and Virtanen now has his first match point! Shelton serves … another long exchange plays out… Shelton goes for broke with a lefty forehand down the line … now perhaps isn’t the time to play with such fine margins … and he misses! Virtanen, the Finnish qualifier, has secured the biggest win of his career, sending the fourth seed and last year’s quarter-finalist home. It’s the biggest shock and longest match of the tournament so far. There had been much chatter going into Wimbledon that perhaps this would be Shelton’s year to go further than ever before, but he hasn’t even gone beyond the first round. Virtanen will play Britain’s Arthur Fery next, so opportunity awaits for both of them.
The number four seed Ben Shelton is out, losing to Otto Virtanen in five sets. Photograph: Jaimi Joy/Reuters Shelton again comes off second best at the net. And from 8-5 it’s 8-8. Virtanen has a golden chance to bring up his own match point … but misses! It gifts Shelton his first match point at 9-8 – but it’s on Virtanen’s serve – and after a lengthy rally Shelton smacks into the net! It makes it 9-9 at the third changeover …
Shelton and Virtanen change ends at 3-3. The fourth seed then decides it’s time to put his foot on the gas, accelerating to 5-3, 6-4 and 7-5, throwing in several “COME ONS!” for good measure. Can Shelton, the highest-ranked American at this Wimbledon, finally see Virtanen off? At 8-5 he’s on course to bring up four match points … but Virtanen’s shot drops just in after Shelton decided to leave it! So instead it’s 8-6 and then 8-7 after some rat-a-tat at the net …
There’s still nothing giving between Shelton and Virtanen, as the match clock ticks past four hours, and we’ve got ourselves a deciding tie-break, which will be played to ten points as it’s the final set. So, alas, there’s no chance of an Isner-Mahut. It’s been significantly more straightforward for Zverev so far, and he breaks Blockx for 5-4 when the Belgian nets. Zverev strikes the first blow in the battle of the Alexanders as he serves out the opening set to 15.
A welcome return to the grand slam stage for Arthur Fils, who’s just getting under way against Belgium’s Raphael Collignon on Court 15. The 22-year-old Frenchman, who reached the Wimbledon last 16 two years ago, hasn’t played at a major since the 2025 French Open because of a series of injuries. If he can stay healthy, he could be one to watch this fortnight. He’s not a typical French player – he’s less about feel and more about pure power – and he clobbers his way to break point on Collignon’s serve, but can’t take advantage. It’s 2-2 in the opening set.
Rybakina often confounds, mixing supreme grand slam title wins with head-scratching losses. Already this year, having defeated Aryna Sabalenka to win the Australian Open final, she fell meekly in the French Open second round. And here, having bossed the first set 6-4 against Boisson, she’s now 5-1 down in the second, despite Boisson having a medical timeout for a left calf issue. Boisson advances to 40-15 … the errors are flying off Rybakina’s racket … and Rybakina rams her return long! They’re going to a decider. It’s Rybakina 6-4, 1-6 Boisson.
Alexander Zverev, having finally shed his “best man to never win a slam tag”, is walking a little taller as he steps on to Centre Court after Swiatek’s victory. And he’s already 6ft 6in. The German, who’s seeded second this year because of Carlos Alcaraz’s injury-enforced absence, is taking on the young Belgian Alexander Blockx. The match commences with two routine holds and it’s 1-1.
One of the points of the championships so far, as Virtanen fends off a break point against a slipping Shelton, who gets up from the grass not once but twice mid-point, but can’t prevail. Virtanen holds from there and it’s Shelton* 4-6, 6-3, 7-6, 2-6, 4-4 Virtanen.
Fearnley becomes third Briton into round two We waited more than one day for a British victory, and then three have come along at once. Following Katie Swan and Arthur Fery into the second round is Jacob Fearnley, who has bridged a gap of more than 100 places in the world rankings to come from two sets to love down and beat the American Alex Michelsen , 3-6, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-2, in his first ever five-set match. The 24-year-old will face Spain’s Jaume Munar next, who’s surprisingly taken out the Queen’s champion, Francisco Cerundolo, in straight sets.
Jacob Fearnley celebrates victory over Alex Michelsen in five sets. Photograph: John Walton/PA As I try to watch countless courts on my computer, this is like the Wimbledon version of spinning several plates at once, and it all comes crashing down when my computer freezes with Rybakina at 40-15 and two set points. Gah! When the swirling circle of doom disappears Rybakina is a set to the good at 6-4.
Rybakina is ripping through the first set on No 1 Court, and Boisson, who unexpectedly reached the French Open semi-finals as a home wild card last year, is serving at 3-5, 15-30 down. It’s soon 30-40; a first set point for the 2022 champion. But Boisson hangs on and holds. Rybakina will serve for the opener after the changeover.
Swiatek lost more games in that match than she did in last year’s quarter-finals, semi-finals and final combined. It doesn’t only show how difficult it was for her today, but also how dangerous she can be when she generates momentum at a tournament. She was vulnerable today but invincible in the latter stages last year, especially in that 6-0, 6-0 shellacking of Anisimova in the final, and if she puts some wins together this fortnight, she could still be very dangerous, despite having not won a title yet in 2026.
Swiatek survives against Townsend, 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 An emotional Swiatek completes victory, burying her head into her towel after serving it out to love with an ace. She then stuffs a few in her bag, just as she did last year. “I’m not sure I’m able to talk that much, it’s not been a season where everything has gone how I wanted,” the Pole admits. “So I’m happy I could do it here, opening the court as the defending champion. I’m happy I could keep my composure. I got tense in the second set but was able to come back to my game.” A lighter moment follows as she’s asked about her towel pilfering, and now she’s smiling. That was tense and tortuous at times for the 2025 winner but, just like Jannik Sinner yesterday, she’s through in a deciding set, and will hope there are more straightforward days to come.
An emotional Iga Swiatek celebrates victory over Taylor Townsend. Photograph: Tolga Akmen/EPA Photograph: Tolga Akmen/EPA A third successive break and Swiatek edges ahead once more. It leaves the defending champion serving for the match at 5-3. Meanwhile Shelton will have to go the distance, because Virtanen secured a second break before serving out the set 6-2.
But no sooner does Swiatek break, than Townsend breaks back! So there is yet another twist to this see-sawing first-round match. Swiatek gave that away, with a couple of loose forehands and a double fault. Naomi Osaka, a good friend of Townsend’s and in far more low-key attire than yesterday’s Kill Bill inspired kimono, applauds in the stands. It’s Swiatek 6-1, 2-6, 4-3 *Townsend.
Iga is now looking, um, much more eager, as she ups the intensity point by point, holding to love once more and then breaking Townsend to 15 when the American’s forehand volley flops into the net. Swiatek now leads 6-1, 2-6, 4-2 and is potentially two games away from survival.
Arthur Fery beats Damir Dzumhur 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 Virtanen still has the break against Shelton, leading 4-2 in the fourth set, but trailing by two sets to one. And awaiting the winner in the second round is Arthur Fery, who has become the first British man to win in the first round this year (at the seventh time of asking after defeats for Norrie, Gill, Basing, Tarvet, Wendelken and Pinnington-Jones). The France-born, Wimbledon-raised 23-year-old has come through in four sets against Damir Dzumhur, backing up his run to the Queen’s quarter-finals a couple of weeks ago.
Eeeeey! Arthur Fery celebrates his victory over Damir Dzumhur. Photograph: Mike Egerton/PA After that tortuous service game for Swiatek at the start of the third set, which lasted 21 minutes and 24 points, Townsend secures a fairly straightforward hold and Swiatek outdoes that with a hold to love for 2-1. Maybe that’ll calm the nerves of the Pole, who’s trying to avoid becoming the third defending women’s champion to lose in the first round. I bunked off school to battle the Wimbledon queue and watch Steffi Graf lose to Lori McNeil in 1994 (and was then caught red-handed when the camera unfortunately zoomed in on me and my friend in the Centre Court stands). Oops. The other defending women’s champ to be bumped out in the opening round was Marketa Vondrousova two years ago.
Thanks Daniel and afternoon all. And just as Daniel departs, Elena Rybakina arrives on No 1 Court, along with Lois Boisson, who was the home sensation at last year’s French Open but hasn’t won a grand slam match since. Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champ, has the added incentive of knowing a deep run here could secure her the world No 1 ranking for the first time.
Meantime, Swiatek seals a protracted hold, saving four break points in the process. The question now is whether it gives her the fillip she needs, or whether how difficult she found it reflects her state of mind. Either way, Katy Murrells is here to coax you through the end of this match along with everything else, so I’ll leave you to hang with her. In a bit.
Mensik, someone I think could go deep, is under way against GB’s Samuel, who leads him 4-3 on serve; Khachanov leads Harris, another Brit, 3-2; Kokkinakis and Bublik are level at a set apiece; Halys leads Arnaldi 2-1 4-2; Fearnley has broken Michelsen to trail 1-2 4-2, that fifth set we predicted looking imminent; and Fery leads Dzumhur2-1 2-0.
Virtanen isn’t going away. He breaks Shelton immediately in set four and the way he’s serving, that advantage won’t be easily retrieved; the no 4 seed leads 2-1 1-2.
Now then! Townsend makes advantage and break point … but overhits a forehand return. Swiatek, though, can’t close out from two advantages of her own and soo has to save a second break point … then faces another. And when she serves long, Townsend steps in but can’t capitalise, a big second serve surprising her … then, when she makes yet another advantage, a further poor return gives it back.