Serena Williams learns her first Wimbledon opponent as Jack Draper is handed a horror first-round draw and Emma Raducanu is set to meet Aryna Sabalenka early again in nightmare for Brits
Serena Williams will play her first match at Wimbledon since 2022 against world number 53 Maya Joint.
The 44-year-old faces an intriguing test against last year’s Eastbourne champions, while the Australian has struggled to find consistent form this season.
Williams is set to play her first singles match in almost four years, having played just two doubles matches in her only competitive match since returning to the Queen’s Club at the start of the month.
Defending champion Iga Swiatek is Alexandra Eala, the number 29 seed and potential opponent in the second round, who awaits Williams if she gets past Joint in the third round.
Meanwhile, Emma Raducanu faces Antonia Ruzic, ranked 60th in the world, while the British No.1 is ranked 30th in SW19.
Raducanu will be seeking revenge as the pair have only met once before, when the former US Open champion lost to the Croatian, who was playing as a lucky loser in the first round of this year’s Dubai Open.
Serena Williams will portray Australian star Maya Joint in her spectacular return to SW19 next week
However, just like last year, waiting for Raducanu in the third round is the giant World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.
Sabalenka and Raducanu battled in two tight sets on Center Court, with Sabalenka dominating in a thrilling tiebreak in the first set.
Raducanu had a strong start to the grass season, reaching the final at Queen’s where she lost to the imperious Donna Vekic, but suffered a problem that week that caused serious concerns.
The 23-year-old is thought to have been wearing an orthopedic boot on his right foot and did not train as planned on Thursday afternoon.
Former British No. 1 Jack Draper, who will play in the semi-final against Ugo Humbert in Eastbourne on Friday afternoon, will face sixth seed Taylor Fritz in his second tournament appearance since the Barcelona Open in April.
The 24-year-old suffered an injury last year but, by his own admission, has confidence in his body on the south coast and will therefore face a tough test against a player who is extremely comfortable on grass.
Draper has a checkered history at Wimbledon, never getting past the second round and being a former Wimbledon semi-finalist in the first round, he may have a tough time improving his record.
World No. 1 and reigning champion Jannik Sinner will face Miomir Kecmanovic in the first round, with Novak Djokovic a potentially scary opponent in the semi-finals.
The 39-year-old remains hungry for an elusive 25th Grand Slam title and many believe Wimbledon represents the strongest chance for this year’s Australian Open finalist, who defeated Sinner in the semi-final Down Under.
Carlos Alcaraz, whom Djokovic lost in Melbourne, is still not included in the draw after his ankle injury.
On the women’s side of the draw, last year’s winner Swiatek will begin her cup defense against Taylor Townsend and Sabalenka will face first-time qualifier Teodora Kostovic.
While the British women in the draw have largely managed to avoid a first-round clash with dangerous seeded players, with the exception of teenager Mika Stojsavljevic, who will play 11th seed Belinda Bencic, their male counterparts were not so lucky.
In addition to Draper’s hair-raising encounter with Fritz, Felix Gill will play rising star Rafael Jodar (23rd seed), Toby Samuel will play French Open semi-finalist Jakub Mensik, and Oliver Tarvet, who qualified for the second consecutive year on Thursday, will play 25th seed Arthur Rinderknech.
