Day 2 at The Championships is scheduled to host the completion of first round singles play.

Five-time Major champion Iga Swiatek faces a potentially risky opening round draw on Tuesday, in 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, who a year ago upset Coco Gauff in this same round.  At the only Major where Swiatek is yet to reach the semifinals, and coming off an extremely successful yet grueling clay court season, is Iga ripe for an upset on her weakest surface?

Other first round action on Day 2 features both of last year’s women’s singles finalists: the champion Marketa Vondrousova, and the two-time runner-up, Ons Jabeur.  Plus, Major champs Elena Rybakina, Angelique Kerber, and Caroline Wozniacki will all play their opening contests.  And Jelena Ostapenko will reignite a prickly rivalry with Ajla Tomljanovic.

Tuesday’s ATP schedule is headlined by seven-time champion Novak Djokovic, who will play his first match since undergoing knee surgery just a few short weeks ago.  And another injured champion, Andy Murray, is scheduled to take to the singles court at Wimbledon for what may be the last time.  The two-time champion had a minor procedure on his injured back just over a week ago, but is aiming to play both singles and doubles in what he has announced will be his last year playing at The Championships.

Throughout the tournament, this preview will analyze the day’s four most prominent matches, while highlighting the other notable matches on the schedule.  Tuesday’s play begins at 11:00am local time.

Sebastian Korda (20) vs. Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (LL) – 11:00am on Court 16

This is a tough first round draw for the surging American, who just debuted inside the top 20 after reaching the final of ‘s-Hertogenbosch, as well as the semifinals of Queen’s Club.  Mpetshi Perricard is an extremely impressive 20-year-old Frenchman who stands at six feet, eight inches tall.  Just six weeks ago in Lyon, which was only his fourth tour-level event, Giovanni won his first ATP Title.  And two weeks ago at Queen’s Club, he upset Ben Shelton in straight sets.

Meptshi Perricard has a big serve, and can also crush the ball from the back of the court.  His game is well-suited for the grass of SW19.  But Korda certainly has the edge in experience.  He advanced to the second week of this event back in 2021, though a year ago he was upset in the first round by Jiri Vesely.

Sebi has struggled to rediscover his form since suffering a wrist injury at the 2023 Australian Open, yet his recent results on grass suggest he finally is.  I favor Korda to prevail in what should be a fascinating first round contest to start the day.

Ajla Tomljanovic (WC) vs. Jelena Ostapenko (13) – Second on Court 12

Three years ago after their third round match at this tournament, these players shared a contentious exchange at the net.  Tomljanovic won 6-2 in the third, but not before Ostapenko took a medical timeout late in the third set, leading to Ajla accusing Jelena of faking.  Jelena then scolded Ajla for her “terrible behavior.” 

But that remains Tomljanovic’s sole victory over Ostapenko, as Jelena has taken their other three meetings.  That includes another three-setter this past January at the Australian Open, though Ajla was coming off a prolonged absence during 2023 due to a knee injury.  The Australian is just 6-7 this season, as she missed more time due to a health issue.  But she reached the final of Birmingham just two weeks ago.

Ostapenko got off to a great start to her 2024, winning titles in both Adelaide and Linz.  However, she went just 1-2 on grass in June.  Jelena is as streaky and unpredictable as they come, but I give her the slight edge on Tuesday based on recent form, as well as their sorted history.

Iga Swiatek (1) vs. Sofia Kenin – Last on No.1 Court

Swiatek is a superb 45-4 on the year, though as usual, she arrives at The All-England Club without playing a match on grass.  It’s understandable considering she played 22 matches on clay within a two-month period, but it’s far from ideal preparation for a surface she’s still trying to figure out.  However, Iga did win the girls’ title here back in 2018, so winning on grass is not a completely foreign concept to her.

It’s been a rough season for Kenin, as the 2020 WTA Player of the Year is 7-16 at all levels.  She is yet to rediscover the tennis that propelled her to the finals of two Majors just four years ago.  However, a month ago in Paris, she reminded us how capable she is of upsetting top names at any time, when she eliminated French No.1 Caroline Garcia.  And Sofia has never lost in the first round of Wimbledon.

Swiatek is 2-0 against Kenin, with both victories coming in straight sets.  Those matches took place in the championship match of Roland Garros in 2020, and the first round of this year’s Australian Open.  On Tuesday, I favor Iga to make it 3-0 against Sofia, and I would not be surprised to see Swiatek make a deep run this year at The Championships, in a quarter of the draw that looks rather open.

Andy Murray vs. Tomas Machac – Last on Centre Court

We will not know until Tuesday morning if Andy Murray will indeed play this match, as he continues to rehab the back injury he suffered less than two weeks ago at Queen’s Club.  And that came on the heels of rupturing ligaments in his left ankle earlier this season in Miami.  This was all a less-than-ideal way to prepare for his 16^th and final appearance at his home Slam and favorite event, where he has achieved such history for British tennis.

His opponent on Tuesday is the same one he injured his ankle against in Miami.  Machac is in the midst of a breakout season, as the 23-year-old cut his ranking in half between January and June, from No.78 to No.34.  Tomas defeated Andy in a third-set tiebreak on his way to the Miami quarterfinals, a run that also featured a victory over Andrey Rublev.  Two months later, Machac was a finalist in Geneva on clay.

If Murray takes to the court, this would actually be their third meeting of 2024, as Tomas also defeated Andy this past February in Marseille.  Hopefully Murray is able to play, and can do so without doing any further damage to his back, as that would risk his plan to play doubles this fortnight with brother Jamie.  But considering Sir Andy’s tenuous condition, Machac must be favored to earn his first-ever win at The All-England Club.

Other Notable Matches on Tuesday:

Elena Rybakina (4) vs. Elena-Gabriela Ruse (Q) – The 2022 champion withdrew from two different grass court lead-up events, citing illness and scheduling changes.  Two years ago in Miami, she defeated Ruse 6-4, 7-5.

Jessica Bouzas Maneiro vs. Marketa Vondrousova (6) – The 2023 champion withdrew from Berlin due to a hip injury after falling on the grass, but says she’s feeling good, and is ready to defend her title.  Bouzas Maneiro is a 21-year-old from Spain looking for her first win at a Major.

Roberto Carballes Baena vs. Alexander Zverev (4) – After failing to win his first Major three weeks ago in Paris, despite being one set away from doing so for the second time in his career, Zverev lost in the semifinals of Halle to Hubert Hurkacz.  Carballes Baena is just 1-5 lifetime at Wimbledon.

Vit Kopriva (Q) vs. Novak Djokovic (2) – Just how healthy is Novak’s knee following the procedure he had after injuring it during Roland Garros?  Kopriva is a 27-year-old qualifier from the Czech Republic who is 0-1 in the main draw of Slams.

Yulia Putintseva vs. Angelique Kerber (WC) – The 2018 champion is just 7-13 since returning from maternity leave, but she’s won her last 10 first round matches at The Championships.  Putintseva claimed a grass court title just over a week ago in Birmingham, though she is 1-2 against Angie.

Caroline Wozniacki (WC) vs. Alycia Parks (Q) – Wozniacki is 13-12 since unretiring last summer, and suffered a knee injury last week in Bad Homburg after winning two matches.  Parks is a big-hitting 23-year-old American qualifier who is currently on an eight-match grass court win streak, though all those matches occurred either at ITF level or during qualifying last week.

Ons Jabeur (10) vs. Moyuka Uchijima – Jabeur has been the runner-up in consecutive years at SW19, despite being the pre-match favorite in both of those finals.  She went 4-2 on grass during the month of June.  Uchijima is a 22-year-old from Japan who is just 3-6 lifetime on this surface at all levels.

Felix Auger-Aliassime (17) vs. Thanasi Kokkinakis – Auger-Aliassime was a quarterfinalist here in 2021, yet has lost in the first round in both of the last two years.  He also lost in the first round of Halle two weeks ago.  Kokkinakis is only 1-3 lifetime at this tournament.

Tuesday’s full Order of Play is here.

England’s nail-biting victory at the Euros on Monday didn’t just delight their nation. It inspired one of the country’s top tennis players. 

Emma Raudcanu has paid tribute to Gareth Southgate’s side after they scraped through their knockout match against Slovakia to reach the quarter-finals. Jude Bellingham scored in the 95th minute to put England level before Harry Kane secured victory in extra time. However, the team’s performance has come under scrutiny throughout the tournament.

“For sure I sympathize with the players who are being told they need to play a lot better, need to play perfect. I think atthe end of the day it’s about getting over the line.” Raducanu told reporters on Monday at Wimbledon. 

The Brit started her campaign at The All England Club with a 7-6(0), 6-3, win over Mexico’s Renata Zarazúa, who came in as a late replacement for Ekaterina Alexanderova. Alexandrova withdrew from the match due to illness. It was a far from perfect performance from Raducanu who leaked a costly 30 unforced errors.

“Today I used it (England’s win) as motivation. It doesn’t need to be beautiful, it doesn’t need to be perfect.” She said.
“As long as you get through the opening rounds, you give yourself another chance to play better. For circumstances to align, as long as you’re still in the tournament, you keep giving yourself that chance.”

Raducanu is hoping for a strong run at SW19 following a promising grasscourt swing so far. In Nottingham, she reached the semi-finals in what was her deepest run at a WTA event since September 2022. Then in Eastbourne, she registered her first win over a top 10 player (Jessica Pegula) before losing to Daria Kasatkina, who went on to capture the title.

The recent success will inevitably raise public expectations for Raducanu to do well at her home Grand Slam. Fortunately, this year some of that pressure has been eased due to the Euros taking place at the same time as Wimbledon.

“I think football is just on a much bigger scale than tennis. They’re all under the microscope,” she said.
“I do feel for the scrutiny because I feel like tennis is just a much smaller scale. The whole nation is watching the football. The fans are very, very passionate.”

Raducanu will next play Belgium’s Elise Mertens. 

Frances Tiafoe admits he has been struggling physically and mentally coming into Wimbledon. 

A former top 10 player at his best and US Open semi-finalist, the American is yet to reach top form this season. Out of 15 tournaments played since the start of 2024, he has only won back-to-back matches in two of them. As a result, his ranking has dipped from 16th to 30th over the past six months. The last time he was ranked this low was in March 2022. 

To make matters worse for Tiafoe, he has been nursing an MCL sprain, which is a sprain that can be caused by direct trauma to the knee. Despite this, he defied the odds at Wimbledon on Monday by staging an epic comeback to defeat Matteo Arnaldi  6-7(5), 2-6, 6-1, 6-3, 6-3. Making it the first time he has won a match after losing the first two sets. 

“It’s brutal. Highs and lows. Think about where I’m at,” Taifoe said of his own experiences when talking about mental health issues in men’s tennis.
“Literally this week last year I was 10 in the world and now I’m barely seeded here (at Wimbledon). Losing to clowns, I hate to say it but I’m just gonna be honest. 
“I took the game for granted and got a little too comfortable. You stop having fun with it and you find yourself in a weird position. Then you kind of forget what you were doing to win?”

The rollercoaster journey has led to Tiafoe questioning his abilities in the sport despite his credentials. A three-time ATP Tour champion who goes by the nickname Big Foe, he has recorded almost 200 Tour-level wins at the age of 26 and earned more than $10M in prize money. 

“You start doubting yourself and all these kinds of things,” he continued.
“But it’s the game. It’s like anything, nothing is peaches and cream all the time. It’s about how fast you can kind of get out of that. And there is always light at the end of the tunnel, whether you either try and find it with small wins or continue to feel sorry for yourself and continue to play victim, that’s where it just gets darker and darker and darker.”

Tiafoe’s situation is one that many players on the Tour can relate to but how did he manage to get out of his slum? 

“God has been helped me quite a lot,” he said.
“But friends and family. They were just like, ‘Dude, you got you to start having fun. Your life is okay from where you started. What you’re doing is consuming way too much. Just Just have fun.”

As for his upcoming match against Borna Coric, fun and enjoyment will take priority over everything else. An approach Tiafoe hopes will help him return towards the top of the men’s game.