Who opens Wimbledon 2026? Sinner and Sabalenka headline on Centre Court, Raducanu bumped down to No.1 Court as Gauff and Auger-Aliassime overlooked

Wimbledon 2026 is only a matter of days from getting started. The best ATP and WTA tennis players in the world are set to challenge for the Grand Slam title and put on a show for the expectant crowd. The first day schedule has been released, with some big names not making it onto the main courts.

The venue hosts some brilliant facilities with 18 well-kept courts set to be utilised by hundreds of professional tennis players in a range of categories. The main two courts boasted at SW19 are Centre Court and No.1 Court.

These two will showcase the biggest talents the sport has to offer over the two weeks of fierce competition. The deeper players go, the more likely they will make it onto one of these famous arenas. However, not all can be scheduled on there with limited spots. The opening day of action proves that with a number of top talents being forced to compete on the other show courts.

Commencing from 13:30 BST, the first match on Centre Court will be played by the reigning men's champion, Jannik Sinner. He took down Carlos Alcaraz in a thrilling final last year, claiming a first Grand Slam title on grass and a fourth overall.

It is tradition for the first match on Centre Court to be the defending men's champion. This year is no exception. Miomir Kecmanovic has the honour of walking onto this prestigious court, but the daunting task of facing Sinner in what is set to be a thrilling opener.

From one World No.1 to another: Aryna Sabalenka kicks off her tournament straight after. She has only competed at Wimbledon in three of the prior five tournaments, ending at the semi-finals in each one. The Belarusian is going for glory or bust with a first major title away from hardcourts the aim. Following successfully qualifying for the event, 18-year-old Teodora Kostović will make her Grand Slam debut in spectacular fashion.

To round off the action, seven-time champion Novak Djokovic is back for more. His semi-final exit was the first time he did not make the final since 2017 as he again looks to seal that elusive 25th Grand Slam title that will etch his name further into the record books and have him standalone from the rest. His tournament begins with a tie versus Wu Yibing. Just a second appearance at the championships, he lost in the opening round in his last venture back in 2023.

Emma Raducanu was always going to feature around the big two courts. Thanks to the talent already on Centre Court, she has been bumped down to No.1 Court for her opening clash against Antonia Ruzic. Raducanu has already impressed in the one grass tournament she has competed in this year and will have the crowd firmly behind her with a possible third round encounter against Sabalenka one to keep an eye on.

This will be followed by a hugely intriguing tie against Daniil Medvedev and Marin Cilic. While the favourite, the Russian is coming off the back of a first round exit last year. A two-time semi-finalist, he has not reached the heights of Cilic who reached the final back in 2017, coming out a comfortable loser against Roger Federer.

Roland Garros champion Mirra Andreeva is picked to feature in the final match of the opening day of tennis. Failure to win a match on grass following that maiden major title may hinder her prospects at Wimbledon, but Andreeva will still be confident to secure more glory as she lives up to her potential. A tough opening draw against Pole Magda Linette will be watched the spectators on the second biggest court at Wimbledon.

Away from those two, Court No.2 also has a stacked lineup. Surprisingly, two-time Grand Slam champion Coco Gauff has been ushered away to these outside show courts despite her prestige. It may come down to the fact that she has underperformed at Wimbledon compared to other tournaments, never unlocking her potential on the surface. Tamara Korpatsch will be a tricky task for her to deal with.

The number three seed, Felix Auger-Aliassime, will also have to settle for an appearance on Court No.2. Despite only two players ranked higher than him in the draw, he is not able to get a chance to strut his stuff on the big stage quite yet. He is third on against Aleksandr Shevchenko with Gauff following.

The number four seed Jessica Pegula starts up against Darja Vidmanova with British No.1 Cameron Norrie taking on Michael Zheng.

Elsewhere, Casper Ruud and Hubert Hurkacz headline events on No.3 Court with Rafael Jodar and Naomi Osaka also involved. Former Roland Garros finalists Karolina Muchova and Maja Chwalinska lead the field on No.12 Court while Belinda Bencic, Tommy Paul and Joao Fonseca are the top picks on Court No.18.