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Fritz vs. Draper among blockbuster R1 matches at Wimbledon

There are tantalising first-round Wimbledon matchups wherever you look following Friday’s official draw ceremony.

Taylor Fritz has been handed a blockbuster opener against British lefty Jack Draper, who returned to action this week for the first time since April after injury. Former Top 10 stars Casper Ruud and Hubert Hurkacz will also square off, while wild card Stan Wawrinka takes on 2021 finalist Matteo Berrettini.

ATPTour.com looks at five first-round matches to watch at the grass-court major.

[6] Taylor Fritz (USA) vs. Jack Draper (GBR)
For the second straight year, Fritz will have little time to ease into his Wimbledon campaign. The sixth-seeded American, who last season rallied from two sets down to defeat big-serving Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the opening round, begins his 2026 challenge against the resurgent Draper at SW19.

Draper is making his latest return from injury this week in Eastbourne, where he is into the semi-finals at the ATP 250 on Friday. The former World No. 4 leads Fritz 3-2 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series, including a victory in their only previous grass-court meeting at Queen’s Club in 2022.

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[WC] Stan Wawrinka (SUI) vs. Matteo Berrettini (ITA)
Competing in the final season of his career, the 41-year-old Wawrinka has been handed a blockbuster opening-round clash against former finalist Berrettini. The Italian has not competed since reaching the Roland Garros quarter-finals, where he retired during the second set of his match against Matteo Arnaldi.

A three-time major champion, Wawrinka has twice reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals, but the wild card faces a stern opening test. Berrettini, the former No. 6 in the PIF ATP Rankings, is a four-time tour-level grass-court champion, having lifted two titles at Queen’s Club and two in Stuttgart.

View the full draw here.

[11] Casper Ruud (NOR) vs. Hubert Hurkacz (POL)
Ruud is another player set to make his grass-court debut for the season, with the 11th seed opening against fellow former Top 10 star Hurkacz. The Norwegian has never advanced beyond the second round at Wimbledon and faces one of the Tour’s most dangerous grass-court players.

Hurkacz famously defeated Roger Federer on his way to the 2021 semi-finals, a tournament that marked the Swiss legend’s final appearance at SW19. Armed with one of the game’s biggest serves, Hurkacz returns to Wimbledon for the first time since undergoing surgery for a meniscus injury sustained in 2024.

Marin Cilic (CRO) vs. [8] Daniil Medvedev
Two US Open champions meet in one of the standout opening-round contests at the All England Club. Cilic, the 2017 Wimbledon finalist, returns after upsetting home favourite Jack Draper en route to the fourth round in 2025.

Eighth seed Medvedev is a two-time Wimbledon semi-finalist and carries a 4-1 Lexus ATP Head2Head advantage into the matchup. The former World No. 1 also defeated Cilic in three sets on the grass in 's-Hertogenbosch just two weeks ago.

Alexander Blockx (BEL) vs. [2] Alexander Zverev (GER)
For the third time this season — but the first away from clay — rising Belgian Alexander Blockx will test himself against World No. 3 Alexander Zverev. This time, Zverev arrives as a reigning major champion after capturing his maiden Grand Slam title at Roland Garros.

Blockx climbed to a career-high World No. 35 in May after reaching the third round in Monte-Carlo and the semi-finals in Madrid. The 21-year-old, who finished runner-up at last year’s Next Gen ATP Finals, is making his Wimbledon main-draw debut.