Wimbledon 2026: Key Dates and Broadcast Details
The 2026 Wimbledon Championships begin on Monday, June 29, and conclude with the men's singles final on Sunday, July 12. The tournament runs for 14 consecutive days, with the traditional Middle Sunday rest day eliminated since 2022. The BBC remains the primary broadcaster, offering free coverage on BBC One, BBC Two, and BBC iPlayer. In a change from previous years, TNT Sports will co-broadcast the singles finals alongside the BBC, replacing Eurosport. Clare Balding leads the BBC presenting team, with analysts including Tim Henman, John McEnroe, and Martina Navratilova.
Notable Absences and Wildcards
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner defends the men's singles title, while Iga Swiatek returns as the defending women's champion. However, Carlos Alcaraz, winner in 2023 and 2024, misses the tournament due to a wrist injury. British star Emma Raducanu is also absent after withdrawing with a stress fracture in her foot. The biggest wildcard story is the return of Serena Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam champion, who received a wildcard for singles and will also play doubles with her sister Venus. Other women's wildcards include French Open runner-up Maja Chwalinska and British players Harriet Dart, Alicia Dudeney, Hannah Klugman, Mika Stojsavljevic, Katie Swan, and Mimi Xu. Men's wildcards went to British players Jacob Fearnley, Arthur Fery, Jack Pinnington Jones, Toby Samuel, and Harry Wendelken, plus veterans Grigor Dimitrov and Stan Wawrinka.
Seeds and First Round Highlights
In the men's singles, the top seed is Jannik Sinner, followed by Alexander Zverev (2), Felix Auger-Aliassime (3), Ben Shelton (4), Alex de Minaur (5), Taylor Fritz (6), Novak Djokovic (7), and Daniil Medvedev (8). Notable first-round matches include Sinner vs. Miomir Kecmanovic, Djokovic vs. Wu Yibing, Zverev vs. Alexander Blockx, Fritz vs. Jack Draper, and Cameron Norrie vs. Michael Zheng. In the women's singles, top seed Aryna Sabalenka leads, followed by Elena Rybakina (2), Swiatek (3), Jessica Pegula (4), Mirra Andreeva (5), Amanda Anisimova (6), Coco Gauff (7), and Elina Svitolina (8). Key first-round matchups include Swiatek vs. Taylor Townsend, Sabalenka vs. Teodora Kostovic, Serena Williams vs. Maya Joint, Harriet Dart vs. Jelena Ostapenko, and Katie Boulter vs. Tyra Grant.
Prize Money and Ticket Information
Total prize money for Wimbledon 2026 is a record £64.2 million. Singles champions receive £3.6 million, runners-up £1.8 million, semi-finalists £900,000, quarter-finalists £480,000, fourth round £300,000, third round £185,000, second round £126,000, and first round £80,000. The public ballot for Centre Court and No. 1 Court tickets has closed, but fans can still queue daily for grounds passes or show court tickets via the ticket resale kiosk north of Court 18.
Daily Order of Play and Schedule
The official Order of Play is released each evening around 6pm and is subject to change. Gates open at 10am daily, with play on outside courts starting at 11am, No. 1 Court at 1pm, and Centre Court at 1:30pm. The full schedule includes first rounds from June 29-30, second rounds July 1-2, third rounds July 3-4, fourth rounds July 5-6, quarter-finals July 7-8, women's semi-finals July 9, men's semi-finals July 10, and finals on July 11-12, including the men's singles final on July 12.
