Monday, 30 June 2025
Monday, 30 June 2025
The 2025 edition of Wimbledon, the world’s oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament, kicks off on Monday at the All England Club in southwest London.
Played on the sport’s only grass-court Grand Slam, the Championships welcome back the world’s top stars as well as familiar faces bidding farewell, with Centre Court and No. 1 Court both equipped with retractable roofs to manage unpredictable weather.
Two-time defending men’s champion Carlos Alcaraz leads the field, launching his title defence in keeping with tournament tradition — opening play on Centre Court.
The Spaniard, seeded second this year, begins his campaign at 6:00 PM IST against 38-year-old Italian Fabio Fognini.
Germany’s Alexander Zverev, seeded third, faces Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech at 8:50 PM IST in another anticipated first-round clash.
Sabalenka, Gauff aim to conquer grass-court doubts
In the women’s draw, world number one Aryna Sabalenka will take to Court One at 5:30 PM IST, beginning her tournament against Canadian Carson Branstine.
Sabalenka, a 20-time WTA champion, is still chasing her first grass-court title and her first Wimbledon final.
Despite two semi-final appearances, the Belarusian has not played a grass final since 2022.
Joining Sabalenka in the spotlight are Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff — two of the biggest names in women’s tennis in recent years, yet both remain without a Wimbledon final appearance.
Swiatek, a dominant force on clay and hard courts, has never progressed beyond the quarterfinals at Wimbledon.
Her win-loss record at the tournament stands at 11-5, with last year’s campaign ending in a third-round upset at the hands of Yulia Putintseva.
Swiatek recently made encouraging progress by reaching her first grass-court final at the Bad Homburg Open, narrowly losing to Jessica Pegula.
Coco Gauff enters Wimbledon on a high, having won her maiden Grand Slam title at Roland Garros and reaching a career-high World No. 2 ranking.
But the American’s recent track record at Wimbledon has been underwhelming — she hasn’t reached the quarterfinals in her past appearances and is still in search of her first grass-court final.
Krejcikova’s title defence hinges on finding old spark
Defending women’s champion Barbora Krejcikova also returns to the lawns of London, though her current form leaves plenty of questions.
The Czech star has struggled in the lead-up to Wimbledon, including a first-round exit and a subsequent injury withdrawal at Eastbourne.
She begins her title defence against Filipino teenager Alexandra Eala, who narrowly missed lifting the Eastbourne trophy after losing a dramatic final despite holding four championship points.
Also in the mix is 18-year-old Russian Mirra Andreeva, who has already won two WTA 1000 titles this season. With her fearless game and adaptability, she could pose a serious threat to more experienced players on grass.
Kvitova's last Wimbledon chapter begins
Adding a layer of emotion to this year’s Championships is the return — and farewell — of two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova. The 35-year-old Czech left-hander, who missed last year’s tournament due to maternity leave, announced earlier this month that she will retire from professional tennis after the US Open.
Kvitova, who captured titles at the All England Club in 2011 and 2014, has referred to Wimbledon as her “favourite tournament.” She made her debut in 2008, losing in the first round, but by 2011 had lifted the trophy after defeating Maria Sharapova 6-3, 6-4 in the final. She repeated the feat three years later, beating Eugenie Bouchard in dominant fashion.
Now ranked outside the top 500 due to her long absence and a modest 1-6 record since returning in February, Kvitova received a wild-card entry and will face No. 10 seed Emma Navarro of the United States in the first round on Tuesday.
Kvitova has more than just tennis memories at Wimbledon — her coach since 2016, Jiri Vanek, proposed to her at Centre Court. The couple welcomed their first child, Petr, during last year’s tournament.
“It’s my favourite tournament. It always has been and it always will be,” Kvitova said. “Winning two titles is what counts the most.”
Kvitova said motherhood brings new challenges, especially when travelling with her young son. “He is starting to crawl and everything, so it’s a mess everywhere,” she laughed. “But it also is fun. He’s a very good boy, so that makes it all a little bit easier.”
As the tournament begins, players will also be eyeing a share of Wimbledon’s record prize pool. Total player compensation this year stands at £53.5 million (approximately $72 million), a 7 per cent increase from last year. The singles champions will each take home £3 million (about $4 million).
