Everything you need to know about the Wimbledon 2026 Championships.
The third Grand Slam tennis tournament of the year gets underway Monday, June 29th at the All England Club in London, as the 139th edition of the Wimbledon Championships brings two weeks of world-class grass-court tennis to SW19. The grass-court season has been building toward this moment through Queen’s Club, Halle, and Berlin, and now opening day is here.
For those ready to follow the only Grand Slam played on grass, we wanted to share some fun facts and tournament details for the 2026 Wimbledon Championships.
Wimbledon 2026 Tournament Information and Fun Facts
Where to Watch Wimbledon 2026
In the United States, Wimbledon 2026 will be broadcast exclusively on the ESPN family of networks. ESPN and ESPN2 carry live match coverage throughout the fortnight, with ABC simulcasting marquee matches on the middle weekend and both the Men’s and Women’s Singles Finals. For streaming, ESPN+ delivers wall-to-wall coverage through the ESPN app, giving fans access to multiple courts simultaneously. Coverage runs from June 29th through July 12th, with play typically beginning at 6:00 AM ET each morning.
Wimbledon 2026 Tournament Dates
Main draw matches at Wimbledon 2026 start on Monday, June 29th and run through Sunday, July 12th.
- Women’s Singles Final: Saturday, July 11th
- Men’s Singles Final: Sunday, July 12th
The Biggest Story: Serena Williams Returns
Before we get to the seeds, the headline entering Wimbledon 2026 is the return of Serena Williams. The 23-time Grand Slam champion and seven-time Wimbledon singles title holder is competing in the ladies’ singles as a wildcard, her first singles appearance at any tournament since the 2022 US Open. Williams is also partnering with sister Venus in the ladies’ doubles. Her presence at SW19 instantly becomes the most compelling storyline of the fortnight, and a potential first-round draw against a top seed would be one of the most anticipated matches in modern Wimbledon history.
Also worth noting on the men’s side: two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn from the tournament due to a persistent right wrist injury, blowing the men’s draw wide open and handing a major opportunity to the field.
Wimbledon 2026 Top Seeds
Men’s Singles
| Seed | Player | Country |
| 1 | Jannik Sinner | ITA |
| 2 | Alexander Zverev | GER |
| 3 | Félix Auger-Aliassime | CAN |
| 4 | Ben Shelton | USA |
| 5 | Alex de Minaur | AUS |
Defending champion Jannik Sinner returns to Wimbledon as the world No. 1 and the man to beat on the grass. Sinner claimed his first Wimbledon title in 2025, ending Carlos Alcaraz’s 20-match winning streak at the All England Club in a commanding four-set final. With Alcaraz now sidelined, Sinner has a clear path to become the first man to successfully defend the Wimbledon title in recent memory.
Alexander Zverev arrives as the No. 2 seed riding the biggest wave of his career, having finally claimed his first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros earlier this summer. Zverev has never reached the Wimbledon final, and the grass is historically his most difficult surface, but form and confidence are on his side.
One of the most surprising storylines in the men’s draw is where you find Novak Djokovic. The seven-time Wimbledon champion enters as the No. 7 seed after a limited 2026 season, still chasing a record 25th Grand Slam title. Don’t sleep on Djokovic at SW19, this is the tournament he knows better than any other.
Women’s Singles
| Seed | Player | Country |
| 1 | Aryna Sabalenka | |
| 2 | Elena Rybakina | KAZ |
| 3 | Iga Swiatek | POL |
| 4 | Jessica Pegula | USA |
| 5 | Mirra Andreeva |
Aryna Sabalenka enters as the world No. 1 and top seed, holding the top WTA ranking since October 2024. Wimbledon remains the one major title missing from her résumé, making this tournament particularly compelling for the sports top women’s player.
Defending champion Iga Swiatek arrives as the No. 3 seed, having shattered the narrative that grass was her weakest surface with a dominant title run in 2025. Elena Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, is seeded second and is always dangerous on a surface that suits her flat, penetrating game perfectly.
Nineteen-year-old Mirra Andreeva enters as the No. 5 seed after winning the French Open 2026 title, making her one of the most exciting young players in the draw.
Wimbledon 2025 Champions
Men’s Singles: Jannik Sinner (ITA) defeated Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) 4–6, 6–4, 6–4, 6–4
Women’s Singles: Iga Swiatek (POL) defeated Amanda Anisimova (USA) 6–0, 6–0
Fun fact: Swiatek’s dominant 6–0, 6–0 final was the first time a player had failed to win a single game in a Wimbledon women’s final since 1911.
Wimbledon 2026 Prize Money
Total prize money for the 2026 Wimbledon Championships reaches a record £64,200,000 (approximately USD $84.9 million), a 20% increase over 2025 and the largest year-on-year prize money increase in the tournament’s history.
- Men’s and Women’s Singles Champions: £3,600,000 (approx. USD $4.7 million each)
- Runner-Up: £1,800,000 (approx. USD $2.3 million)
- First Round Main Draw exits: £80,000
Wimbledon has offered equal prize money for men and women since 2007, becoming the last of the four Grand Slam tournaments to adopt equal pay.
Wimbledon Courts and Venue
The All England Lawn Tennis Club located in Wimbledon SW 19, London hosts all Championship matches across 38 total courts, 18 Championship grass courts (Centre Court plus Courts 1 through 18, with no Court 13) and 20 additional grass practice courts.
The three showcase arenas are:
- Centre Court: The iconic home of the Championships, where finals and marquee matches are played, featuring the famous retractable roof installed in 2009
- Court No. 1: The second stadium, seating over 12,000 and hosting top-tier matches throughout the fortnight
- Court No. 18: One of the most famous outer courts in tennis, known for legendary matches and a passionate atmosphere
Wimbledon Court Surface
Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament played on natural grass, making it unique among the four majors. The courts are meticulously prepared, with the grass trimmed to exactly 8mm on every court and composed of 100% perennial ryegrass. The low, fast bounce rewards big serving, net play, and aggressive ball-striking, producing a style of tennis you simply cannot see anywhere else on the Grand Slam calendar.
Wimbledon Tennis Balls
Slazenger has been the official tennis ball supplier to the Wimbledon Championships since 1902, making it one of the longest-running partnerships in sports history. Approximately 55,000 balls are used across the two-week tournament. Each day, 46 cans of balls are brought onto Centre Court and Court No. 1, while 21 cans are provided to each of the outside courts.
Wimbledon Food and Drink
No visit to Wimbledon – in person or on television – is complete without acknowledging the food traditions that are as much a part of the Championships as the tennis itself.
Strawberries and Cream is the signature Wimbledon experience. More than 190,000 portions are served during the tournament each year, with each serving of 10 strawberries and cream priced at £2.10. To ensure the freshest possible fruit, strawberries are picked at 4:00 AM each morning from certified partner farms in Kent, collected from the packing plant by 9:00 AM, and served to visitors the same day.
Pimm’s is the drink of Wimbledon, with more than 250,000 glasses poured across the fortnight, a British summer tradition as recognizable as the white tennis attire worn by the players.
Beyond those iconic offerings, visitors can find everything from traditional afternoon tea and scones to fish and chips, champagne, and a full range of dining options across the grounds.
Rufus the Hawk
One of Wimbledon’s most charming behind-the-scenes traditions is Rufus, the trained Harris hawk who first patrolled the Wimbledon grounds in 2008. Rufus’s job is a serious one, keeping the Wimbledon grounds clear of pigeons, which would otherwise flock to the courts and disturb play. Every morning at 9:00 AM, before the gates open to the public, Rufus flies the grounds for approximately one hour to deter pigeons from settling in. The name Rufus has been carried on by successive hawks over the years, becoming an institution in its own right at SW19.
Wimbledon Racket Stringing
Behind the scenes at Wimbledon, a dedicated stringing team works throughout the tournament to keep players’ rackets match ready. On average, 2,000 rackets are restrung during the Championships, amounting to more than 40 miles of string used across the two weeks. For the world’s top players, having the right string tension on the slick, low-bouncing grass can make a meaningful difference in their performance.
Wimbledon Championship Towels
The Wimbledon towel is one of the most sought-after souvenirs in all sports. More than 25,000 towels are typically sold each year during the Championships, and earlier-edition tournament towels have become genuine collector’s items. For fans who make the trip to SW19, or those watching from home who want a piece of the tradition, the towel is the quintessential Wimbledon keepsake.
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