Emma Raducanu was handed a tough first round match at Wimbledon in the ladies’ main draw on Friday after being scheduled to play No. 22 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, who has won four WTA singles titles.
British men’s No. 1 Jack Draper, who heads into the tournament having beaten Carlos Alcaraz at Queen’s last week, will face qualifier Elias Ymer and could come up against fellow Brit Cameron Norrie in the second round. Norrie will play Facundo Diaz Acosta in his first round match.
Andy Murray, should he play in the singles, is due to play No. 36 seed Tomas Machac who he has faced twice already this year. Machac won both meetings, including a memorable contest in Miami in which Murray ruptured ankle ligaments in the third set as he lost 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (5) after 3 hours and 28 minutes.
The two-time Wimbledon winner said on Thursday that he is still hopeful of playing at the championships just days after having spinal surgery and confirmed that if he is fit to play there and at the Paris Olympics, then he is likely to retire from tennis.
Murray will begin what could be his last Wimbledon on July 2 if he opts to play singles, allowing him an extra day to recover.
British women’s No. 1 Katie Boulter, who is seeded at Wimbledon for the first time this year, is set to face Tatjana Maria and could play Jessica Pegula in round three.
Harriet Dart will face 21-year-old qualifier Zhuoxuan Bai who made her Grand Slam debut at Wimbledon last year where she was beaten by Ons Jabeur in the second round in a match that lasted 45 minutes. Boulter and Dart will meet in the second round should they both win their matches.
Liam Broady will begin against Botic van de Zandschlup. The Dutch 28-year-old reached the fourth round at Wimbledon in 2022.
Billy Harris, who plays in the men’s semifinal at Eastbourne against Max Purcell later on Friday, was drawn against Spaniard Jaume Munar.
Daniel Evans, the British men’s No. 3, will come up against Alejandro Tabilo. The Chilean left hander has never made it past the second round at a major.
Alcaraz won last year’s gentlemen’s singles tournament, beating seven-time champion Novak Djokovic in the final to lift his first Wimbledon title.
Markéta Vondroušová overcame Jabeur in the ladies’ final, 6-4, 6-4, to win the singles title for what was also her first Wimbledon success.
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