“My mum’s getting messages” – How Emma Raducanu, Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic & Aryna Sabalenka’s Wimbledon 1R opponents have reacted to their draw
The Wimbledon 2025 draw, revealed on June 27, has elicited varied reactions from the first-round opponents of top stars Emma Raducanu, Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, and Aryna Sabalenka, with one player humorously noting their family’s excitement. Here’s how Mingge Xu, Fabio Fognini, Alexandre Muller, and Carson Branstine responded to their challenging matchups, per *Sportskeeda* and *The Tennis Gazette*.
**Emma Raducanu vs. Mingge Xu**
Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion and World No. 38, faces 17-year-old British wildcard Mingge Xu, ranked No. 302, in an all-British first-round clash. Xu, the 2024 Wimbledon girls’ doubles runner-up, shared her excitement on Instagram, posting, “My mum’s getting messages from everyone back home in Swansea! It’s a dream to play Emma on home soil,” per *Sportskeeda*. Xu, who has beaten top-100 players like Ena Shibahara recently, sees the match as a chance to shine, despite Raducanu’s 2021 and 2024 fourth-round Wimbledon runs and home-crowd support, per *BBC Sport*. Raducanu, managing a back injury, called it a “special moment” to face a young compatriot, per *Express.co.uk*.
**Carlos Alcaraz vs. Fabio Fognini**
Two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, World No. 2, opens against veteran showman Fabio Fognini, ranked No. 70. Fognini, likely in his final Wimbledon, took a lighthearted jab on X, saying, “Centre Court again? Guess I’ll have to entertain them one last time against the king,” per *The Tennis Gazette*. Alcaraz, on an 18-match winning streak after Queen’s Club and French Open titles, acknowledged Fognini’s flair, telling *Sky Sports*, “He’s fun to watch, but I’m ready for the challenge.” Their 2021 Vienna clash, won by Alcaraz 6-4, 6-3, sets the tone for an exciting opener, per *ATP Tour*.
**Novak Djokovic vs. Alexandre Muller**
Seven-time champion Novak Djokovic, World No. 6, faces France’s Alexandre Muller, ranked No. 40, who posted a resigned yet hopeful reaction on X: “Djokovic first round? Not ideal, but I’ll give it everything,” per *The Tennis Gazette*. Muller, on a four-match losing streak but with wins over Andrey Rublev and Alexander Zverev in 2024-25, hopes to be more competitive than their 2023 US Open meeting, where Djokovic won 6-0, 6-2, 6-3, per *Sportskeeda*. Djokovic, chasing a record 25th Grand Slam, called Muller “dangerous” but expressed confidence, per *Express.co.uk*.
**Aryna Sabalenka vs. Carson Branstine**
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka meets Canadian qualifier Carson Branstine, ranked No. 188, who tweeted, “Maybe one day I’ll get a good draw LOL,” reflecting the daunting task, per *The Tennis Gazette*. Branstine, buoyed by a 6-4, 5-7, 6-1 upset over Liudmila Samsonova at the Libema Open and a qualifying win over Bianca Andreescu, aims to challenge Sabalenka, who is favored after a strong season, per *Sportskeeda*. Sabalenka, potentially facing Raducanu or Marketa Vondrousova in the third round, called Branstine “a fighter” but focused on her title bid, per *BBC Sport*.
