Novak Djokovic and reigning champions Carlos Alcaraz and Marketa Vondrousova await their first opponents
Andy Murray will play Tomas Machac in the first round of Wimbledon, should the two-time champion be fit enough to take part in what is expected to be his final Championships. Murray took his place in the singles draw despite admitting he may not be ready to compete after undergoing an operation on his spine.
Should Murray decide to play, he will face the 23-year-old Czech Machac for the third time this year. Machac, ranked 38 in the world, won both meetings, including an epic in Miami that was notable for Murray rupturing ankle ligaments late in the third set. Importantly for Murray, his match would be on Tuesday, which could give the 37-year-old an extra day to win his fitness race.
Emma Raducanu will play 22nd seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in the first round as the former US Open champion returns to SW19 after missing last year due to injury. Katie Boulter, seeded for the first time, opens against Tatjana Maria and could play Harriet Dart in round two. Likewise, British No 1 Jack Draper opens against qualifier Elias Ymer and would face fellow Brit Cameron Norrie in round two if both men win.
Elsewhere, women’s No 1 Iga Swiatek and men’s No 1 Jannik Sinner are top seeds, with Marketa Vondrousova and Carlos Alcaraz the defending champions of the singles titles. Novak Djokovic is seeded second as the 37-year-old attempts to win Wimbledon for a record eighth time following a five-set defeat to Alcaraz in a thrilling men’s final last year.
Follow updates from the Wimbledon draw below as well as latest news ahead of the tournament
Andy Murray given potential Wimbledon boost as draw reveals first-round opponent
Andy Murray has been given an extra day to recover for his final Wimbledon after learning that his opening match against Tomas Machac would not be until Tuesday.
Murray took his place in the singles draw despite admitting he may not be ready to compete after undergoing an operation on his spine, and was handed a first-round tie against the 23-year-old Machac, who is ranked 38 in the world.
Murray, 37, has lost twice to Machac this year, including in a final-set tiebreak at Miami where the former World No 1 suffered an ankle ligament injury that ruled him out for six weeks.
But as Murray landed on the bottom side of the draw, the news that the two-time Wimbledon champion will not play on Tuesday was a bonus to his chances of being fit enough to compete. With defending Carlos Alcaraz taking his place in the top half of the draw and opening play on Centre Court on Monday, the bottom half of the draw will follow on Tuesday.
Murray is prepared to wait until the last moment before making a decision on whether to play in the singles as he recovers from surgery on a spinal cyst, but a Tuesday start in the singles allows Murray more time to assess his condition. He has taken a wildcard alongside brother Jamie Murray for the doubles, which starts later in the first week.
The two-time Wimbledon champion will play Tomas Machac if he is fit enough to compete, with a Tuesday start offering the 37-year-old additional recovery time
