Wimbledon 2026: Swiatek and Zverev advance to last 32

By Sanjay Menon — 2 July 2026 — 5 min read

Swiatek and Zverev Secure Third Round Spots

Iga Swiatek, the reigning champion, has moved past a challenging start to her Wimbledon title defence, securing a decisive second-round victory against Karolina Pliskova. Similarly, Alexander Zverev also progressed comfortably on Thursday. Swiatek, who reportedly experienced emotional moments after her first-round match against Taylor Townsend, demonstrated a strong performance, defeating former world number one Pliskova in a match lasting 70 minutes. The final score for Swiatek’s match was 6-1, 6-3.

Swiatek commented on her performance, stating that while the first round was emotional, she approached the second round as another day at the office, ready and sharp. The Polish player, who has shown some inconsistency since winning her sixth Grand Slam title at the All England Club a year ago, is set to face the Philippines’ Alexandra Eala in the next round. Eala had previously defeated Maya Joint, who was the first-round conqueror of Serena Williams.

Pliskova, who recently returned to the tour following a long-term injury, was unable to match the third seed’s intensity. Swiatek, at 25 years old, has consistently reached at least the third round in her last 26 Grand Slam appearances, with her last second-round exit occurring at the 2019 U.S. Open. Alexandra Eala, the 29th seed and 21 years old, made history by becoming the first woman from the Philippines to reach the third round of a Grand Slam, overcoming Joint with a score of 3-6, 6-2, 6-0 on Court Three. Eala described the atmosphere as amazing, electric, and respectful.

In other women’s singles action, last year’s runner-up Amanda Anisimova recovered from a break down in the third set to defeat Sofia Kenin in a deciding tie-break. Former Australian Open champion Madison Keys ended British interest in the women’s singles by beating Katie Swan in straight sets. Later on Centre Court, Elena Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, who is aiming to claim the world number one ranking from Aryna Sabalenka next week, was scheduled to play against American Caty McNally. Rybakina ultimately defeated McNally 6-1, 6-2. Britain’s Princess Catherine attended the tournament on Thursday, interacting with fans before watching matches on Court 18.

Men’s Singles Progress

Alexander Zverev displayed strong form with a victory over Valentin Royer, with a score of 6-1, 6-3, 7-6 (7/3). This performance has raised expectations for the German player on grass courts. Zverev, who secured his first Grand Slam title at the French Open last month, has historically not performed as well at Wimbledon, having never advanced beyond the last 16 in his nine previous appearances at the All England Club.

The second seed now has a significant opportunity to progress further in the tournament, especially with players like Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic in the opposite half of the draw, and fourth seed Ben Shelton already eliminated. Zverev expressed confidence, stating that if he continues to play at this level, he believes a deep run is possible this year, emphasizing the need for a short-term memory in tennis, whether for good or bad results.

Zverev’s win against Royer was efficient, contrasting with his first-round exit last year against another unseeded Frenchman, Arthur Rinderknech. American sixth seed Taylor Fritz maintained his strong record at the All England Club, defeating compatriot Patrick Kypson 6-2, 6-2, 7-5 to reach the third round. Fritz has reached at least the quarter-finals at Wimbledon in three of the past four years, having lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals a year ago.

Fifth-seeded Australian Alex de Minaur also advanced easily with a straight-sets victory over French veteran Adrian Mannarino. Rising Spanish player Rafael Jodar completed a comeback win against Pablo Carreno Busta, winning the last two sets in a match that was delayed by darkness on Wednesday. Jodar, a Wimbledon debutant, had not played a Tour-level match on grass before this week, but has seen a rapid rise in rankings this year and reached the French Open quarter-finals. Arthur Fery kept British hopes alive by defeating Finland’s Otto Virtanen in four sets.

Notable Matches and Upcoming Schedule

Other significant results from Day 4 included Frances Tiafoe (17) advancing after defeating Jan Choinski 4-6, 6-2, 7-5, 6-2. Grigor Dimitrov secured an emotional victory against the 15th seed Jakub Menšík, with a final score of 7-6(5), 6-4, 7-5, 6-3. Alexander Bublik (10) also moved into the third round by defeating Kyrian Jacquet 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(5). Jiří Lehecka (13) had an assertive performance, beating Alex Molčan 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.

Karen Khachanov (19) defeated Yannick Hanfmann 6-3, 6-4, 6-4, and Matteo Berrettini overcame Arthur Fils (20) 6-4, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3. Jaume Munar defeated Jacob Fearnley 6-4, 7-6(3), 6-4, while Marcos Giron beat Quentin Halys 7-6(5), 6-3, 6-4. Zachary Svajda won a five-set thriller against Kamil Majchrzak 2-6, 6-2, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-3, and Zizou Bergs defeated Jaime Faria 7-6(6), 4-6, 6-2, 6-3. Lorenzo Sonego also had a lengthy match, winning against Gabriel Diallo 7-6(4), 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-7(6), 6-2.

In the women’s draw, Linda Nosková (9) defeated Camila Osorio 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, and will face Sorana Cîrstea (17) in the next round, who beat Kimberly Birrell 6-3, 6-4. Jasmine Paolini (13) advanced past Viktorija Golubic 7-6(0), 6-4. Elise Mertens (25) secured a win against Maria Timofeeva 2-6, 6-3, 6-0, and Maria Sakkari defeated Kamilla Rakhimova 6-3, 0-6, 7-6(7). Marta Kostyuk (12) won against Anna Blinkova 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-3, and is set to play Emma Navarro next. Alexandra Eala (29) defeated Mia Joint 3-6, 6-2, 6-0. Ashlyn Krueger beat Mariam Bolkvadze 6-1, 6-0, and Daria Snigur defeated Léolia Jeanjean 6-4, 6-3. Emma Navarro (23) won against Oksana Selekhmeteva 3-6, 6-4, 6-1, while Marie Bouzková (21) defeated Tyra Grant 7-5, 6-3. Liudmila Samsonova defeated Diana Shnaider (15) 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.

Day 5 of the 2026 Wimbledon Championships is anticipated to feature more prominent players, including defending men’s champion Jannik Sinner, women’s No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula, and Coco Gauff.

Source: thehindu.com