The massive story from Wimbledon so far have been the upsets. Gone are seeded players Alexander Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Denis Shapovalov, Lorenzo Musetti, Holger Rune, Daniil Medvedev, Francisco Cerundolo, Ugo Humbert, Alexei Popyrin, Alexander Bublik, Alex Michelsen, Tallon Griekspoor, Matteo Berrettini, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Qinwen Zheng, Paula Badosa, Karolina Muchova, Jelena Ostapenko, Magdalena Frech, Marta Kostyuk, Magda Linette and McCartney Kessler. Of the seeded players eliminated are three players ranked in the top three, and eight players ranked in the top 10. In all, 23 seeded players are eliminated. Here are the top five intriguing second round matches.
Men’s Singles
(4) Jack Draper–GB vs. Marin Cilic–CRO
Draper, who is Great Britain’s best chance to win Wimbledon this year, made the semifinals of the 2024 United States Open, before losing 7-5, 7-6, 6-2 to Italy’s Jannik Sinner. Draper has reached the fourth round of the Australian Open and French Open already this year, and beat Holger Rune of Denmark this past March in the final of Indian Wells. Cilic won the United States Open in 2014 where he beat Kei Nishikori of Japan, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3. This will be their first ever meeting head to head. Note that Cilic has only won three ATP matches all year, with two coming in Dubai in February.
(12) Frances Tiafoe–USA vs. Cameron Norrie–GB
Tiafoe reached the semifinals of the United States Open in 2022 and 2024. Norrie reached the semifinals of Wimbledon in 2022. One of Tiafoe’s three ATP titles came on grass as he beat Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany 4-6, 7-6, 7-6 in the final of Stuttgart in 2023. Tiafoe has beaten Norrie two of three times. Tiafoe won 6-4, 6-4 in the quarterfinals of Indian Wells in 2023, and 6-4, 7-6 in the first round of Vienna in 2024. Norrie won 6-0, 3-6, 6-4 in the quarterfinals of Delray Beach in 2021.
(26) Alejandro Davidovich Fokina–ESP vs. Botic van de Zandschulp–NED
In what could be a second round upset, Davidovich Fokina will face a Dutch player who reached the third round of the United States Open last year. Davidovich Fokina has won three of four meetings. However, they are 1-1 on grass. Van de Zandschulp won 6-2, 6-4 in the quarterfinals of Queen’s in 2022. Davidovich Fokina won 6-1, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the second round of Wimbledon in 2023,
Women’s Singles
(11) Elena Rybakina–KAZ vs. Maria Sakkari–GRE
Rybakina won Wimbledon in 2022. Sakkari reached the semifinals of the French Open and United States Open in 2021. Rybakina has won four of five meetings head to head.
Emma Raducanu–GB vs. Marketa Vondrousova–CZE
This is a battle of grand slam champions. Raducanu won the United States Open in 2021. Vondrousova won Wimbledon in 2023. Vondrousva has won two of three meetings head to head. Raducanu won 6-2, 6-4 in the second round of Wimbledon in 2021. Vondrousova won 6-1, 6-1 at the 2022 Billie Jean King Cup and 6-3, 6-4 in the first round of Abu Dhabi in 2025.
