The grand spectacle of professional tennis that is the Wimbledon Championship 2026 takes place for two weeks starting on June 29. The third Grand Slam event of the year will produce a champion in both the Ladies’ and Gentlemen’s singles categories in mid-July with an assortment of other categories contested as well.

With the No. 2 ranked player in the world Carlos Alcaraz out due to injury, the men’s draw is hugely shaken up leaving defending champion Jannik Sinner as the outright Wimbledon tennis odds favorite. Don’t look past 7-time champion Novak Djokovic, one of the best grass players ever. Ranked No. 1 on the women’s side, Aryna Sabalenka is the outright favorite in a congested top of the odds board.

When Is Wimbledon 2026? Dates & Tournament Schedule

The oldest tennis tournament in the world and the only Grand Slam played on grass, Wimbledon 2026 opens with qualifying rounds ahead of the main draw, which starts on Monday, June 29. The first five rounds will each be played over two days leading to the semifinals in both the Ladies’ and Gentlemen’s categories.

Men's and Women's Singles Schedule

• Beginning with the main draw on June 29, Wimbledon 2026 will feature 14 consecutive days of tennis. 
• Each of the first five rounds leading up to the semifinals will be contested over two days giving those who advance a day of rest and rehabilitation.
• Both the Ladies’ and Gentlemen’s side of the draw will start with 128 players in a single-elimination format.

Championship Weekend Match Times

• Wimbledon 2026 Championship Weekend starts on Saturday, July 11 with the Ladies’ Singles Final. 
• The Gentlemen’s Singles Finals takes place on Sunday, July 12 with both being contested on Centre Court at the All England Lawn, Tennis & Croquet Club in London, England. 
• The matches will start no later than 4 p.m. local time (11 a.m. ET).

Wimbledon Draw and Tournament Format

The official main draw for Wimbledon 2026 will take place on the Friday before the tournament starts. Five primary championship draws are included with singles and doubles for the Ladies and Gentlemen as well as a mixed pairing. The Wimbledon Championship uses a standard single-elimination knockout format in every category.

How the Singles Draw Works

• The 128-player field for singles competition is filled in three primary ways with the majority of players included through their official world rankings. 
• Those outside the rankings can gain entry through a separate qualifying tournament held the week before. 
• At the discretion of tournament organizers wild card spots are awarded.

Seedings and Match Progression

• The top 32 players in the world rankings in both singles draws are seeded. 
• Seedings are designed to prevent the highest ranked players from facing each other in the early rounds.
• Seeds are given strategically so the top two seeds in each draw can only meet in the tournament final.

Where Is Wimbledon 2026 Played?

Fans who even casually follow professional tennis have heard of the oldest tennis tournament in the world and the only Grand Slam played on grass. But where is Wimbledon played? The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club has hosted the prestigious event every year since 1877, with a few exceptions. 

The private members’ club is located on Church Road in the Wimbledon area of London. The Royal Family has been involved with the operation of the club with the Duke of Kent serving as president and the Princess of Wales a patron of the club handling de facto presidential duties.

​​All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club Overview

• The AELTC is a private membership club that was founded in 1868. 
• It moved to its current Church Road location in 1922 and it has become the most iconic and prestigious tennis venue in the world. 
• The property includes 18 grass tournament courts and 22 grass practice courts. 
• Centre Court is the main stadium court with a capacity of 15,000. A retractable roof was installed in 2009 to prevent rain and weather delays.

Why Grass Courts Make Wimbledon Unique

• Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam tournament played on grass forcing players to alter how they play compared to other surfaces. 
• Grass is the fastest playing surface in tennis and the ball tends to stay lower to the ground. 
• The surface rewards aggressive play, big serves and swift reactions with points shorter than on other court surfaces.

How to Watch Wimbledon 2026

For most tennis fans in America it’s not feasible to make a jaunt across the pond to attend the Grand Slam event live. Instead fans can watch Wimbledon live through major television networks and streaming platforms. ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 are the primary television outlets in the United States. ABC typically airs weekend matches and the marquee singles finals. 

Live streaming of the tournament is provided by ESPN+ with full court-by-court coverage allowing viewers to watch the action on any active court. Cable cutters can subscribe to Fubo, YouTube TV, Hulu+ or Sling to watch ABC/ESPN feeds.

TV Coverage and Streaming Options

• There will be non-stop coverage of Wimbledon 2026 with ESPN networks having hours of coverage during the week through the early rounds. 
• The Ladies’ and Gentlemen’s final will air on ABC on Championship Weekend with other marquee matchups considered. 
• Viewers can choose to stream any match from an active court through ESPN+

International Viewing Information

• Viewing options depend on your location. In the UK the BBC is the primary broadcaster with additional matches also shown on BBC One and BBC Two. 
• English and French language coverage is offered in Canada. English is on TSN with French on RDS.

Wimbledon 2026 Odds & Betting Insights

With Carlos Alcaraz still sidelined with a wrist injury, defending champion Jannik Sinner is the Wimbledon odds favorite to repeat. Sinner was presented a golden opportunity at last month’s French Open with Alcaraz on the shelf, but he was stunned in the second round blowing a 2-set lead to Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerundolo. 

Sinner’s physical meltdown at Roland Garros and with the top seeds ousted earlier than expected, Alexander Zverev emerged with his first Grand Slam victory and is positioned third on the tennis odds board. Novak Djokovic has slowed down in recent years but he’s always a threat on the grass. A seven-time Wimbledon winner, Djokovic is the second favorite on the early Wimbledon odds.

An early exit for Zverev has tremendous value before the tournament starts. A historically poor performer on grass, Zverev has never advanced past the fourth round. He’s overvalued given his win in France last month.

Updated Wimbledon Championship Odds

The recent fitness concerns of Sinner and Zverev’s poor play on grass gives value to other players. Djokovic is well rested after his early departure at Roland Garros and Daniil Medvedev and Ben Shelton have played well recently.

Odds to win Wimbledon 2026 Gentlemen’s Singles

• Jannik Sinner -200
• Novak Djokovic +500
• Alexander Zverev +800
• Taylor Fritz +1800
• Ben Shelton +2000
• Jack Draper +3500
• Jakub Mensik +3000
• Daniil Medvedev +3500
• Joao Fonseca +3500
• Matteo Berrettini +4000
• Alex De Minaur +4000
• Rafael Jodar +5000
• Tommy Paul +5000
• Jiri Lehecka +5000
• Felix Auger Aliassime +5000
• Frances Tiafoe +5000

The big story on the Ladies’ side is the comeback of Serena Williams, who will get plenty of attention but is unlikely to make a deep run since she is 44 and hasn’t played competitively for several years. Currently ranked No. 1 in the world, Aryna Sabalenka is a consistent threat at Wimbledon and opened as the betting odds favorite. 

Former No. 1 and defending champion Iga Swiatek has refined her grass game leading to last year’s victory. She’s viewed as a slight underdog with plenty of value in the outright market. Elena Rybakina and Amanda Anisimova are both dangerous grass court players with a high winning percentage on the surface over the last few years.

Odds to win Wimbledon 2026 Ladies’ Singles

• Aryna Sabalenka+300
• Elena Rybakina+385
• Iga Swiatek+625
• Mirra Andreeva+700
• Coco Gauff+1000
• Amanda Anisimova+1350
• Jessica Pegula+1450
• Linda Noskova+2000
• Marta Kostyuk+2500
• Emma Raducanu+2550

Most Popular Wimbledon Betting Markets

• Outright winner
• Match winner
• Set betting
• Game spreads
• Total games

Wimbledon Predictions & Favorite Players Analysis

It’s hard not to like Novak Djokovic even as his stellar career winds down. We haven’t seen the results recently with injuries and age catching up to him, but he can play smart on a surface he’s been dominant on over the years. It also helps that other favorites Sinner and Zverev also have concerns. 

We could very well see a repeat of the French Open when many of the favorites were ousted early and Zverev emerged from well down the odds board to claim victory. American Taylor Fritz has a massive serve and grass court success to make a deep run. Jack Draper has emerged as a local fan favorite possessing excellent baseline coverage. 

On the Ladies side Sabalenka has all the tools for success at Wimbledon reaching the semifinals twice but never the title match. And the bracket has been unpredictable with nine different winners in the last nine playings so maybe this is her time.

The ultimate risk-reward bet is Serena Williams, who made the entire tournament more intriguing by earning a wild card entry for her comeback bid. Her physical form is unknown at this point, but you can’t argue with her past success at Wimbledon. Her seven titles are the second most in the open era and she was the last player to go back-to-back in 2015 and 2016. 

Taking a break from professional tennis seemed to revitalize the career of Amanda Anisimova, who reached the finals of two Grand Slams and had her highest career world ranking since returning in 2024. Last year’s trip to Wimbledon was bittersweet since Anisimova failed to win a game in her finals loss to Iga Swiatek.

Men's Singles Favorites

• Jannik Sinner opened as the outright Wimbledon odds favorite aiming to make up for his collapse at Roland Garros last month.
• A superior grass court player, Novak Djokovic can match Roger Federer’s open era record of eight Wimbledon titles.
• Searching for back-to-back Grand Slam titles, Alexander Zverev might be better suited for success on grass with a booming serve and powerful baseline game.
• Sporting the fourth shortest odds on the betting board, Taylor Fritz has been strong on grass this year. However, he withdrew from the Eastbourne Open last week and has been dealing with minor ailments. No reason for the WD was given.

Women's Singles Favorites

• Freshly minted world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is poised to make up for a disappointing showing at Roland Garros and win her first Wimbledon title. Her rocket serve and powerful baseline game make her the easy favorite.
• The 2022 champion Elena Rybakina boasts a massive serve and strong grass court record making her a threat to have a deep run.
• Defending champ Iga Swiatek might take her position as third favorite on the early Wimbledon odds as an insult. It’s hard to say she struggles on grass after a ‘double bagel’ victory in last year’s final.
• At just 19-years-old Mirra Andreeva is already playing in her fourth Wimbledon Championship. And it seems like she’s getting better with age after her shocking with at Roland Garros last month. 

Wimbledon History & Tournament Trends

There hasn’t been a lot of variation on the Gentlemen’s side with only six different winners in the past 23 tournaments. Over that time Roger Federer set the record for most titles with eight and Djokovic amassed the second most with seven. Last year Sinner foiled the attempt of Alcaraz to win his third straight title with a four-set victory for his first Wimbledon title. 

While a select few have dominated the Gentlemen’s side recently, Wimbledon winner’s history has been muddy on the Ladies’ side. There have been nine different champions over the past nine tournaments with Serena Williams in 2015 and 2016 the last to repeat. In 2023 Marketa Vondrousova became the first unseeded woman to win the title and was the lowest ranked champion since rankings were introduced in the mid-1970s. 

In 2024 Barbora Krejcikova was seeded No. 31 and defeated No. 7 Jasmine Paolini for her first Wimbledon title. Some order was restored last year when Iga Swiatek posted the rare “double bagel” scoreline in a Grand Slam final winning 6-0, 6-0. Swiatek was also the eighth straight first-time Ladies’ singles champion.

Recent Wimbledon Champions

• Last year’s tournament produced first time Wimbledon champions on both sides of the draw. 
• Iga Swiatek won her sixth major title overall with a blanking of Amanda Anisimova. The Ladies side has produced nine different winners in as many tournaments with the past eight winning their first Wimbledon title. 
• Sinner captured his fourth major title beating two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in four-sets.

Players With the Most Wimbledon Titles

• Roger Federer owns the most Wimbledon titles on the Gentlemen’s side with eight, five of them coming consecutively between 2003 and 2007. 
• In the late 1990s Pete Sampras had an impressive run winning all seven of his Wimbledon titles in an 8-year span. 
• Most recently Novak Djokovic had an impressive run winning six of his seven titles in an 8-year span. He failed twice in his attempt to match the wins record falling to Alcaraz in the final match in 2023 and 2024.
• Martina Navratilova holds the record on the Ladies’ side with nine Wimbledon championships. She won six straight from 1982 to 1987 beating Chris Evert three times in that streak.
• Steffi Graf and Serena Williams have the second most titles in the open era with seven each. Helen Wills Moody has the second most Wimbledon titles overall with eight from the 1920s and 1930s.

Betting Trends From Recent Tournaments

• Wimbledon has presented two vastly different betting profiles in recent years. The Gentlemen’s draw has heavily favored the top seeds and has produced just six winners in the last 23 tournaments. 
• The Ladies’ draw has been much more volatile and is a profitable market for plus-money underdogs. Historically women’s underdogs win more than 30 percent of the time by Round 3.
• The reigning French Open champion is frequently overvalued simply based on the result. There is a huge transition going from clay to grass and certain players are better on different surfaces.