Main-draw competition at Wimbledon does not get underway until June 29, but qualifying starts this coming Monday. A total of 256 singles players – 128 men and 128 women – will battle it out on the grass courts of Roehampton for coveted spots in tennis’ most prestigious tournament.
Don’t discount the importance of qualifying at a Grand Slam. For many players, earning a spot in one of the four biggest tournaments in the world can be a career-changing achievement – especially in terms of prize money.
Entrants in the Wimbledon main draw are guaranteed at least 80,000 British pounds (approximately $106,000) -- that’s if you lose in the first round.
It can also send a player on his or her way to an incredible result. Casual sports fans might think that qualifiers end up being easy fodder for higher-ranked players in the main draw, but that is not always the case. In fact, qualifiers are often some of the most difficult opponents to face because they already have three wins under their belt going into the main draw – whereas direct entrants may be going in cold.
Don’t forget about a couple of recent qualifiers who had made historic runs at Grand Slams. At the 2021 US Open, Emma Raducanu qualified and then went on to win the entire tournament. Just a few weeks ago, Maja Chwalinska qualified for the French Open and made it all the way to the final before losing to Mirra Andreeva.
Could an outsider be in line for similar success at the All-England Club? Let’s take a look at some of the participants in the Wimbledon qualifying draws.
Tomic the standout in men’s qualifying
One of the most recognizable names in the men’s qualifying field – if you go back more than a few years – is Bernard Tomic. The 33-year-old Australian advanced to the Wimbledon quarterfinals back in 2011, when he was only 18. He also reached the fourth round in 2013 and 2016. Tomic climbed as high as No. 17 in the world a decade ago but currently finds himself at 192nd in the rankings.
Dan Evans is a well-known player whose presence in the qualifying draw is a bit controversial. The 36-year-old Brit recently announced that he will retire from tennis at Wimbledon, so there was speculation that he would receive a wild card for his final appearance at the All-England Club.
Instead, main-draw wild cards went to six other Brits along with three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka and former world No. 3 Grigor Dimitrov.
Evans peaked at No. 21 in the rankings during the 2023 season and has reached the third round at Wimbledon three times – most recently in 2021.
Other players to watch in men’s qualifying include former quarterfinalist Cristian Garin, veterans Pierre-Hugues Herbert, Nikoloz Basilashvili and Michael Mmoh and rising stars Nicolai Budkov Kjaer, Martin Damm and Darwin Blanch.
Slam champion the headline in women’s qualifying
Bianca Andreescu headlines the women’s qualifying field. The 26-year-old is a Grand Slam champion, having improbably lifted the trophy at the 2019 U.S. Open. She has never reached the quarterfinals at any other major.
Andreescu was once No. 4 in the world following her exploits in New York, but she has been unable to stay healthy for any prolonged stretch during her career. The Canadian currently registers at No. 178.
Great Britain’s Heather Watson is among the recipients of wild cards into the qualifying event. At times throughout her career, the 34-year-old has been one of the host nation’s top hopes at Wimbledon. She was two points away from upsetting Serena Williams at the All-England Club in 2015 and reached the fourth round in 22.
Now, though, Watson plays sparingly on the pro tour due to physical problems. She is just barely inside the top 500 after once registering as high as 38th in the rankings.
Also in the women’s qualifying field are former quarterfinalist Lulu Sun and former French Open semifinalist Tamara Zidansek.
Read the latest tennis news on site.
This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
