Round two of Wimbledon begins on day three of the championships, and there are some intriguing storylines at play.
Day two set a Wimbledon record for the most top-10 seeds to lose in the first round. Eight players from the men’s and women’s singles draw failed to advance, including Coco Gauff, Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev.
The biggest names in the competition have a target on their back, and they’ll be wary of yet more upsets on day three of the tournament. Here are the biggest matches to watch out for.
Carlos Alcaraz vs Oliver Tarvet
Estimated start time: 2:40 pm
Key storyline: British qualifier faces world number two
French Open champion Carlos Alcaraz was dramatically close to joining the list of names to lose in the first round. Alcaraz was taken to five sets by Fabio Fognini, and the world number two was not up to his brilliant best against the 38-year-old.
He progressed to the second round, however, and is now faced with the challenge of Great Britain’s Oliver Tarvet, an amateur playing his third-ever five-set match, and second-ever at Wimbledon.
He is 733rd in the world rankings and had to fight through three qualifying rounds to make the tournament. Tarvet beat Leandro Reidi of Switzerland in the first round to earn his match against Alcaraz.
Tarvet won’t be properly paid to beat Alcaraz due to US college regulations, but he won’t need the extra motivation to pull off an upset on Centre Court. Alcaraz cannot afford to repeat his first round performance.
Emma Raducanu vs Markéta Vondroušová
Estimated start time: 4:20 pm
Key storyline: British number one faces former Wimbledon champion
Some more British interest in this one, as British number one and Alcaraz’s US Open double teammate Emma Raducanu faces off with 2023 Wimbledon Champion Markéta Vondroušová.
Raducanu was impressive in her opening round match against fellow Brit Mimi Xu, but this is an entirely different test. Vondroušová suffered an injury-plagued 2024, but has seen a return to form in the Wimbledon build-up.
The world number 73 won the Berlin Open in June, her first win since her Wimbledon title, and swept aside America’s McCartney Kessler in the first round of Wimbledon in two sets.
Should Raducanu prevail in this one, expect rumblings of a deep Wimbledon run for the 2021 US Open winner.
Aryna Sabalenka vs Marie Bouzková
Start time: 1:30 pm
Key storyline: World number one looks to progress in wide-open women’s draw
Kicking off the action on Centre Court for day three is world number one Aryna Sabalenka. Sabalenka lost to Coco Gauff in the French Open Final, and is out for revenge in SW19 as she hopes to claim her first Wimbledon title.
The Belarusian looked dominant in the opening round of the tournament against Canadian Carson Branstine. She took the first set 6-1, then secured the win with a 7-5 second set to progress to the second round.
Her opponent is Czech player Marie Bouzková, who made the Wimbledon quarter-finals in 2022. The former world number 24 also won in two sets in her first match, beating Lulu Sun of New Zealand.
Four of the top 10 are out of the women’s draw at Wimbledon. Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Zheng Qiwen and Paula Badosa all crashed out at the first hurdle, presenting a golden chance for Sabalenka.
She could also meet Raducanu in the third round if both win on Centre Court, adding to the intrigue of this match.