Guide to Wimbledon 2026: Schedule, How to Watch & More

The 139th edition of Wimbledon is here. The third Grand Slam of the season returns to the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London from June 29 through July 12 and you can view all of the action with DIRECTV on ESPN (Ch. 206), ESPN2 (Ch. 209) and The Tennis Channel (Ch. 217).

The 2026 tennis season has gotten off to a thrilling start, with four different champions across men’s and women’s singles at the Australian Open and French Open. That means The Championships at Wimbledon once again carries the element of surprise heading into championship fortnight.

Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek enter as the reigning champions in their respective singles draws. But Alexander Zverev is riding the momentum of his first career major title at Roland Garros, and 19-year-old Mirra Andreeva claimed the first of what promises to be many Grand Slam titles at the French Open. World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, meanwhile, is hungry for her first Wimbledon crown.

Here’s how to catch all of the action on the courts during Wimbledon 2026.

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Where to Watch Wimbledon on TV in the US

You don’t need Wimbledon tickets to catch every point of The Championships. Qualifying rounds begin the week of June 22 and he main draw officially kicks off June 29 at 11 a.m. British time, which is 6 a.m. Eastern time.

Where to watch: ESPN, ESPN2 and the Tennis Channel will carry all the action from qualifying through the finals at Centre Court.

• ESPN – Ch. 206
• ESPN2 – Ch. 209
• The Tennis Channel – Ch. 217

2026 Wimbledon Schedule of Play

Fans in the US will have to change their alarm clocks for some early Wimbledon mornings.

Wimbledon 2026 Singles & Doubles Schedule

1R = First Round · 2R = Second Round · 3R = Third Round · 4R = Fourth Round · QF = Quarter-finals · SF = Semi-finals

Note: Coverage begins at 6 a.m. ET (11 a.m. BST) each day. The finals on July 11 and 12 are scheduled not before 4 p.m. BST, which is 11 a.m. ET.

Wimbledon Singles Players to Watch

Curious who the best and most exciting players to watch at Wimbledon are? Here are the top players you’ll find on the courts right now:

Men’s Singles Players to Watch

Jannik Sinner

After Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from both the French Open and Wimbledon with a wrist injury, Sinner had been widely expected to claim his second straight Wimbledon title. However, Sinner fell in the second round at Roland Garros due to heat exhaustion on the scorching clay. He’ll be looking for redemption on the grass, and without Alcaraz in the field once again, Sinner enters as the clear favorite.

Alexander Zverev

Zverev finally claimed his first career Grand Slam title with a five-set win over Flavio Cobolli at the French Open, breaking through after three previous final appearances. Now he’ll try to carry that momentum to Wimbledon, where he has never advanced past the fourth round.

Felix Auger-Aliassime

Auger-Aliassime posted one of his career-best results at this year’s French Open, falling in the quarterfinals to eventual finalist Flavio Cobolli. He bounced back nicely from a first-round exit in Australia and is still searching for that true breakout Grand Slam performance. Wimbledon could be the stage.

Ben Shelton

Shelton has historically struggled at Roland Garros, and this year was no different. But the grass at Wimbledon suits his high-powered game far better. A quarterfinalist at last year’s tournament, Shelton has the raw power to win any match — he just hasn’t paired it with consistency yet. He gets another shot at reaching his first Grand Slam final.

Alex de Minaur

De Minaur has earned a reputation as Mr. Quarterfinal. In his last nine Grand Slams, he has reached the quarterfinals six times. He’ll be hoping to finally break through the final eight and post a career-best performance.

Women’s Singles Players to Watch

Aryna Sabalenka

It has been a disappointing year by Sabalenka’s own lofty standards. She fell in the final at the Australian Open and then in the quarterfinals at Roland Garros, hampered once again by the blustery conditions that plagued her in last year’s final. But Sabalenka remains the world No. 1 for good reason. She has reached the final or won five of the last seven majors she has played, and she arrives in London with dual motivation: Erasing a painful French Open exit and capturing her first Wimbledon title.

Elena Rybakina

Rybakina won her second Grand Slam title at the Australian Open to open the year, though she was bounced early in the second round at Roland Garros. Wimbledon is her best tournament by far, with a championship in 2022, a quarterfinal in 2023 and a semifinal in 2024. She has the experience of winning this event before and will be eager to put her Paris exit behind her.

Iga Swiatek

Swiatek is the reigning Wimbledon champion and in the middle of one of the best stretches of her career. In addition to claiming last year’s title at the All England Club, she reached the semifinals at the Australian Open and Roland Garros and the quarterfinals at the U.S. Open. A fourth-round exit at this year’s French Open is easy to overlook when you already own four titles there. She may not be the favorite entering Wimbledon, but one should always be hesitant to bet against a six-time Grand Slam winner.

Mirra Andreeva

Andreeva is the prodigy of women’s tennis. The 19-year-old Russian claimed her first career Grand Slam title at this year’s French Open and reached the quarterfinals at last year’s Wimbledon. She is in the middle of a run where she seems to be constantly setting new records for “youngest player to accomplish X since Y.”

Amanda Anisimova

Anisimova was last year’s runner-up at Wimbledon in what was a career-best performance at the time. That run sparked a finals appearance at the U.S. Open just months later and a quarterfinal at this year’s Australian Open. A powerful baseliner with a lethal backhand and some of the best athleticism on tour, she is dangerous on any surface.

Coco Gauff

Always a threat, Gauff is entering what has been her weakest Grand Slam historically. She has never advanced past the fourth round at Wimbledon and did not make it out of the first-round last year. Finals appearances at the Italian Open and Miami Open could provide just enough momentum to change that story in London.

How Much Money Do Wimbledon Winners Get?

The total prize purse for both men’s and women’s singles is £64.2 million, a 20% increase from last year’s tournament. This increase marks the largest single increase in Wimbledon history. Singles champions will receive just over 5% of the total prize purse.

Who Won Wimbledon in 2025?

Jannik Sinner claimed the men’s singles title and Iga Swiatek won the women’s singles title at the 2025 Championships.

Wimbledon Traditions

You don’t get to be a tournament with more than 100 years of history without collecting some traditions along the way. Like the Kentucky Derby or the Indy 500, there are quintessential traditions at The Championships.

Grass courts

Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam played on grass. The vivid green surface creates a completely different look and feel from the French Open’s iconic clay and the hard courts used at the U.S. Open and Australian Open.

The all-white dress code

Wimbledon enforces a strict dress code requiring all players to wear all-white attire. The tradition dates back to the tournament’s origins in 1877.

Strawberries and cream

Another tradition rooted in the late 19th century, strawberries and cream has become the quintessential snack at Wimbledon. It is as synonymous with the tournament as the grass itself.

The royal presence

A tradition that dates back more than 125 years in the heart of London is bound to attract the attention of the royal family. At least one prominent member of the royal family is expected to attend the marquee matches at the end of the tournament.

Watch Wimbledon 2026 on DIRECTV

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