Serena Williams could force Wimbledon to break their own strict rules this year
Grass court season is well underway and, as a result, plenty of eyes start turning toward the biggest event of the season: Wimbledon.
The third Grand Slam of the year is undoubtedly the most historical of the four majors, but it has already been hit with some unfortunate news.
Carlos Alcaraz will unfortunately miss the event due to the wrist injury he suffered at the Barcelona Open, but Wimbledon could also have a bigger problem forming.
There are several big names currently on the hunt for a wildcard at this year’s event, which could have disastrous effects for upcoming British stars.
16 players are awarded wildcards across the men’s and women’s draw at Wimbledon, but historically they are saved for British players.
At last year’s event, the only non-British star to receive a wildcard was Petra Kvitova. The star won the event in 2011 and 2014 and retire nearly straight after the Grand Slam.
This year, however, there are several big name stars who could be in with a shout of a wildcard.
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Gael Monfils, David Goffin, Kei Nishikora, Stan Wawrinka, and Roberto Bautista Agut are all set to retire at the end of the 2026 season and all have reasonable history at the Grand Slam.
Likewise, stars such as Jack Draper, Grigor Dimitrov, and recent Roland Garros quarter-finalist Matteo Berrettini all currently sit outside the top 100, so could be lobbying for a wildcard rather than playing qualifying.
The women’s side of things look just as challenging, particularly with Serena Williams and Venus Wililams back in action on the grass around Wimbledon.
Additionally, Roland Garros semi-finalist Maja Chwalinska has reportedly asked for a Wimbledon wildcard after her explots at the French Open.
The sheer amount of top stars who could be lobbying for a wildcard could play havoc for British tennis, especially with just one man inside the ATP Tour top 100 and three women inside the WTA Tour top 100.
Jan Choinski, at World No. 103, should get in with withdrawals, but there are several British men who will be desperate to play Wimbledon this year.
The aforementioned Draper currently sits at World No. 111 and he will miss out on a Protected Ranking because of his tennis return earlier this season.
Jack Pinnington-Jones, Billy Harris, Jacob Fearnley, Arthur Fery, and Toby Samuel have all shown promise and currently sit between World No. 100 and 150.
The likes of Dan Evans, Liam Broady, Harry Wendelken, Oliver Crawford, and Jay Clarke are slightly lower-ranked, but they will be hoping for a positive decision from Wimbledon.
The WTA side is slightly easier as there are not many British players hitting rich vein of form right now, but Harriet Dart will always be in with a shout.
Likewise, younger stars Mika Stojsavljevic and Mimi Xu will be hoping to build upon their Wimbledon debuts last year. Stojsavljevic, in particular, has proved she deserves the call.
She picked up her very first Billie Jean King Cup victory earlier this year as a weakened Great Britain toppled Australia in an away match to reach the next round.
Stojsavljevic also recently defeated picked up her maiden WTA 125 win at the Birmingham Open after earning a victory against Emerson Jones.
With more players vying for wildcards than ever before, there could be some very disappointed players in the run up to Wimbledon.
But will they be familiar names or rising British stars? Wimbledon has a very difficult decision to make.
