Hey, tennis friends. 👋 I’m just a regular fan who clears his calendar for the grass-court swing, and the third Grand Slam of the season is almost here again. The 2026 Championships are looming, but I can’t stop thinking about the 2025 draw that set the table. That’s the thing about Wimbledon: one year’s seed list becomes next year’s context. So here’s my conversational, first-person guide to what mattered then, what still matters now, and what I’ll be watching when the balls start flying at SW19.

The draw for both singles competitions took place on Friday 27th June at 10am BST (5am EDT) — at least that was the 2025 schedule. There were 128 players in both draws, including 32 seeds, 16 qualifiers and eight wild cards. Two hours later, the doubles draws began. I still remember refreshing the page like it was a stock ticker. In 2026, the draw will have new names and new rankings, but the format remains beautifully brutal.

Men’s side: Sinner’s machine vs. Alcaraz’s magic

On the men’s side, Jannik Sinner was the top seed for the fifth consecutive Grand Slam. The Italian had been world No. 1 for 55 weeks and had won two of the last three majors. That’s not a hot streak; that’s a takeover. 😅

Carlos Alcaraz, who beat Sinner in a five-hour, 29-minute French Open final, was chasing a third straight Wimbledon title. Only Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic had done that in the Open era. Alcaraz had already beaten Djokovic in the 2023 and 2024 finals, and he arrived after winning Queen’s. The guy was basically collecting grass-court trophies like souvenirs.

Jack Draper was the fourth seed, and I was desperate for a kind draw. In 2024, he drew Elias Ymer in the opening round before losing to fellow Brit Cameron Norrie in the second round. I wanted him to break that second-round ceiling. As a Brit, I know how much that would mean.

Here’s the full men’s seed list from that 2025 draw:

Women’s side: chaos, champions, and a dangerous unseeded pair

The women’s draw at Wimbledon has been unpredictable in the last two years. Marketa Vondrousova won in 2023, and Barbora Krejcikova won in 2024. That’s two different champions, two different styles, and two very different stories. Aryna Sabalenka was the favourite for the third Grand Slam but had lost in the finals at the Australian and French Opens that year. I felt for her. Being the best without the trophy is a special kind of pressure.

Iga Swiatek was the eighth seed in the women’s draw. That was her lowest ranking since 2021. The five-time Grand Slam champion recently secured her 300th main-draw match win, beating Victoria Azarenka in straight sets at the Bad Homburg Open. Even when she’s not at her absolute peak, she’s still a nightmare for anyone in her section.

The French Open finalists, Sabalenka and Coco Gauff, were the top two seeds. Emma Raducanu and Vondrousova were both unseeded. That last detail is wild to me. A former champion floating unseeded is exactly the kind of landmine that ruins a favourite’s fortnight.

Krejcikova, meanwhile, was looking to avoid the fate of last year’s defending champion, Vondrousova. The 2023 champion lost in straight sets to Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the first round. Defending a Wimbledon title is hard enough; defending it after an early exit the year before is a psychological maze.

Here’s the full women’s seed list from that draw:

The money: £53.5 million and climbing

Let’s talk money, because Wimbledon is not shy about it. The 2025 prize pot was £53.5 million, a seven per cent increase from 2024. Both singles champions earned £3 million, while the runner-up received £1,520,000. The first round paid £66,000, then £99,000 in the second round and £152,000 in the third. Doubles winners earned £680,000, with the runners-up taking £345,000. The wheelchair and quad wheelchair events had a total prize fund of £1,056,000.

In 2026, I expect those numbers to rise again. The Championships keep growing, and the players keep pushing the product. But the emotional currency is still the same: Centre Court, a tight fifth set, and a crowd that gasps in unison.

Statistics courtesy of Wimbledon — correct as of 25/06/25, when this seed list was published.

What I’m watching in 2026

So what am I actually watching now that we’re in 2026? I’m watching Sinner’s consistency, Alcaraz’s grass-court magic, Draper’s breakthrough, Sabalenka’s response to major finals, Gauff’s next step, Swiatek’s seeding comeback, and the unseeded danger of Raducanu and Vondrousova. I’m also watching the teenagers, the qualifiers, and the wild cards who turn a boring first round into appointment viewing.

Wimbledon always produces a story you didn’t see coming. That’s why I love it. 🎾