LONDON (AP) — Wimbledon, the oldest Grand Slam tennis tournament, starts next Monday, June 29, on the manicured lawns of the All England Club. Here’s what you need to know about this year’s competition.
— In the U.S.: ESPN, The Tennis Channel
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FILE -Serena Williams, left, and Venus Williams of the U.S hold their trophies after winning the women's doubles final against Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazahkstan and Timea Babos of Hungary on day thirteen of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, July 9, 2016. (AP Photo/Tim Ireland, File)
FILE - Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus serves to Amanda Anisimova of the U.S. during a women's singles semifinal match at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Thursday, July 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)
FILE - Italy's Jannik Sinner returns to Carlos Alcaraz of Spain in the men's singles final at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)
Serena Williams of the U.S. tosses the ball in the air to serve as she and Czech Republic's Karolina Muchova play during their round of 16 doubles match against New Zealand's Erin Routliffe and Mexico's Giuliana Olmo during the WTA 500 Berlin Open tennis tournament at Steffi Graf Stadium, in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, June 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
— In Britain: BBC, TNT Sports and discovery+.
— Other countries are listed here.
Jannik Sinner of Italy and Iga Swiatek of Poland will attempt to repeat as champions.
The No. 1-ranked Sinner beat Carlos Alcaraz 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in last year’s men’s final for his first Wimbledon title. Alcaraz will miss this year’s tournament because of a wrist injury. Swiatek routed Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 to win the women’s title — her first at Wimbledon — in under an hour on Centre Court.
Serena Williams will be playing singles and doubles as part of her return to tennis after nearly four years out of the sport. First-round matches in women's singles take place on Day 1 and Day 2. First-round matches in women’s doubles will be Thursday, July 2, and Friday, July 3. Serena and her older sister Venus will compete in doubles. All eyes will be on Friday's draw to set the schedule and opponents.
The draw for the men’s and women’s singles and doubles events will be held this Friday. That’s when we’ll learn who is facing who in the first round, as well as potential matchups throughout the tournament.
Sinner is the top seed for the men. Aryna Sabalenka is the women's top seed. They are ranked No. 1 and the tournament seedings follow the WTA and ATP rankings.
— First Round: Monday (June 29) and Tuesday (June 30)
— Second Round: Wednesday (July 1) and Thursday (July 2)
— Third Round: Friday (July 3) and Saturday (July 4)
— Fourth Round: Sunday (July 5) and Monday (July 6)
— Quarterfinals: Tuesday (July 7) and Wednesday (July 8)
— Women’s Semifinals: Thursday (July 9)
— Men’s Semifinals: Friday (July 10)
— Women’s Final: Saturday (July 11)
— Men’s Final: Sunday (July 12)
Sinner, despite an early exit at the French Open, remains the clear betting favorite with several sportsbooks listing him around -200 to win. Seven-time champion Novak Djokovic (+400) is next as he bids for what would be his 25th Grand Slam title. Alexander Zverev (+800) is trying to win back-to-back majors, though he’s never been past the fourth round at the All England Club and lost his opening match a year ago.
The women’s singles competition is more open, with No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka (+300) a slight favorite ahead of 2022 champion Elena Rybakina (+400). Several sportsbooks put French Open champion Mirra Andreeva at +700 and defending champion Iga Swiatek at +800.
The men’s and women’s singles champions will earn 3.6 million pounds ($4.8 million) each. The total prize money including player per diems is 64.2 million pounds ($85 million). Both represent 20% increases over 2025.
The significant increases come amid players’ calls for greater shares of revenue from Grand Slam tournaments. Top players had complained about prize money at the French Open.
Wimbledon will use video review technology for the first time. The technology will be available on Centre Court, No. 1 Court — the club’s second-biggest stadium — plus four other show courts. Players will be allowed to review specific calls made by the chair umpire — such as double bounces. Video review made its Grand Slam tennis debut at the 2023 U.S. Open.
Wimbledon’s attendance last year was a record-high 548,770, though that’s the lowest among the four majors. The other three feature main-draw action over 15 days; Wimbledon remains at 14 days. The main draw of this year’s Australian Open attracted more than 1.1 million fans. Last year’s U.S. Open surpassed 900,000 for the main draw and the recent French Open had 589,500.
The other three boast even larger attendance numbers when their qualifying events are added. Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam tournament that holds its qualifying rounds at a completely separate location — which would be remedied in the club’s expansion plans. The All England Club hopes to add a new 8,000-seat stadium and dozens of other courts in an expansion that would boost attendance and revenue.
Serena Williams will play singles at Wimbledon in her tennis comeback at age 44
Serena and Venus Williams to play doubles together at Wimbledon
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Musetti withdraws from Wimbledon and opens up spot for fellow Italian Berrettini
Vekic wins Queen’s Club final in straight sets to deny dream title for Raducanu
Shelton beats Fritz 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 in Stuttgart for first title on grass
French tennis player Moutet fined $40,000 for expletives in interview at Queen’s Club
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
FILE -Serena Williams, left, and Venus Williams of the U.S hold their trophies after winning the women's doubles final against Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazahkstan and Timea Babos of Hungary on day thirteen of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, July 9, 2016. (AP Photo/Tim Ireland, File)
FILE - Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus serves to Amanda Anisimova of the U.S. during a women's singles semifinal match at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Thursday, July 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)
FILE - Italy's Jannik Sinner returns to Carlos Alcaraz of Spain in the men's singles final at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)
Serena Williams of the U.S. tosses the ball in the air to serve as she and Czech Republic's Karolina Muchova play during their round of 16 doubles match against New Zealand's Erin Routliffe and Mexico's Giuliana Olmo during the WTA 500 Berlin Open tennis tournament at Steffi Graf Stadium, in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, June 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer resigned on Monday, paving the way for Britain to have its seventh prime minister in just over a decade.
He said he was stepping down as leader of the governing Labour Party but will remain caretaker prime minister until a new Labour leader is chosen by the party.
Andy Burnham, who won a special parliamentary election last week, is the front-runner to replace Starmer as Labour leader.
Starmer won a landslide victory at a general election in 2024, but a series of missteps badly damaged his credibility.
Here's the latest:
Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat Leader, said Starmer’s replacement would have to change “our broken politics.”
“The British people are sick of being let down by an endless merry-go-round of prime ministers while nothing really changes for them,” he said. “This time must be different. It can’t just be about changing who’s in No. 10, it has to be about changing our broken politics so we can fix our country.”
Zack Polanski, who leads the Green Party, echoed that the U.K. needs a “bold change of direction.”
Referring to former Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, who many expect to become the next Labour leader, Polanski said: “The time for half measures and sticking plasters is long gone — if he becomes the next PM, Burnham must be bold or he will be bust.”
“The German government has always had in Keir Starmer a reliable and close partner in foreign policy questions, particularly regarding Ukraine,” Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s spokesperson, Stefan Kornelius, told reporters. He declined to comment on the “internal motives in Britain.”
He said the government believes a meeting that Merz plans to host in Berlin Wednesday of the so-called “E5” — Germany, France, Britain, Italy and Poland — will go ahead as planned despite Starmer’s announcement. The meeting is meant as part of preparations for the upcoming NATO summit.
"Walking up this street two years ago was the proudest moment of my life. A new Labour government. The first in 14 years. A page in our country’s history turned after years of disappointment and despair. ... The chance to change the lives of millions of people for the better. That’s what I came into politics for. The journey to that point was not easy."
“The question my party is asking now is whether I am best placed to lead us into the next general election. I have heard the answer of my parliamentary party to that question. And I accept that answer with good grace."
“Every decision I’ve taken has been about putting the country I love first. That is why I will resign as leader of the Labour Party. I have spoken to His Majesty the King this morning to inform him of my decision.
“I will remain in post as Prime Minister until the contest is complete. And I will do everything I can to ensure an orderly handover of power.”
Starmer stood behind a lectern featuring a crest with a lion and a unicorn.
One is a not native to the U.K. and the other is mythical.
Both have shared the distinction of being part of the royal coat of arms since the 17th century.
The lion, although never living in the wild of England, is its national animal. The unicorn, though fictional, is Scotland’s official animal.
The two became part of the crest when the two crowns were united in 1603, when King James I ascended the throne in England; he was already King James VI in Scotland.
When he was elected in 2024 in a landslide victory for Labour, Starmer pledged to steady the ship and end years of political chaos under his successors, the Conservative Party.
Starmer had succeeded Rishi Sunak, who held the top job from 2022 to 2024.
Before Sunak, Liz Truss lasted only 45 days. Truss followed three other Conservative prime ministers: Boris Johnson (2019-2022), Theresa May (2016-2019), and David Cameron (2010-2016.)
Starmer said Monday that nominations will open on July 9 and close when Parliament breaks up for its summer recess, which is scheduled to begin July 16. The contest will be open to members of Parliament from the ruling Labour Party.
Former Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is the leading candidate to replace Starmer. The question now is whether anyone will challenge him.
If there is no challenge, Burnham could become Labour leader and thus prime minister soon after nominations close. Even if there is a contest, Starmer said a successor would be selected by Sept. 1.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen praised Starmer’s legacy after news of his resignation in a post online on Monday.
“It can take many leaders years to grow into the statesman you became in just two years,” she said on X. “European and Ukrainian security is stronger because of you. Thank you, dear Keir.”
Starmer’s voice choked with emotion near the end of the brief statement.
“The question my party is asking now is whether I am best placed to lead us into the next general election,” Starmer said. “I have heard the answer of my parliamentary party to that question, and I accept that answer with good grace.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says he is stepping down as leader of the governing Labour Party.
Starmer says he will remain caretaker prime minister until a new Labour leader is chosen in the next few weeks.
Starmer made the announcement after facing growing pressure to hand over to a new leader who can try and revive the government’s flagging fortunes. He has been in office since leading Labour to a landslide election victory in July 2024. In those two years his popularity and that of the party have plummeted.
As Starmer began his speech, protesters nearby played the EU anthem, Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy.”
Expectation is building that U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer will set out a timetable for his resignation, conceding to pressure from his Labour Party to hand over the reins of power.
If he does, Starmer will be the sixth prime minister in a decade to stand outside 10 Downing Street and announce a premature departure.
Starmer spent the weekend pondering his future following the victory of intraparty rival Andy Burnham in a special election for a seat in Parliament. Burnham, until last week the Labour mayor of Greater Manchester, ran with the aim of challenging Starmer for leadership of the party and the country.
Burnham is due to be sworn in as a member of Parliament on Monday.
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer hugs his wife Victoria after he announced his resignation outside 10 Downing Street in London, Monday, June 22, 2026.AP Photo/Thomas Krych)
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer and wife Victoria stand in front of 10 Downing Street door after after announcing his resignation in London, Monday, June 22, 2026.(AP Photo/Thomas Krych)
FILE - Labour party's Andy Burnham speaks after winning the Makerfield by-election, paving the way for a leadership challenge against Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. in Wigan, England, Friday, June 19, 2026.(AP Photo/Jon Super, file)
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer and wife Victoria step out to speak to the media outside 10 Downing Street in London, Monday, June 22, 2026.(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Larry the cat, Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office waits on the doorstep of 10 Downing Street in London, Monday, June 22, 2026 as expectations are growing that Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer will announce his resignation soon.(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Britain's Labour Party leadership candidate Wes Streeting speaks in central London, Tuesday June 16, 2026. (Gareth Fuller/PA via AP)
Labour party's Andy Burnham speaks after winning the Makerfield by-election, paving the way for a leadership challenge against Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. in Wigan, England, Friday, June 19, 2026.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer gestures as he speaks with local residents as he visits a housing development in north London, Friday, June 19, 2026. (Peter Macdiarmid/Pool Photo via AP)
