Wimbledon 2026 begins with Raducanu and Draper withdrawals
The Wimbledon tennis tournament began with defending champion Yannick Sinner in action, but British number one Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper withdrew due to injuries. Several British players suffered first-round defeats.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
The 2026 Wimbledon Championships got underway on Monday with defending men's champion Yannick Sinner surviving a five-set scare, but the opening day was overshadowed by the withdrawal of two of Britain's biggest tennis stars.
British number one Emma Raducanu pulled out late on Sunday night after being diagnosed with a stress fracture in her right shin. The 23-year-old former US Open champion said the news was hard to process as playing in front of a home crowd at Wimbledon means everything. Jack Draper followed on Monday afternoon, withdrawing with a recurring arm injury. The 24-year-old said he was devastated.
The absences were a major blow to British hopes. Cameron Norrie, the British men's number one, lost in the first round to qualifier Michael Zeng, ranked 144th in the world, in a five-set tiebreak. Harriet Dart and Fran Jones also lost their opening matches. By the end of day one, ten British players had been eliminated.
On Centre Court, Sinner began his title defence against Serbia's Miomir Kecmanovic. The world number one looked in trouble during the third set but recovered to win in five sets. Women's top seed Aryna Sabalenka won her first-round match in straight sets. Novak Djokovic, 39, started his 21st Wimbledon campaign later in the day.
One of the biggest stories of the tournament is the return of Serena Williams. The 44-year-old seven-time singles champion is back after four years away from the sport and will begin her campaign on Centre Court on Tuesday.
Thousands of fans queued from early morning to get into the grounds, with many having camped over the weekend. The weather was warm and sunny. Off the court, a planned media protest by players over prize money and benefits was called off after behind-the-scenes talks with the All England Club.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC One | ITV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emma Raducanu withdrew from Wimbledon due to a stress fracture in her leg. | |||
| Serena Williams returned to Wimbledon at age 44 after four years away. | |||
| Jack Draper withdrew from Wimbledon due to a recurring arm injury. | · | ||
| A planned media protest by players over prize money and benefits was called off after negotiations. | · | · | |
| Cameron Norrie lost in the first round to qualifier Michael Zeng. | · | · | |
| Fran Jones lost her first-round match. | · | · | |
| Yannick Sinner began his Wimbledon title defence on Centre Court. | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
This bulletin gave Wimbledon only a brief mention, sandwiched between obituaries and a story about the Princess of Wales. It focused on the fact that Raducanu had withdrawn and that fans had camped all weekend, but provided no match details or broader tournament context.
- “But there's one person they won't see, British number one Emma Redicano. She had to withdraw from the competition because of a stress fracture to one of her legs.”
This report provided a detailed, sports-focused update from Wimbledon. It highlighted Raducanu's injury as a 'real blow' and included analysis from a former GB player on her physical resilience. It also broke the news that Serena Williams is back at age 44 and that a planned players' media protest over prize money had been called off.
- “This comes as a real blow for the 23-year-old whose career really has been plagued by injuries”
- “A seven-time singles winner here She's back after four years away from the sport at the age of 44”
- “The players were planning media protests in a row Over prize money and benefits That's been called off”
This channel focused on the atmosphere at Wimbledon, with live reports from the grounds and fan interviews. It gave a strong sense of the queue and the excitement, while also covering the Raducanu withdrawal and the return of Serena Williams. The tone was upbeat despite the disappointment over Raducanu.
- “It is glorious here in south London, where more than 9,000 people queued this morning to get a space inside the grounds.”
- “the British number one shared she was withdrawing because of a stress fracture to her right shin”
- “The 44 year old will begin her campaign on Centre Court tomorrow.”
This programme gave a lively, feature-style report from the Wimbledon queue, with multiple fan interviews and a focus on the British love of queuing. It covered both Raducanu and Draper withdrawals, and highlighted Serena Williams' return. The tone was light and human-interest driven.
- “Jack Draper out with an arm injury. Emma Raducanu with a leg problem, a stress fracture.”
- “The Wimbledon faithful thought they'd seen the last of Serena Williams, but she is back this year.”
This bulletin delivered a straightforward, results-focused report on the Brits' poor opening day. It detailed the withdrawals of Raducanu and Draper, the first-round losses of Cameron Norrie and Harriet Dart, and Sinner's five-set win. It also noted that seven British players had lost by that point.
- “Last night British number one Emma Raducanu pulled out with a stress fracture in her lower leg”
- “The 24 year old said he was devastated after being forced to withdraw with a recurring arm injury”
- “Michael Zeng pushed Norrie to a five-set tiebreak Norrie's Wimbledon over in the first round”
This later bulletin updated the Brits' tally to ten first-round losses, including Fran Jones. It provided a more detailed account of Sinner's scare and recovery, and noted that Djokovic had started his campaign. The tone was factual and focused on the scale of British disappointment.
- “Emma Raducanu's withdrawal last night after she was diagnosed with a stress fracture in her lower leg”
- “Jack Draper came here hoping his body would hold up. This afternoon, he was forced to pull out of the tournament with a recurring arm injury.”
- “Fran Jones has lost her first-round match to France's Diane Perry.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.