👋 Welcome back to The Daily Theory, our morning rundown to help you stay on top of your favorite sport. I’m Allen McDuffee, your guide to all things tennis.
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On tap today: Wimbledon kicks off, a heat wave hits day one, Lulu Sun aims for a repeat performance, Jenson Brooksby takes on Tallon Griekspoor, plus more in today’s tennis news.
Let’s tennis!
Four Points
🎾 Day One: Wimbledon kicks off main draw matches today with an incredible line-up right from the first ball.
- Need recs?: We’ve got a list of matches we’re not missing below. And, if you’re just getting started, why not consult the Court Theory Wimbledon guide?
🎾 Heating up: A heatwave in England is pushing Wimbledon into record-level temperatures for opening day and the first few days of the tournament — a concern for the players and the grounds.
- What they said: “[T]he high temperatures and low rainfall in recent months mean the current risk of wildfires is severe. As the weather has been so dry, it only takes a few sparks to lead to a fire spreading rapidly,” said London’s assistant fire commissioner, Thomas Goodall. “In London, this can be dangerous because so many of our green spaces lie close to homes and other properties.
🎾 Sun’s up: One of the most endearing storylines of last year’s Wimbledon was the quarterfinal run of New Zealander Lulu Sun. Now it’s time for the 24-year-old to defend all those points without a seeding, which could have helped her get a slightly easier draw.
- Next: In the first round today, she plays Marie Bouzkova, a 2022 Wimbledon quarterfinalist, who knows how to handle herself on grass. A first-round loss for Sun would mean a rankings drop into the 80s. And a first-round win would mean she likely gets Aryna Sabalenka in the second round. Not the easiest path to defending 430 points.
🎾 Gear up: There haven’t been many opportunities to say this lately, so it stands out: Adidas outdid themselves for this year’s Wimbledon line. The classic logo. The perfect green. Subtle patterns. Sleeveless looks for men and women without looking cheap or vulgar. They nailed it.
And, that’s game.
Wimbledon 2025:
A Court Theory Guide
Everything you need to know to enjoy this year’s Wimbledon Championships.
What They Said
Overall, it also depends on the confidence you have at the moment. You really have to trust your shots on grass. You can’t really pull back. Any shot that will give your opponent more time to go in is probably the shot that will make you lose the rally. I just went for it in Bad Homburg, and it really worked. I’ll continue that.
-Iga Swiatek on her mindset shift this year on grass.
Watch This!
🔥 Jenson Brooksby vs. Tallon Griekspoor (1st round - Wimbledon): This is an unfortunate first-round match. Both players are coming off a great week of grass court tennis, with Brooksby making it from lucky loser to finalist at Eastbourne and Griekspoor winning Mallorca without dropping a set. Expect Griekspoor to play his all-court game, while Brooksby tries to force Griekspoor to do so as uncomfortably as possible. This match will likely come down to the damage and consistency of Griekspoor’s first serve.
- The record: This will be the first time Jenson Brooksby and Tallon Griekspoor face off.
- On the line: Points from last year’s Wimbledon aren’t at risk with either player. This match is all about pride for both players, who are building back to where they were just a few years ago. A first-round win at Wimbledon would go a long way.
On The Radar
More tennis matches we’re monitoring today:
Wimbledon - WTA (Grass)
- Paula Badosa vs. Katie Boulter (1st round)
- Emma Raducanu vs. Mingge Xu (1st round)
- Sonay Kartal vs. Jelena Ostapenko (1st round)
- Katerina Siniakova vs. Qinwen Zheng (1st round)
- Leylah Fernandez vs. Hannah Klugman (1st round)
- Marketa Vondrousova vs. McCartney Kessler (1st round)
- Lulu Sun vs. Marie Bouzkova (1st round)
- Peyton Stearns vs. Laura Siegemund (1st round)
- Beatriz Haddad Maia vs. Rebecca Sramkova (1st round)
- Yulia Putintseva vs. Amanda Anisimova (1st round)
Wimbledon - ATP (Grass)
- Arthur Rinderknech vs. Alexander Zverev (1st round)
- Jacob Fearnley vs. Joao Fonseca (1st round)
- Taylor Fritz vs. Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (1st round)
- Ethan Quinn vs. Henry Searle (1st round)
- McKenzie McDonald vs. Karen Khachanov (1st round)
- Learner Tien vs. Nishesh Basavareddy (1st round)
- Matteo Arnaldi vs. Botic van de Zandschulp (1st round)
- Zizou Bergs vs. Lloyd Harris (1st round)
- Gabriel Diallo vs. Daniel Altmaier (1st round)
- Felix Auger-Aliassime vs. James Duckworth (1st round)
📺 Learn how to watch today’s action over at Tennis Watchers.
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Read, Watch, Listen
- There has been a growing trend to not get ready for Wimbledon in traditional ways. Here’s what those players are thinking.
- In another unfortunate first round, Learner Tien and Nishesh Basavareddy play on opening day. Here’s what they think of their budding rivalry.
- Coco Gauff is tired of talking about the situation with Aryna. For the record, so are we.
- Not everything Wimbledon is worth celebrating. On Nothing Major, the fellas get into their UK pet peeves.
- Carlos Alcaraz insists he knows what he is doing. His 18-match winning streak that includes a major makes it hard to argue with him.
- Following their practice session together, the biggest concern Novak Djokovic has for Aryna Sabalenka is her lack of intensity.
