Four British players win but 15 out in first roundFigure caption, Katie Swan becomes first Briton to reach second round at WimbledonByEmily Salley, BBC Sport journalist at Wimbledon and Harry Poole, BBC Sport journalist at WimbledonPublished30 June 2026, 13:25 BSTUpdated 46 minutes agoKatie Swan, Jacob Fearnley, Arthur Fery and Jan Choinski ensured there will be British representation in the Wimbledon singles second round – but 15 home players fell to opening-round defeats for the first time in 38 years.The 10 losses by British players on the opening day of their home Grand Slam was the most at SW19 since daily records began in 2000.
Defeats for Katie Boulter, Toby Samuel, Jack Pinnington Jones, Billy Harris and debutant Harry Wendelken on Tuesday meant the total number of first-round losses for home players was the most since 16 exited in 1988.
Swan, who considered retiring from tennis in 2024 because of a persistent back injury, avoided that fate in her first Grand Slam appearance for three years as she became the first British player to progress with a 6-4 6-4 victory over Romania’s Irina-Camelia Begu.
The 27-year-old threw herself to the ground as she celebrated the win – her first in the main draw of a major since she beat the same opponent at Wimbledon in 2018.
Fearnley then trailed American Alex Michelsen by two sets, but the world number 159 produced a superb comeback to prevail 3-6 4-6 6-2 6-3 6-2 after three and a half hours.
Fery battled back from a set down to secure an impressive 3-6 6-2 6-2 6-1 victory over Bosnia’s Damir Dzumhur, before British number two Choinski claimed a dominant 6-3 7-5 6-2 win over Czech player Vit Kopriva.
