Wimbledon 2026: British wild cards Mika Stojsavljevic, Hannah Klugman, Jacob Fearnley & more prepare for main draw

It’s a chance for these players to test themselves against some of the top stars in the game and on the biggest stage at a Grand Slam.

This year, there are 12 British wild cards – six women and six men – looking to make their mark at SW19, as part of a strong contingent of 21 Brits in the first round.

When the draw was announced on Friday, there were several eye-catching headlines, including some tough matchups for the Brits.

Two of the standout draws came for British teenagers Mika Stojsavljevic and Hannah Klugman.

Billie Jean King Cup star Stojsavljevic – who made her first WTA 125 quarter-final at the Lexus Birmingham Open this summer - has drawn 11^th seed and former Olympic gold medallist Belinda Bencic.

This will be the second year that the 17-year-old has featured in the main draw, and she admitted that playing at the All England Club feels different this time around.

“I think having been around the grounds before, at a Grand Slam, it does change at the second time round,” she said. “I feel more comfortable this year and more kind of accustomed to how everything works.

“Birmingham was good, it was obviously good to get some wins there, and I played some good opponents. I had a tough loss, but I think it was also an important match.

“Obviously, Belinda’s a great player. I’m just very excited to go out and play someone so highly ranked. It's a great opportunity for me. Hopefully I can learn a lot from it.”

Meanwhile, Klugman is facing an equally tough task up against 2024 champion Barbora Krejcikova.

Klugman is riding high after getting her first WTA win at the Lexus Nottingham Open, but Krejcikova has shown herself to be one of the best grass court players on the WTA Tour.

However, the Czech star was forced to withdraw from the Libema Open final and then didn’t play in Nottingham or Eastbourne.

"Getting to play a two-time Grand Slam champion, it’s pretty special. I’m just excited to go out there and go for it in my home courts, the home crowd. I’m excited.

"This grass court season has given me a lot of confidence going into Monday. I think my level has taken a step up over the last couple of weeks, so I'm feeling so confident about my match. 

"I know I can compete, I know I can push these top players. I played (Karolina) Pliskova, she just won a 250 match, so I know my level’s there at times, it’s just bringing it constantly.

On the men’s side, another wild card that British fans will be keeping an eye on is Jacob Fearnley.

Fearnley burst onto the scene during the 2024 grass court season – winning the Nottingham title and taking a set off Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon – but after a few struggles with injury, he’s now outside the top-100.

It’s been another good grass court season for Fearnley, who reached another final at the Lexus Ilkley Open, and the Brit is building confidence at just the right moment for Wimbledon.

"I was finding some good level," he said, commenting on his run in Ilkley. "I really enjoyed it. I stayed pretty strong mentally and was able to get the final. I felt I had good chances in the final, but overall it was a really positive week.

"I'm not putting too much pressure on myself. When I'm enjoying my tennis and you know when I'm expressing myself on the court, that's usually when I play my best so I'm just gonna work to keep doing that."

In the first round though, Fearnley will have to get past American Alex Michelsen, who showed an impressive level during his third round run at Roland Garros before losing to Rafael Jodar in five sets.

"I was nervous before the draw you know it's always that anticipation about who you're gonna get, but I mean it's good," he added. "I've never played Alex before and he’s having a good year, he's an amazing player and it would be a tough match whoever I play.

"I was his chaperone, when he came on a visit to TCU (Texas Christian University) so I showed him around campus, hit with him a little bit."

The challenges don’t get any easier for the remaining British wild cards. Felix Gill plays 23^rd seed Jodar in the Spaniard’s first match on grass. Jack Pinnington Jones has drawn 28^th seed and HSBC Championships semi-finalist Brandon Nakashima.

Harriet Dart has former Roland Garros champion and Wimbledon semi-finalist Jelena Ostapenko. And Eastbourne semi-finalist Toby Samuel is set to take on 15^th seed Jakub Mensik.

While the draws on paper are tough, the Brits all come in with plenty of experience and reps on the grass this summer.

The first round of Wimbledon always throws up some upsets, and the Brits are ready to show their talents to the world.

Follow the British players throughout Wimbledon here on the LTA website, and watch all the matches exclusively across the BBC.

Wimbledon draws for British wild cards