Wimbledon 2026: Oliver Tarvet, Billy Harris & Max Basing qualify for main draw
• 3 minute read
Oliver Tarvet, Billy Harris and Max Basing are into the main draw at Wimbledon after all coming through their final qualifying matches.
Their wins mean its the first time that three British players have qualified for the main draw at Wimbledon since 1999.
Tarvet secured his place in convincing fashion with a 6-4, 6-2, 7-5 victory over Stefanos Sakellaridis.
Harris produced an impressive comeback after dropping the opening set to defeat Yi Zhou 1-6, 7-6(2), 6-2, 6-3.
Their wins now mean there are 19 British players competing in the main draw at Wimbledon this year.
Meanwhile, wild card Basing battled through a gruelling five-set encounter against Remy Bertola, eventually sealing a 2-6, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 win in the first five-set match of his career.
In doing so, Tarvet becomes just the third British player (man or woman) to qualify in back-to-back years in the Open Era, after John Paish in 1969 and 1970, and Jamie Delgado in 2004 and 2005.
“It’s special - I feel like the site has brought back a lot of good memories from last year. I knew I was playing some good tennis coming into it - this time I had three weeks of Challenger before I was able to compete here.
“I’m really proud of the way I managed the occasion with this being the most important and the tournament of the year for me and for every Brit.”
Last year’s tournament also saw Tarvet seal his maiden Grand Slam win after he overcame Switzerland’s Leandro Riedi in straight sets in the opening round.
The Brit then went on to enjoy an experience of a lifetime - competing against world No.2 and two-time defending Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz on Centre Court where he eventually bowed out.
“The experience (of last year) definitely helped,” he added. “I felt a tremendous amount of pressure last year - there was still pressure this year but I felt a bit calmer for sure. I don’t have much experience on Tour but I do have experience here and that definitely helped me with my clarity across these three qualifying matches.”
Tarvet will be hoping for another memorable run over the next fortnight as he looks to continue his impressive streak.
Harris is into the main draw at Wimbledon for the third year in a row after fighting back from a set down to take victory in the final round of qualifying.
The 31-year-old struggled in the first set, winning just 50% of points behind his first serve (4/8) before sparking a comeback to close out the match in four.
For Harris, it marks the first time in his career that he’s successfully come through Grand Slam qualifying, after narrowly losing out in the final round in Melbourne (2025), New York (2024), Paris (2024), and Wimbledon (2023).
“It’s nice to finally qualify,” Harris said. “I’ve had some tough matches in the last rounds of qualifying in the other Slams and a couple of years ago here. I’m pleased to get over the line - I had a bit of a shaky start but managed to re-group and found some decent tennis.
“It’s great to have three wins under your belt going in and feeling good. It’s obviously not easy to qualify, but if you do it’s probably an advantage in some ways.
“Feeling good (in my game). I feel like I’m playing some good tennis, it’s not perfect all the time. I like the grass and hopefully can get some wins in the main draw.”
Harris will be encouraged by his recent performances on grass, including a quarter-final at the Lexus Nottingham Open, and will now aim to add a second main draw win at the All England Club.
For Basing, it capped a breakthrough week as he reached a Grand Slam main draw for the first time in his career.
Having recovered from a hamstring tear just 10 weeks ago, the achievement made the moment even more significant for the young Brit.
“This week has been phenomenal – the best of my life,” he said. “Everything’s gone my way. I’m so proud of myself and the team around me for getting to this point.”
The British trio will learn their first-round opponents when the Wimbledon draw takes place on Friday 26 June.
