Wimbledon officially unveiled its first round of wild card recipients on Wednesday, with British veteran Daniel Evans leading the charge for the gentlemen’s singles main draw. The 35-year-old, currently ranked No. 199 in the PIF ATP Rankings, is set to make his 10th appearance in the main draw at the prestigious grass-court Grand Slam. Evans, a former World No. 21, has previously reached the third round at SW19 on three occasions.
Joining Evans in securing a coveted main draw singles wild card are a host of promising talents: Jay Clarke, Oliver Crawford, George Loffhagen, Johannus Monday, Jack Pinnington Jones, and Henry Searle. One additional gentlemen’s singles main draw wild card is still expected to be announced.
Among the notable names, Jack Pinnington Jones, representing Texas Christian University, recently qualified for the third year of the ATP Next Gen Accelerator program. While his Wimbledon wild card is separate from this initiative, his strong performance in college tennis will grant him direct entry into ATP Challenger Tour events, providing a significant boost to his burgeoning professional career.
In the gentlemen’s qualifying singles, wild cards have been awarded to Oliver Bonding, 2024 Nitto ATP Finals practice partner and Wimbledon boys’ singles champion Nicolai Budkov Kjaer, Arthur Fery, Paul Jubb, Ryan Peniston, and Oliver Tarvet. Three more qualifying spots are yet to be announced.
The doubles field also saw several teams receive wild card entries. These include Charles Broom/Joshua Paris, the pairing of Daniel Evans/Henry Searle, Billy Harris/Marcus Willis, Lui Maxted/Connor Thomson (who are also ATP Next Gen Accelerator qualifiers), and Johannus Monday/David Stevenson. Two more gentlemen’s doubles wild cards are still pending announcement.
These wild card selections offer a mix of experienced players and emerging talents a direct pathway into one of tennis’s most celebrated tournaments, promising an exciting and competitive Wimbledon.
