Wimbledon 2023 draws: Andy Murray to face Ryan Peniston in all-British opener
After years of looking up to Andy Murray and then eventually counting him as a friend, the British wildcard Ryan Peniston says he will relish the challenge of facing the 36-year-old as a rival when they play each other in the first round of Wimbledon on Tuesday.
“I think it’s going to be a pretty special experience to go out there on to Centre Court, and play against Andy as well,” said Peniston. “For my family, I hope they enjoy it as well because they’ve sacrificed a lot for me to get here. Hopefully it will be a special day and I’m going to do my best to give my best performance and treat it like any other match.”
Speaking shortly after the draw ceremony, Peniston said he learned of his fate when he was driving and received a message from his coach: “I was literally just driving from my girlfriend’s and I had a text from my coach Mark, which just said: ‘Andy!!’ It’s pretty cool. I almost crashed.”
Having failed to secure a seeding after losing in the first round of Queen’s last week, Murray can have minimal complaints about his draw. Peniston showed his considerable pedigree on grass last year, but he has compiled a three-four win-loss record during this year’s grass season.
Should Murray win, he will face a blockbuster second-round match against either Stefanos Tsitsipas, the No 5 seed, or former US Open champion Dominic Thiem. Despite their talent, neither player performs at their best on grass, with Tsitsipas compiling a one-three record on the surface this year.
Peniston’s pathway to a likely Centre Court appearance at Wimbledon is noteworthy.
The 27-year-old was diagnosed with cancer at the age of one and he underwent chemotherapy and a major surgery in his youth. Since leaving the University of Memphis and becoming a professional tennis player, he has risen to inside the top 200. He showed last year that he is capable of beating top-100 players on grass, reaching quarter-finals at Queen’s and Eastbourne with wins over Casper Ruud and Holger Rune.
Elsewhere, Novak Djokovic remains the heavy favourite to win his eighth Wimbledon title, which would equal Roger Federer’s men’s record, and his fifth Wimbledon title in a row.
Djokovic will begin his title run against Pedro Cachín of Argentina.
With Ruud, Andrey Rublev, Jannik Sinner and Taylor Fritz the highest ranked players in his half, it would take a significant surprise for any player to oust Djokovic on grass.
Fresh off his maiden grass-court title at Queen’s, Carlos Alcaraz will begin his tournament against Jérémy Chardy of France as challengers such as Alexander Zverev, Frances Tiafoe and Alex de Minaur will test his level on the surface.
In the women’s draw, wildcards Venus Williams and Elina Svitolina will face each other in a fascinating firstround match. In Birmingham last week Williams, who is 43, won her first match since a hamstring tear forced her out of action for five months, defeating the world No 36, Camila Giorgi, in three sets before narrowly losing to the eventual champion, Jelena Ostapenko. Svitolina, who returned to the top 100 after reaching the quarter-finals of the French Open, continues her comeback at her second grand slam tournament since giving birth to her daughter, Skaï.
Meanwhile, Iga Swiatek opted to withdraw before her semi-final match in Bad Homburg after feeling unwell overnight. Should she recover full fitness in the coming days, the world No 1 has been handed a good draw as she continues to adjust to grass courts. The French Open champion will begin against Zhu Lin of China, with Coco Gauff, Daria Kasatkina and Belinda Bencic the highest-ranked players in her half.
In the bottom half, Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka have been drawn in the same half but both players face tricky draws. Rybakina, who is still recovering from the viral illness she suffered with at the French Open, has been drawn in by far the toughest quarter of the draw, with Ons Jabeur, Ostapenko, Beatriz Haddad Maia and the in-form Petra Kvitova all present.
Sabalenka, the Belarusian world No 2, could face a fourth-round rematch of her French Open semi-final loss against the Czech Republic’s Karolina Muchova.