Having been denied a wild card into the singles at this year’s Wimbledon following a prolonged spell out of the game due to injury, the 34-year-old Sarnian was yesterday drawn against Mayar Sharif in the first round of the qualifying tournament for The Championships, which gets under way today.
Ranked 110 in the world, Sharif narrowly missed the cut for an automatic place in the main draw at Wimbledon, which begins next Monday.
If Watson makes it through both the first and second rounds, then she is likely to play the formidable Maria Timofeeva in the third and final round of qualifying on Thursday.
Ranked 92 in the world, the Russian-born Uzbekistani also happens to be top seed in the qualifying tournament.
In short, Watson has a mountain to climb if she is going to compete in the main singles draw at Wimbledon 2026.
Despite her world ranking having nosedived to 491 following a seven-month spell on the sidelines spanning last July and February 2026, Watson had been hoping to secure a wild card into the singles at Wimbledon having been one of the mainstays of the British tennis scene for 18 years.
However, neither the Lawn Tennis Association, which oversees the domestic game, nor The All England Club, which runs Wimbledon, saw fit to reward her, with several other well-known Brits including the soon-to-retire Dan Evans also being passed over.
As expected, Serena Williams has accepted the final wild card into the women’s singles. The seven-time champion made her return to competitive tennis earlier this month after a four-year absence
Watson did receive a wild card into the ladies’ doubles, though. This year she will be partnered by her friend and compatriot Katie Boulter.
Watson’s showdown against Mayar Sharif is scheduled to take place late this afternoon on the main show court at Roehampton, home of the qualifying tournament, a mark of the Sarnian’s continued popularity despite her recent absence from the tour.
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