Wimbledon starts with Carlos Alcaraz, Emma Raducanu and Coco Gauff on the schedule
Fans take a selfie ahead of play of the first round matches of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Monday, July 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — The 2024 edition of Wimbledon started on Monday, with defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and past Grand Slam title winners Coco Gauff and Emma Raducanu all set to play matches at Centre Court.
Alcaraz just won his third major championship at the French Open three weeks ago.
He defeated Novak Djokovic in last year's final at Wimbledon. Alcaraz faces qualifier Mark Lajal of Estonia on Day 1 on the All England Club's grass courts.
Raducanu won the 2021 U.S. Open at age 18, but she has been dealing with various injuries since then. Her scheduled opponent — No. 22 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova — withdrew Monday morning because of illness. Alexandrova was replaced by Renata Zarazua, a so-called “lucky loser” from the qualifying tournament.
A stall holder prepares to sell hats outside the Wimbledon tennis centre ahead of the first round matches of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Monday, July 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
Gauff, who won the U.S. Open last September, closes out the day's schedule in the main stadium against Caroline Dolehide in an all-American matchup.
No. 1-ranked Jannik Sinner is also on Monday's schedule, playing Yannick Hanfmann at No. 1 Court.
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The Associated Press