Inside Sport – Wimbledon

Then and now

The world’s oldest tennis tournament first took place 149 years ago in 1877 and, from its humble beginnings, has evolved into one of the world’s biggest sporting events.

The first tournament was primarily a men’s singles event, attracting just 22 players who each paid one guinea to enter and compete for the ‘Gentlemen’s Singles’ title. The men’s final was delayed by three days due to rain and was eventually played in front of 200 people. Ladies’ Singles was introduced in 1884 and Wimble-don became the first major tennis tournament to include a women’s competition – a trailblazing precedent for gender equality in sports.

In comparison, the modern-day tournament has 128 entrants each for both the Men’s and Ladies’ singles, which includes 16 qualifiers and eight wildcards. Each final will be played in front of nearly 15,000 spectators on Centre Court; the 2025 men’s and women’s finals had a peak audience of over eight million and five million viewers respectively via the BBC and online. The champions of 2025, Jannik Sinner and Iga Świątek, received £3 million in prize money. Since 2009, Centre Court has had a fully retractable roof, allowing the tournament to continue during all weathers.

Ones to Watch

Men’s Singles

Jannik Sinner – The defending champion and world number one is the odds-on favourite as he goes in search of his second Wimbledon title and fifth major title. The Italian is also boosted by the absence of the injured Carlos Alcaraz, who has reached the last three Wimbledon finals. However, Sinner’s 2026 form is questionable: a semi-final defeat to Djokovic at the Australian Open was followed by a shock second-round exit at the French Open in May to Juan Manuel Cerundolo, ranked just 56th in the world.

Novak Djokovic – The Serbian machine is widely considered the greatest male player of all time, with a record 24 major titles, including seven Wimbledon titles. Now aged 39, with his last major title back in 2023, could this year’s Wimbledon be Novak’s last chance to equal Roger Federer’s great eight?

Alexander Zverev – Until very recently, the 29-year-old German was regarded as the greatest player never to win a major. However, now he will hope to carry the momentum of his 2026 French Open victory and at least reach another final. The towering serves from his 6ft 6in athletic frame give him all the attributes to clinch his first title in SW19.

Jack Draper – The 6ft 4in leftie is the most exciting star of British men’s tennis, having won three tour tournaments. Fresh back from a knee injury that ruined his clay-court season, the 24-year-old Draper has recently added former two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray to his coaching team.

Ladies’ Singles

Aryna Sabalenka – The powerful 6ft 1in Belarusian is the dominant force in women’s tennis. The 28-year-old’s aggressive style of play has led to four major titles since 2023 and a world number one ranking – but she is yet to make a Wimbledon final.

Iga Świątek – The 2025 champion returns after dishing out a jaw-dropping 6-0 6-0 thrashing of American Amanda Anisimova – the first time anyone has won a Wimbledon final without losing a game since 1911. However, the four-time French Open champion has admitted that overthinking has led to her recent lack of form.

Mirra Andreeva – Long touted as a prodigy, the 19-year-old Russian cemented her status as the sport’s newest superstar with her first major title at the French Open in May. Do not be fooled by her carefree off-court persona, as her fearless on-court tenacity makes her a real contender.

Emma Raducanu – Becoming the youngest British player to win a major at the US Open in 2021 at just 18 brought the unwanted pressure of expectation and, unfortunately, a series of chronic wrist and ankle injuries. Now, reunited with her old coach from 2021 and reaching the final at Queen’s, Emma is showing signs of recapturing her form.

This year’s tournament runs from 29 June to 12 July, with extensive coverage on the BBC.

Commonwealth Games

It is an exciting time north of the border as Glasgow hosts the 2026 Commonwealth Games from 23 July to 2 August. Over 3,000 athletes from 74 Commonwealth nations and territories will compete in 10 sports and six para-sports. This edition marks a historic shift towards a highly sustainable, scaled-back version spread across four venues within a concentrated eight-mile city corridor. Glasgow stepped up to replace the Australian state of Victoria, which unexpectedly pulled out due to financial overruns in 2023. In addition to the full athletics programme, the Games showcase sports including boxing, cycling, swimming, netball, weightlifting, bowls and three-on-three basketball. The Games have a history of providing the perfect springboard to help launch the careers of young athletes, as they did in 2014 when a young Usain Bolt anchored the Jamaican relay team to gold and went on to become an Olympic icon. Enjoy the best action on Channel 5’s highlight show.

Once Upon A Time – Tour de France

In this feature, we delve into how different sports were born

As 184 riders saddle up for the most prestigious race in cycling from 4-26 July, Inside Sport looks back on where it all began.

The roots of the first race in 1903 trace back to the emergence of two rival sporting newspapers. The race was set up and sponsored by the French newspaper L’Auto with the hope that an endurance race around the country would capture the public’s attention and therefore sell more newspapers – and they were right. Their competitor was the more established Le Vélo, which was the first and largest sports newspaper in France.

The inaugural race was separated into six gruelling stages covering a total of 2,428 km (1,509 miles), meaning that some racing took place during the darkness of night across dangerous, unpaved roads. Helmetless riders rode individually without the team support that they benefit from today. It was won by part-time chimney sweep Maurice Garin by a record three hours, receiving 3,000 francs in prize money – nearly three times the annual wage at the time. Garin, like many riders, was a fan of alcohol and cigarettes and liked to stop off at several bars to ‘refuel’. The heavy 18kg, single-speed steel bikes with wooden rims made the climbs particularly strenuous. The rather mischievous Garin defended his title in 1904, only to be later disqualified after it was discovered that he completed part of the Tour by jumping on a train.

Sports bites

Motor Racing 

Another busy month in the F1 calendar starts with the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on the weekend of 3-5 July, with the British pack of Hamilton, Norris and Russell looking to hunt down championship leader Kimi Antonelli. Later in the month comes Round 11 in Spa, Belgium, on the 17 July and Round 12 at the Hungaroring, Hungary, on the 24 July. Tune in for Channel 4’s highlight show.

Golf 

The 153rd Open at Royal Birkdale in Southport, Merseyside – golf’s final major of 2026 – tees off on 16-19 July. In competition to be crowned ‘The Champion Golfer of the Year’ will be 156 players, including nine amateurs. The Silver Medal is awarded to the top amateur. Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, who was the last British champion in 2014, takes on reigning champion Scottie Scheffler.