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Key Points

Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova secures a wild card after her maternity comeback, eyeing another deep run. British No.1 Dan Evans joins her, fresh off a strong win over Frances Tiafoe. Rising stars like Hannah Klugman and Henry Searle add excitement to the mix. The wild cards highlight a blend of seasoned champions and emerging British talent.

Key Points: Kvitova and Dan Evans Lead Wimbledon Wild Cards After Comebacks

  • Kvitova returns after maternity leave with a Rome win
  • Dan Evans eyes 10th Wimbledon main draw
  • Rising stars Klugman and Searle debut
  • Brits dominate wild cards and direct entries
2 min read

Former champ Kvitova, Dan Evans among Wimbledon main draw wild cards

Two-time champ Petra Kvitova and British No.1 Dan Evans headline Wimbledon wild cards, joined by rising stars like Hannah Klugman and Henry Searle.

Former champ Kvitova, Dan Evans among Wimbledon main draw wild cards
"Kvitova became the first player born in the 1990s to win a Grand Slam title when she defeated Maria Sharapova in the 2011 Wimbledon final. – Wimbledon Report"

London, June 18

Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova of Czechia, who returned from maternity leave this year, along with British No.1 Dan Evans, are among the recipients of wild cards for the Wimbledon main draw. A mix of established names and the next tennis stars have been awarded entry to the main draw of The Championships, for which qualifying begins on June 23 and the main draw gets underway on June 30.

Kvitova became the first player born in the 1990s to win a Grand Slam title when she defeated Maria Sharapova in the 2011 Wimbledon final. She went on to reclaim the Venus Rosewater Dish in 2014. The 35-year-old is currently ranked No. 572 and won the first match of her comeback in Rome last month over Irina-Camelia Begu.

Evans will compete in his 10th Wimbledon main draw after beating Frances Tiafoe to secure his best win by ranking since the Davis Cup in Manchester in 2023 at the HSBC Championships this week.

Other men joining Evans in being awarded wild cards are the 2023 boys' singles champion Henry Searle, Jay Clarke, Jack Pinnington Jones, Johannus Monday, George Loffhagen, and Oliver Crawford.

Meanwhile, Jack Draper, Jacob Fearnley, Cam Norrie, and Billy Harris have gained direct entry to the men's singles.

On the women's side, Emma Raducanu, Katie Boulter, and Sonay Kartal all gain direct entry, with Kartal returning a year after becoming the first British woman to reach the third round as a qualifier since 1997.

After her run to the French Open girls' singles final, Hannah Klugman will make her senior Grand Slam main draw debut after falling one step short of reaching the final round of qualifying last year. Fellow rising stars Mimi Xu and 2024 US Open girls' singles champion Mika Stojsavljevic will join Klugman, along with Francesca Jones, Harriet Dart, Jodie Burrage, and Heather Watson.

For qualifying, five Brits received wild cards in each of the men's and women's draws. Arthur Fery, Oliver Tarvet, Ryan Peniston, Paul Jubb, and 2025 Lexus 18U Junior National Champion Oliver Bonding take the men's spots, whilst Amarni Banks, Lily Miyazaki, Ella McDonald, Amelia Rajecki, and Ranah Stoiber take the women's.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rahul K.
Great to see Kvitova back after maternity leave! Indian tennis fans remember her epic matches. Hope she can recreate some of that Wimbledon magic 🎾 But honestly, where are our Indian players in this conversation? Need more support for homegrown talent!
P
Priya M.
Wimbledon wild cards always favor British players too much. 7 British men got wild cards while players from other nations struggle. The tournament should be more balanced - tennis is a global sport after all. But happy for Raducanu's direct entry!
A
Arjun S.
Kvitova at 572 ranking getting wild card shows how much Wimbledon values past champions. Good decision! In India, we don't give such respect to veteran players. Our sports culture needs to learn this from international tournaments.
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Sneha P.
Excited to see the young British players getting chances! But when will we see an Indian player getting Wimbledon wild card? Our players work just as hard. AITA needs to push harder for international recognition. #IndianTennis
V
Vikram J.
Mixed feelings about wild cards. On one hand, great for local talent development. On other hand, feels unfair to higher-ranked international players. Maybe limit home nation wild cards to 3-4 per gender? Still, can't wait for Wimbledon to begin!
N
Neha R.
Kvitova's comeback story is inspiring for all working mothers in sports 👏 Indian women athletes face even bigger challenges balancing career and family. Hope our federations take note and provide better support systems.

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