The second round of Wimbledon 2026 is heating up, and today’s order of play features two good matchups.
Matteo Berrettini vs. Arthur Fils
Centre Court Spotlight
The headline act for many fans today. Matteo Berrettini, a former Wimbledon finalist, brings his massive serve and trademark forehand to Centre Court, but he faces a very tough challenge in Arthur Fils, that enters the match as clear odds favorite.
For Berrettini, this match will be about holding serve comfortably and using his slice to neutralize Fils baseline power. On grass, his ability to shorten points is his greatest asset. The Italian comes from a tough victory over Wawrinka in the first round, over 4hours and four tiebreakers needed.
Fils looked sharp in his comeback in the first round (beat Raphael Collignon in straight sets) and hopefully he can stay away from injuries being one of the biggest talents on tour.
Prediction: A tough match which I think will be tighter than the odds suggests. Berrettini is a real threat on grass and Fils needs to be back to near his best. I think the Frenchman will find a way and win the important points in order to progress here.
Jakub Mensik vs. Grigor Dimitrov
Court No. 1 hosts an equally compelling clash between the veteran Grigor Dimitrov and young Czech star Jakub Mensik.
Historically, Mensik has the edge here, winning both of their previous meetings on tour. Their last match was Shanghai 2024 (6-3 3-6 6-4)
Dimitrov has vast experience, especially on grass, but he has struggled with form since that injury against Sinner on these grounds last year when he was playing fantastic tennis. He’s also yet to find a solution to Mensik’s game, which should in reality be suited well for grass, however he hasn’t played that many tour matches on the surface.
Mensik need to sharpen his game from the first round but he’s usually good over five sets and I think that’s another edge he holds here.
Prediction: Even though Dimitrov has more matches on the green surface this season, and overall a great grass court player, this will be tough over five sets. I expect the Czech with his big serve to progress from this match, in 4 or 5 sets.
