The Wimbledon wild card list for 2026 has been revealed, and there are some surprises. On Tuesday, the All England Club announced the men’s singles line-up, which features Grigor Dimitrov, Stan Wawrinka, Toby Samuel, Harry Wendelken, Jack Pinnington Jones, Arthur Fery, Jacob Fearnley, and Felix Gill. However, a few high-profile names were missing.

Stars like Nick Kyrgios, Gael Monfils, and Dan Evans failed to make the cut for a main draw invite, whereas Gill and Wendelken grabbed the attention of the tennis world.

The top name is Dimitrov. The Bulgarian, who came back from a dreadful stretch of injury-prone Grand Slam withdrawals, has fallen to 169th rank. He returns to the Wimbledon main draw after one of the worst near misses in recent history at last year’s Championships. Dimitrov led Jannik Sinner two sets to love in the fourth round before a pectoral injury forced his retirement. It was the fifth consecutive major from which he retired mid-match, and the wild card represents an opportunity to put that behind him.  

Wawrinka, the three-time Grand Slam champion and former world No. 3, is getting a warm, but long overdue, invitation into what has been confirmed will be the last season of his career. The 41-year-old has reached the Wimbledon quarterfinal twice and will be competing at the All England Club for the last time. 

Four of the eight were awarded to British players who were strong contenders for direct nominations, with Fearnley, Fery, Pinnington Jones, and Samuel all getting their spots, with Gill and Wendelken taking the two remaining positions.

Kyrgios, who reached the Wimbledon final in 2022 before losing to Novak Djokovic in four sets, had been vocal about his desire to compete at this year’s Championships amid his comeback from a lengthy injury absence. The question of the wild card had been simmering for weeks, and former tennis player Greg Rusedski was firmly against it and said that Kyrgios had not played enough competitive tennis to warrant a main draw spot. 

Monfils, 39 and a fan favorite who has never won a Grand Slam but remains one of the most entertaining players on the circuit, was also overlooked. Evans, 35 and in his final Wimbledon season, did get a doubles wild card with Henry Searle, but won’t be playing singles. The British star will be ending any hope of a farewell run in the competition he has represented Great Britain in for over a decade.

Gill and Wendelken’s selection raises eyebrows

The last two selections have sparked the most controversy. Felix Gill, 22, is a British player currently ranked outside the top 400 who has shown promise on the domestic circuit but has no ATP main draw experience at this level. 

Harry Wendelken, 24, was also well outside the automatic entry zone and was given a doubles wild card before moving to the singles main draw. It was believed that both players were selected by the AELTC to foster British talent, prioritizing this over commercial interests or established names.

Wimbledon kicks off on June 29, with the men’s world No. 1 Jannik Sinner defending his title. Alexander Zverev, who has just won his first Grand Slam, will take over the No. 2 seed after Carlos Alcaraz has been on the sidelines due to an unfortunate wrist injury. 

In a notable development for the 2026 Championships, video reviews will be introduced for the first time in Wimbledon’s history, initially covering Center Court, Court One, and four other show courts. The wild card gives Dimitrov and Wawrinka one more chance for glory.