Wimbledon 2026: Anisimova's Gritty Escape, Fritz & Swiatek Roll Into Round Three
A tiebreak scare, a fashion moment, and a defending champion who barely broke a sweat — American tennis owned Thursday at the All England Club.
Day four at Wimbledon 2026 had a bit of everything: a nerve-shredding all-American slugfest, a defending champion who needed barely over an hour to finish her business, and a wave of red-white-and-blue results that left American tennis fans with plenty to celebrate. By the time the sun dipped over south-west London, the third-round picture in both draws had taken clear shape, and it was Amanda Anisimova's survival act that everyone was talking about.
Anisimova Digs Deep Against Kenin
Sixth seed Amanda Anisimova needed every bit of her serve to get past fellow American Sofia Kenin, eventually closing out a 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(3) win that swung several times before settling in her favour. Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion now working her way back up the rankings, dragged the match into a decisive third set and had Anisimova staring down an early deficit before the tide turned. A tight tiebreak sealed it, with Anisimova leaning heavily on a serve she has not always trusted to bail her out when it mattered most.
It was a marked improvement on her last visit to Centre Court, where she had endured a lopsided defeat in last year's final against Iga Swiatek. This time, the mood was defiant rather than deflated, and Anisimova now turns her attention to a blockbuster third-round meeting with Grand Slam champion Madison Keys, who breezed past British hope Katie Swan in straight sets to set up the all-American clash.
By The Numbers · Anisimova vs. Kenin
- 20 aces fired down by Anisimova across the match
- Trailed 3-1 in the deciding set before rallying
- Third-set tiebreak won comfortably to seal victory
- Sets up an all-American third-round tie with Madison Keys
Fritz Keeps Rolling, Swiatek Barely Breaks Stride
On the men's side, sixth seed Taylor Fritz continued to look every bit the contender many expect him to be on grass, dispatching Patrick Kypson 6-2, 6-2, 7-5 with a serve-and-baseline display that never let his opponent settle. Fritz, a semifinalist at the tournament last year, has drawn attention for his eye-catching on-court fashion this fortnight as much as his tennis, but there was no mistaking the substance behind the style on Thursday.
Defending women's champion Iga Swiatek, meanwhile, made the rest of the draw look on notice. The Polish star needed just over an hour to see off 2021 finalist Karolina Pliskova 6-1, 6-3, continuing a title defence that has so far looked close to untouchable. Her reward is a third-round meeting with Filipina rising star Alexandra Eala, who battled back from a set down to beat Maya Joint and become the first player from the Philippines to reach the third round of a Grand Slam.
Americans Dominate The Draw
Thursday's headline results were part of a broader trend: American players are having one of their strongest Wimbledon fortnights in years. Alongside Anisimova, Fritz, and Keys, the third round also welcomed Jessica Pegula, Emma Navarro, Ashlyn Krueger, Coco Gauff, Claire Liu, and 17th seed Frances Tiafoe, who fought back from a set down to beat Britain's Jan Choinski. Tiafoe now meets tenth-seeded showman Alexander Bublik for a place in the fourth round.
Elsewhere, two-time champion Elena Rybakina cruised past Caty McNally without much fuss and will next face Belgium's Elise Mertens. Germany's Alexander Zverev and Australia's Alex de Minaur also advanced in straight sets, while British wildcard Arthur Fery gave the home crowd something to cheer with a fightback win over Otto Virtanen after dropping the first set. It wasn't as kind a day for Britain's Jacob Fearnley, who fell in straight sets to Spain's Jaume Munar, or for 15th seed Jakub Mensik, beaten in four sets by a rejuvenated Grigor Dimitrov in one of the most well-received matches of the day.
Day 4 Results At A Glance
- A. Anisimova d. S. Kenin6-2, 4-6, 7-6(3)
- T. Fritz d. P. Kypson6-2, 6-2, 7-5
- I. Swiatek d. K. Pliskova6-1, 6-3
- E. Rybakina d. C. McNally6-1, 6-2
- A. Eala d. M. Joint3-6, 6-2, 6-0
- F. Tiafoe d. J. Choinski4-6, 6-2, 7-5, 6-2
- G. Dimitrov d. J. Mensik7-6(5), 4-6, 7-5, 6-3
- J. Munar d. J. Fearnley6-4, 7-6(3), 6-4
What's Next
The third round now sets up a run of tantalising matchups: Anisimova against Keys in an all-American showdown, Swiatek against the in-form Eala, and Tiafoe against the unpredictable Bublik. With the American contingent showing strength in numbers across both draws, the second week at the All England Club is shaping up to be one of the more compelling in recent memory.
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