Taylor Fritz vs. Jack Draper is no longer on the schedule because of Draper’s withdrawal, but Tuesday’s order of play at Wimbledon still offers an intriguing lineup.
Here are my picks for two of Tuesday’s matchups:
Alexander Blockx vs. (2) Alexander Zverev
The pressure of having never captured a Grand Slam title is finally off for Zverev, who just won the French Open. That could set him up nicely for additional success at the All-England Club — and being in the half of the draw opposite of Jannik Sinner will also help. That being said, the third-ranked German has never advanced to the quarterfinals at Wimbledon and he has reached R4 just three times. Zverev’s grass-court prep consistent only one tournament in Halle, where he made a trip to the semis before succumbing to Taylor Fritz 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-5.
Up first for the second seed is a third contest against Blockx, who lost both of their previous showdowns on the recent clay swing — 6-2, 7-5 in the Madrid Masters 1000 semis and 6-1, 6-4 immediately thereafter at the Rome Masters 1000. Blockx heads into his first main-draw appearance in SW19 as a serious question mark. He has not played since RG, where he was forced to WD prior to R2 following an ankle injury during practice. Even if the 21-year-old Belgian is 100 percent, Zverev obviously has a clear edge in this one.
Pick: Zverev in 3
(27) Ugo Humbert vs. Zizou Bergs
Humbert and Bergs just went head-to-head in the Eastbourne final over the weekend weekend. Two days later, they will square off yet again — this time in the Wimbledon first round. Bergs captured his first ATP title when he defeated Humbert 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 on Sunday in a match that was delayed by rain. The H2H series is now tied 1-1, as Humbert won their first incounter 6-4, 6-4 at the 2025 indoor event in Marseille.
The rematch should be a nice revenge spot for Humbert. Sunday marked the most significant moment of Bergs’ career so far, so it won’t be easy for him get right back in gear from an emotional standpoint. Additionally, the Belgian is 0-3 all time in the Wimbledon main draw and also lost in qualifying three years ago. By contrast, Humbert has twice advanced to the fourth round in SW19 (2019 and 2024).
Pick: Humbert in 5
Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand. You can follow him on Twitter at @Dimonator.