Jasmine Paolini battles Maria Sakkari in Wimbledon 2026 Round of 32 clash

Jasmine Paolini will face Maria Sakkari in the Wimbledon 2026 third round on Friday, July 4 at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London.

What’s at stake for Jasmine Paolini?

Paolini, the 13th seed, needs a strong run at Wimbledon to bounce back from a rocky 2026 season. Her only grass tune-up in Eastbourne ended in a first-round exit to unseeded Tatjana Maria. But Paolini has rediscovered her form in London, grinding out wins over qualifier Robin Montgomery and Viktorija Golubic to reach the last 32.

How does Maria Sakkari’s form compare?

Sakkari, the Greek star, has also struggled this year. She lost her opening matches at the HSBC Championships and Nottingham Open, beaten by Maria and Zheng Qinwen respectively. Yet in SW19, Sakkari upset 24th seed Clara Tauson before edging Kamilla Rakhimova in three sets to set up this blockbuster showdown.

Head-to-head: Sakkari leads 3-2

Paolini and Sakkari have met five times, with Sakkari holding the edge. Their first clash came at the 2021 French Open, where Sakkari won in straight sets. The pair has traded wins since, but Sakkari claimed their most recent meeting.

Wimbledon 2026 betting angles and prediction

The match is a coin toss, with both players arriving off patchy form. Paolini enters as a slight favorite on the betting boards, with bookmakers suggesting a three-set thriller. Tipsters are eyeing two angles: both players to win at least one set, and the match to exceed 21 games.

The clash is scheduled as the second match on Court 3, kicking off at 11:00 AM local time.