After three days of optimism, resilience and roaring Centre Court comebacks, British hopes at Wimbledon took a painful knock on Day 4.
Jack Draper, Dan Evans and Arthur Fery — all flying the flag in the men’s singles — were sent packing in a bruising afternoon that also saw a wave of British exits in doubles.
It was a day to remind fans that at Wimbledon, fortunes can flip fast.
Draper Outgunned by Cilic on No.1 Court
Jack Draper’s much-anticipated second-round clash with Croatian veteran Marin Čilić ended in disappointment for the British No.1. Čilić, 36, used all his experience — and more than a few devastating groundstrokes — to knock Draper out 6–4, 6–3, 1–6, 6–4.
Draper, seeded fourth, had looked like a genuine title contender after a confident opening win. But today, his grass game faltered early. He rallied in the third set, breaking Čilić’s rhythm and dominating the baseline exchanges, but the former US Open champion reasserted control in the fourth, breaking Draper at a crucial moment.
“It hurts a lot,” Draper admitted after the match. “This is one of my toughest losses. Cilic didn’t let up from start to finish.”
It marks Draper’s third second-round Wimbledon exit in a row — and a sharp reminder of how much harder the grass-court climb can be.
Evans Swept Aside by Djokovic in Likely Wimbledon Farewell
Dan Evans’ return to Centre Court ended in a one-sided loss to Novak Djokovic, who remains on track for an eighth Wimbledon title. The 6–3, 6–2, 6–0 scoreline tells the story: the 24-time Grand Slam winner was clinical, dominant and rarely troubled.
Evans, 35 and ranked outside the top 150, had spoken in the lead-up about treating this Wimbledon as a potential farewell. Today, he was given no room to dream. “I felt like I was always on the back foot,” Evans said. “He served his spots. That’s Djokovic.”
The crowd gave him a warm send-off, sensing it might be the last time he steps onto SW19’s main stage.
Fery Falls, Pinnington Jones Beaten
Elsewhere, British wildcard Arthur Fery’s surprise first-round win was undone by Italy’s Luca Darderi, who finished off a rain-delayed match in straight sets: 6–4, 6–3, 6–3.
Jacob Pinnington Jones also exited quietly, outclassed by No.22 seed Flavio Cobolli on Court 18. It was a tough day all round for home-grown prospects.
Doubles Blowout Leaves Just One British Pair
British players were out in force in the doubles today — but results were grim.
In the ladies’ doubles:
- Emily Appleton & Heather Watson
- Hannah Klugman & Matilda Stojsavljevic
- Ella McDonald & Mingge Xu
- Alicia Barnett & Emily Silva
…all lost their first-round matches.
In the men’s draw, it was no better:
- Jamie Murray & Rajeev Ram
- Joe Salisbury & Neal Skupski [6] (who fell to fellow Brits Charles Broom & Jonny Paris)
- Julian Cash & Lloyd Glasspool [5]
- Billy Harris & Marcus Willis
- Jacob Fearnley & Marcus Willis
…all exited.
The sole British doubles success? Olivia Nicholls & Tereza Mihalikova [9], who kept hopes alive with a tidy first-round win on Court 9.
From Roaring to Reeling
After three strong days — with Norrie’s comeback, Raducanu’s return to form, and Fery’s opening upset — today was a comedown. Britain’s singles draw has now thinned dramatically, and the loss of so many doubles teams in one afternoon was a gut punch.
The mood has shifted — but hope is not lost.
All Eyes on Raducanu, Norrie and Kartal
Three Brits remain in singles — and all are in action tomorrow:
DAY 5 – FRIDAY 4 JULY – BRITISH PLAYERS SCHEDULE
CENTRE COURT
- Not before 3:00PM
Aryna Sabalenka [1] vs Emma Raducanu (GBR) – Ladies’ Singles, Third Round
NO.1 COURT – 1:00PM START
- Diane Parry (FRA) vs Sonay Kartal (GBR) – Ladies’ Singles, Third Round
- Mattia Bellucci (ITA) vs Cameron Norrie (GBR) – Gentlemen’s Singles, Third Round
After a bruising Day 4, British hopes now rest on the shoulders of these three.
It’s been a long, difficult Thursday for British tennis — but at Wimbledon, everything can change in a day.
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