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Familiar rivals Alexander Zverev and Taylor Fritz are still on track to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals, but they need fourth-round wins to make that match happen. On Monday they will face Jiri Legecka and Alexander Bublik respectively.
(13) Jiri Legecka vs. (2) Alexander Zverev
Zverev and Lehecka will go head-to-head for the third time in their careers in the Wimbledon quarter-finals on Monday. They separated their two previous meetings; Lehecka cruised to a 6-4, 6-2 victory at the 2023 United Cup before Zverev got the job done 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 at the 2023 ATP 500 Dubai.
Although Lehecka has enormous talent, he has rarely managed to put it together throughout his career – not so much in contrast to his compatriot Tomas Machacz. The world number 14 has reached the quarter-finals of Grand Slams twice, but only in one since the 2023 Australian Open, and he almost always has to contend with higher-ranked opponents. Amazingly, Zverev never reached the quarterfinals of Wimbledon. In other words, something has to give on Monday. For Leechka this is a winning match, but the question is whether he believes in it. Perhaps he doesn’t.
Choice: Zverev and 4
(6) Taylor Fritz vs. (10) Alexander Bublik
Fritz has, without a doubt, been one of the best grass players in the world over the last five seasons or so, to the point where a Wimbledon title is within reach – if not this year, then within the next few years. The world number seven is aiming to reach her fourth quarter-final in her last five trips to the All England Club, a period that also includes a semi-final appearance in 2025. Fritz is also a four-time Eastbourne champion and recently finished second in Stuttgart and Halle. In two weeks he got rid of Dusan Lajovic, Patrick Kipson and Lorenzo Sonego, losing only one set to Sonego.
Next up for the 28-year-old is his ninth fight on Monday against Bublik. Their head-to-head streak stands at four wins apiece, but that hardly reflects the real story. Fritz has won both of his previous matches on grass during the current stretch, in which he is 4-1 in his last five matches against Bublik. Three of the American’s four wins have been to no avail, including 6-3, 6-2 on the greens of Eastbourne in 2022 and 6-4, 6-4 in the semi-finals on grass at the ATP 250 tournament in Stuttgart just a few weeks ago. While the sixth seed has mostly competed at the All England Club so far, Bublik has already survived two five-setters. – including a four-hour, eight-minute thriller against Frances Tiafoe on Saturday. 11th-placed Kazakhstan have never made it past the fourth round in SW19 and there is no reason to believe that will change in 2026.
Choice: Fritz in 3