Leylah Fernández's bid for a deep Wimbledon run ended abruptly on Monday as the 22nd seed fell in straight sets during the opening round at the All England Club. According to reporting on the day's upsets, Fernández lost 6-1, 7-6(3) in what was described as a disappointing grass-court singles campaign.
Why Fernández struggled on grass
Fernández's early exit came just weeks after a career-defining run at Roland-Garros, where she reached the French Open final. The transition from clay to grass proved difficult for the Canadian, who was unable to find her footing on the faster surface at SW19.
A day of seeded upsets across both draws
Fernández was one of eight seeded players eliminated on the opening day of the 2026 Championships. In the men's draw, No. 11 seed Casper Ruud fell in straight sets to Hubert Hurkacz, while No. 12 seed Andrey Rublev lost a five-set marathon to Roman Safiullin. British No. 1 Cameron Norrie, seeded 26th, was upset by American qualifier Michael Zheng in a four-hour, five-set encounter. No. 14 seed Luciano Darderi also bowed out in straight sets to Ethan Quinn.
On the women's side, No. 20 seed Maja Chwalińska, who had reached the French Open final, suffered a shock loss to Mananchaya Sawangkaew after appearing to pick up an injury while serving for the match in the second set.
Sources
- Pro Football & Sports Network: Wimbledon Day 1 Upsets: 8 Seeds Falls, Including Leylah Fernandez, Casper Ruud. Published 2026-06-30.
- Yahoo! Sports: Wimbledon Day 1 Upsets: 8 Seeds Falls, Including Leylah Fernandez, Casper Ruud. Published 2026-06-30.
- The Standard: Biggest Wimbledon shocks as British No1 and Grand Slam finalists fall. Published 2026-06-29.
Reported from public sources.