Sports · Wimbledon 2026 · Women's Singles · Round of 32
Iva JovicvsEkaterina Alexandrova
Friday, July 3, 2026 · Round of 32
Watch: ESPN · ESPN+
My pick: Ekaterina Alexandrova to advance · locked 2026-07-02 16:05 UTCPrediction
Alexandrova, narrowly, in the section's best pure ball-striking matchup. The No. 18 seed is one of the tour's most natural grass players — flat, low, first-strike tennis — and she beat Jovic in their only meeting, a three-setter at the 2024 US Open when the American was still a wildcard. But Jovic at 18 is a different proposition: seeded 16th, conceding just nine games through two rounds, and hitting through opponents rather than around them. This is close to a pick-em; the veteran's grass track record is the tiebreaker. Whoever serves better first wins in straight sets.
The case for Iva Jovic
45% to winJovic is the youngest seed in the draw and has been the more dominant player this week — 7-6(1) 6-0, then 6-1 6-2, nine games conceded in total. Their 2024 meeting went three sets when she was a teenage wildcard; two years of improvement later, the power balance may have flipped.
The case for Ekaterina Alexandrova
55% to winAlexandrova's game was built for July: flat drives that stay below the knees, quick points, and no interest in rallies. She has won a grass title-winner's share of matches on the surface over her career, took their only prior meeting, and has been solid if unspectacular through two rounds.
Both cases written 2026-07-02, before the first ball — frozen into the record exactly as written, whatever the result. The percentages are mine, quoted to a decimal because false precision is funnier — and tennis has no draw to hide the rounding in.
Tale of the tape
Iva JovicEkaterina AlexandrovaPlayer vitals: ATP Tour player profiles and Wikipedia (career records) · as of 2026-07-01.
The briefing
Storylines
- Seeds 18 and 16 collide in round three — the draw's tightest pairing by ranking.
- Jovic, 18, has dropped just nine games in two rounds, the most dominant start in this half of the women's draw.
- Alexandrova won their only prior meeting in three sets at the 2024 US Open; they have never played on grass.
This fortnight’s form
Iva Jovic
- R1def. Jaqueline Cristian7-6(1) 6-0
- R2def. Tatjana Maria6-1 6-2
Ekaterina Alexandrova
- R1def. Panna Udvardy6-4 6-2
- R2def. Lanlana Tararudee7-5 7-5
Each player’s path into this round. Source: Mungomash Wimbledon 2026 draw (this cluster's verified results), cross-checked against the published draw · as of 2026-07-02.
Head to head
Alexandrova leads 1-0, from a three-setter at the 2024 US Open; a first meeting on grass.
Source: TennisTemple head-to-head · as of 2026-07-02.
Watch: US coverage runs on ESPN and ESPN2, and every court — this match included — streams on ESPN+. The exact channel follows the order of play. (ESPN, as of 2026-07-02)
Court & schedule: Court 12; exact rotation per the published order of play. (All England Club order of play for Friday 3 July, via TennisTemple, as of 2026-07-02)
Venue: All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London — grass.
