London, UK, 30 June 2025 | Rhys de Deugd

Whether it’s their first time stepping through the storied gates of Wimbledon or they’re returning with experience under their belts, the magic of SW19 never fades.

A 17-strong Australian contingent is set to grace the courts this week at the All England Club, a venue where Australians have long felt at home and found success.

Top-ranked Aussie Alex de Minaur returns after a maiden quarterfinal appearance a year ago, while Ajla Tomljanovic and Daria Kasatkina have also made it to the final eight at the prestigious event.

For the five main-draw debutants – Kimberly Birrell, Maya Joint, Talia Gibson, Priscilla Hon and James McCabe – the moment is nothing short of a dream come true.

“I guess it’s the pinnacle of our sport. I used to get woken up by my parents in the middle of the night to watch the finals and dad would make warm milk and honey, and we’d sit and watch.”
– Kimberly Birrell, upon returning the All England Club for the first time since juniors

“Saying that you’re playing Wimbledon, everyone wants it. Everyone’s dream is to be here, playing the Grand Slam. And yeah, I’m just lucky. I’m just grateful … tennis has always been my dream ever since I was a kid.”
– James McCabe is living out a childhood dream after qualifying for the main draw

“If I’m having a tough day, if I’m feeling low or I’m feeling like my confidence is not there, I like to go back [to memories of her two Wimbledon quarterfinals] … I do occasionally just go and look at some highlights and be like ‘this felt nice, let’s run it back’.”
– Ajla Tomljanovic, a proven performer at Wimbledon, always takes great confidence onto grass courts

“It’s been one of the most important aspects of my game, where I feel like I turn up every single week. I kind of put myself first for the first time in a while and I think that was quite crucial … I do feel in a very good headspace going into Wimbledon, I feel refreshed, I feel full of energy and, you know, now it’s up to my tennis to, to do the talking.”
– Alex de Minaur, rested and ready to go at SW19, where he was a first-time quarterfinalist in 2024

“I know I’ve done the work. I know I’ve beaten the players and I deserve to be where I am right now.”
– Alexei Popyrin feels a sense of belonging as Wimbledon’s No.20 seed

“When [new coach] Wayne Ferreira came in, it was kind of like a fresh energy brought to the team. Everybody kind of felt that kind of energy coming in and then he came in and want to call though and I think that’s when it kind of all, just clicked. The team started feeling re-energised and I was re-energised and it all started feeling normal.”
– Popyrin, again, is feeling revitalised with his new support team

“He’s a quality player and he always plays well in these big tournaments. But I’m in some good form at the moment do I’m going to show him what I’ve got.”
– Alex Bolt, qualifying to his fourth Wimbledon main draw where his reward is world No.10 Ben Shelton

“I would say that for any tennis player to be part of the Wimbledon, it’s like something we were looking for when we were kids. Holding the small racket, trying to hit the ball over the net. So, coming back every year to Wimbledon. It feels super special and it’s getting better.”
– Daria Kasatkina is enjoying the moment as she prepares for her second Grand Slam event representing Australia

Wimbledon main-draw action begins on Monday 30 June. The tournament is broadcast live in Australia on the Nine Network and Stan Sport.

Find your way to play: Visit play.tennis.com.au to hit the court and have some fun!