Sawangkaew, Tararudee make Thai history with first-round Wimbledon wins

In 2008, Tamarine Tanasugarn made history for Thailand with a run to the quarterfinals at Wimbledon -- the culmination of the right-hander's reputation as something of a grass court specialist over the later years of her more than 20 seasons on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz.

Eighteen years later, on the first day of the 2026 Wimbledon fortnight, Lanlana Tararudee and Mananchaya Sawangkaew collectively added another chapter to Thailand's annals at the All England Club. For the first time in the Open Era, two Thai players won Grand Slam main-draw matches at the same event, and they did it in dramatic fashion on Monday.

Sawangkaew earned the first upset of the tournament against Roland Garros finalist and No. 20 seed Maja Chwalinska. Chwalinska led the qualifier 6-2, 5-2, and had a match point, before the Thai player rallied to win 2-6, 7-5, 6-2. Chwalinska slipped and rolled her ankle on match point, but battled on, and Sawangkaew also came from 2-0 behind in the final set.

Later, Tararudee beat 2025 Roland Garros junior champion Lilli Tagger 7-6(3), 5-7, 6-4, staving off a comeback by the teenager from 5-1 down in the final set in the process.

Both say they have been inspired by Thailand's short, but comparatively impressive, tennis history. After beating Chwalinska, Sawangkaew said that four-time WTA title-winner Tanasugarn texted her congratulations and to "enjoy the grass courts," adding that the former World No. 19 has been "so kind" as she's tried to establish herself on tour. Tararudee, meanwhile, trains at former ATP World No. 9 Paradorn Srichaphan's academy, and credits the group she's had around her as a result with a breakthrough season thus far.

The 21-year-old won her first WTA 125 title against 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu in Austin in March, and cracked the Top 100 shortly before the French Open.

"He helped me a lot about how to think during the points or how to manage myself during the tournament," she says. "I have a very good team, so I'm lucky that I have this team."

The pair will look to make it 4-0 against players ranked above them as they each face higher-ranked foes again in the second round. Sawangkaew will face American Alycia Parks, while Tararudee will duel No. 18 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova.

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