Tommy Paul has advanced to the third round at Wimbledon 2026 without dropping a set. The 21st-seeded American defeated South Korean qualifier Soonwoo Kwon 6:3, 7:6 (7:4), 6:2 to reach the round of 16. The victory was, for long stretches, a showcase of Paul's serving prowess — a weapon that once again proved decisive on the Wimbledon grass.
Comfortable first set, hard-fought second
The opening set went to plan for Paul. He held serve throughout and capitalised on his chances on return to close it out 6:3. Kwon, who had battled through qualifying and a strong first-round performance to reach the main draw, initially struggled to find an answer to Paul's pace and precision.
The second set produced the most dramatic tennis of the match. Both players traded breaks — Kwon demonstrating here that he was perfectly capable of applying pressure to the American's serve. A tiebreak ensued, and Paul kept his nerve to win it 7:4. Kwon's resistance was admirable, but ultimately fell short.
Paul shifts gears — Kwon runs out of answers
By the third set, the contest was settled. Paul visibly intensified his pressure on return and closed out a 6:2 win, leaving Kwon with little room to breathe. The numbers underline the American's dominance: 19 aces, just one double fault, and a 66 percent first-serve percentage. On his own serve, Paul won a remarkable 93 percent of service games — a figure that is virtually unassailable on grass. Kwon, by contrast, struggled with five double faults and managed to win only 28 percent of return points, well below the threshold required to cause a genuine upset.
For Paul, grass has become his surface of choice in the 2026 season. With a record of 6-1 on the surface this year — now including this victory — the 29-year-old American is in excellent form. Having reached a career-high ranking of world No. 8 in 2025, he enters this tournament ranked 25th in the world.
Kwon exits with head held high
Soonwoo Kwon leaves Wimbledon with plenty to be proud of. The 28-year-old South Korean, who has competed primarily at Challenger level this season, showed — particularly in the second set — that he belongs at Grand Slam level. But Paul's quality on grass, combined with a serve that offered almost nothing to attack, ultimately proved a class too high. It is the second time Paul has beaten Kwon; their first meeting took place in Atlanta in 2022.
Paul will face his next opponent in the third round and, after this convincing display, has every reason to look ahead with confidence.
