Battle of the British! Wimbledon serves up a tennis civil war as former Tatler cover stars Jack Draper and Katie Boulter take on fellow Britons for a place in the third round

Lest we forget that these players have millions of pounds on the line, let alone a fiercely competitive spirit that transcends national fraternity, Draper concluded with a statement of intent ahead of today’s match:

‘We want to win. We want to do the best we can. I think it’s going to be a really competitive match on Thursday. There won’t be any love lost, for sure.’

Norrie, who reached the semi-finals of Wimbledon in 2022, admitted that he is the underdog going into the Draper match, highlighting the younger man’s recent run of form, including a victory over tennis phenom Carlos Alcaraz at the Queen’s Club last month.

‘It’s going to be a challenge to play against him, but I’m looking forward to it,’ said the player, who has lost in the first round of Queen’s and Eastbourne in the run up to this year’s tournament. ‘Yeah, I can go out, nothing to lose.’

Despite his tempered expectations, Norrie looked strong in his first round match on Tuesday, easing past Argentinian Facundo Diaz Acosta without dropping a set.

When it comes to the women’s side of the draw, fans can expect an equally tense atmosphere on Court One, as British number one Katie Boulter takes on Harriet Dart, the British number two. Twenty-seven year old Boulter, like Draper, has recently been on a run of exceptional form. She defended her victory at Nottingham’s Rothesay Open last month, and is seeded at SW19 for the first time.