ESPN delivered its second-most successful Wimbledon coverage in history during the 2026 tournament. The women's singles final between Linda Noskova and Karolina Muchova drew an average of 1.9 million viewers, the highest for any women's final on the network.
The two-week tournament averaged 853,000 viewers across ESPN platforms. The women's final increased viewership by 48 percent from the previous year.
Serena Williams' return boosted early-round numbers. Her first-round match against Maya Joint averaged 1.8 million viewers with a peak above 2.1 million.
Quarterfinal and semifinal matches also rose compared with 2025. The Novak Djokovic versus Felix Auger-Aliassime quarterfinal averaged 1.1 million viewers over five hours.
Men's final viewership fell 16 percent and semifinals dropped 10 percent, partly due to the absence of Carlos Alcaraz. Some fans criticized ESPN over subscription changes before the event.
