Wimbledon 2026, tennis's most prestigious grass-court major, got underway in London with drama from the very first day — even for the defending champion. (Olympics.com) (ATP Tour)
Sinner survives a bloody first-round scare
Top seed and defending champion Jannik Sinner fell two sets to one behind to Serbia's Miomir Kecmanovic (world No. 50) and battled a toenail injury that left blood visible on Centre Court. The Italian fought back to win 4-6, 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-2, 6-3 in three and a half hours, setting a personal career-high of 31 aces along the way. He faces Portugal's Nuno Borges in round two on Wednesday.
Djokovic cruises through
Across the draw, Novak Djokovic made light work of China's Yibing Wu, winning 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 as he continues his pursuit of further Grand Slam history on the grass he has dominated for years.
Seeds fall, others cruise
Norway's Casper Ruud was upset by Poland's Hubert Hurkacz 6-4, 6-2, 7-6, and Russia's Andrey Rublev also exited in round one. Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime and Russia's Daniil Medvedev both advanced comfortably.
The women's draw makes a statement
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka needed just 64 minutes to win 6-2, 6-3, Coco Gauff closed her match in 54 minutes (6-2, 6-1), and four-time major champion Naomi Osaka won 6-1, 7-5 — all signalling a wide-open women's draw on the famous London grass. (ATP Tour)
What does opening day mean for the tournament?
Wimbledon's first day is usually an early gauge of the big names' form ahead of two weeks of fierce competition for the titles. Sinner surviving an early exit despite injury shows he still has the mental strength to turn difficult matches around — an essential trait for anyone hoping to defend a title. Djokovic's comfortable win, meanwhile, suggests the Serb, despite his age relative to his younger rivals, remains a serious contender to add yet another record major to his legendary tally of more than 24 Grand Slams.
On the upset front, the first-round exits of players of Ruud's and Rublev's calibre are a reminder that the Wimbledon grass spares no one, and that even a small dip in focus can cost a player his entire campaign. Such results open the door for less-heralded names to prove themselves at a tournament that has been held for more than a century and a half and remains the ultimate dream of every professional tennis player.
The tournament runs over the next two weeks amid great anticipation of blockbuster clashes between the top stars, with tennis fans worldwide eyeing a possible new final between Sinner and Djokovic. Follow Malaab Al-An for full Wimbledon 2026 coverage, with daily results and analysis all the way to the women's and men's finals.