Tag: Wimbledon

World number one Aryna Sabalenka overcame a tough test to beat Marie Bouzkova 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 and progress to the Wimbledon third round on Wednesday, avoiding the fate of many of her title rivals.

A number of top players exited in the first round at the All England Club, including second seed Coco Gauff, third seed Jessica Pegula, and fifth seed Zheng Qinwen.

Top seed Aryna Sabalenka was pushed hard by Bouzkova in Wednesday’s opening match on Centre Court as her Czech opponent matched fire with fire in a bruising encounter.

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The first set went with serve until Aryna Sabalenka doubled-faulted in the 11th game to give her 48th-ranked opponent the chance to serve for the set.

But the Belarusian broke back with a searing backhand down the line and came out on top in the tie-break to establish a foothold in the match.

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Aryna Sabalenka broke again in the fifth game of the second set to move within sight of victory and closed out the match with little fuss.

Although Sabalenka is a three-time Grand Slam champion, she has suffered agonising three-set defeats in this year’s Australian Open and French Open finals.

The 27-year-old has never been beyond the Wimbledon semi-finals and missed last year’s tournament with a shoulder injury.

READ: Novak Djokovic thanks ‘miracle pills’ after Wimbledon win

Novak Djokovic thanked “doctors’ miracle pills” after he overcame feelings of discomfort and the loss of a set to launch his mission to win a record 25th Grand Slam at Wimbledon.

The veteran Serb, a seven-time winner at the All England Club, beat French world number 41 Alexandre Muller 6-1, 6-7 (7/9), 6-2, 6-2 in a late-night match on Centre Court.

Djokovic dominated the first set, breaking three times, but Muller levelled the match after taking the second set tie-break.

The sixth seed resumed normal service in the third set, and a couple of breaks in the fourth set sealed the deal.

“I enjoyed myself, obviously a bit less in the second set, but I went from feeling my absolute best for a set and a half to my absolute worst for about 45 minutes,” he said.

“Whether it was a stomach bug, I don’t know what it is. I struggled with that, but the energy came back after some doctors’ miracle pills, and I managed to finish the match on a good note.”

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Novak Djokovic said he was delighted to be back at Wimbledon.

“I have to acknowledge the sacredness of this court, of this tournament,” he said.

“It has always meant a lot to me and many other players. It’s a childhood dream tournament, so I never take anything out on the court for granted.”

Djokovic has been tied with long-retired Margaret Court on 24 Grand Slam singles titles since 2023, and he believes his most realistic hope of a historic 25th win lies at the All England Club.

The 38-year-old, who has lost the past two Wimbledon finals to Carlos Alcaraz, has the added incentive of pulling level with the retired Roger Federer, who won a record eight men’s titles at the All England Club.

Djokovic has been in every Wimbledon final since 2018 but knows time is running out as Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner establish a stranglehold at the top of the men’s game.

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Alexander Zverev suffered his earliest Grand Slam exit since 2019 as the German third seed was stunned by France’s Arthur Rinderknech in the Wimbledon first round on Tuesday.

Zverev, a three-time Grand Slam runner-up, slipped to a shock 7-6 (7/3), 6-7 (8/10), 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 6-4 defeat against the world number 72 in a marathon clash lasting four hours and 40 minutes on Centre Court.

The 28-year-old is the highest-ranked seed to fall so far in this year’s men’s singles at the All England Club.

Zverev, who reached the Australian Open final in January, endured his latest Wimbledon flop in a tie that initially started on Monday evening.

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When play was halted due to Wimbledon’s 2200 GMT curfew, the match was level at one-set all.

But Rinderknech seized his chance once play resumed in the blazing London heat on Tuesday afternoon.

Rinderknech hit 25 aces and although Zverev replied with 31 of his own, it was not enough to stave off an embarrassing defeat.

Zverev has failed to make it past the fourth round at Wimbledon in nine visits to the grass-court major.

He had reached at least the second round in his previous 20 Grand Slam appearances.

Earlier, American third seed Jessica Pegula suffered a shock straight-sets defeat against Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto in the Wimbledon first round, which was her “worst result of the year”.

Pegula was demolished 6-2, 6-3 by the world number 116 in just 58 minutes on Court Two on Tuesday.

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It was a bitter blow for the 2024 US Open finalist, who has never been past the quarter-finals at the All England Club.

Jessica Pegula played with heavy strapping on her right knee and never looked comfortable in a lacklustre performance.

It is worth mentioning that since losing last year’s US Open final against Aryna Sabalenka, world number three Pegula has been eliminated before the quarter-finals in all three of her Grand Slam appearances.

READ: Jessica Pegula crashes out of Wimbledon in shock defeat

American third seed Jessica Pegula admitted her shock straight-sets defeat against Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto in the Wimbledon first round was her “worst result of the year”.

Pegula was demolished 6-2, 6-3 by the world number 116 in just 58 minutes on Court Two on Tuesday.

It was a bitter blow for the 2024 US Open finalist, who has never been past the quarter-finals at the All England Club.

Jessica Pegula played with heavy strapping on her right knee and never looked comfortable in a lacklustre performance.

“She played incredible tennis. Do I think I played the best match ever? No. But I wasn’t that bad. It was just her day today,” Pegula said.

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“I think I could have served better but I was having trouble with the conditions. It was very humid and the court was slow.

“I tried my best to match her level and I thought I would close the gap in the second set. But she didn’t drop her level at all. She was forcing a lot of my errors.”

Since losing last year’s US Open final against Aryna Sabalenka, world number three Pegula has been eliminated before the quarter-finals in all three of her Grand Slam appearances.

“It’s probably the worst result I’ve had all year. I haven’t lost in the first round of a Slam for a long time. That sucks,” she said.

“I feel like I’m playing as well as I was at the end of last year. But it’s hard to put it all together over two weeks. Sometimes it doesn’t align.

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“I managing the knee and I have a bit of a neck injury as well. But I feel good overall. That’s why it’s disappointing.

“The most frustrating thing was I wasn’t able to figure it out, which I feel I should be able to. ”

It was only Cocciaretto’s second win against a top-10 player.

The 24-year-old has never been past the third round at Wimbledon and her best Grand Slam performance was a run to the last 16 at last year’s French Open.

READ: Top seed Jannik Sinner eases into Wimbledon second round

Top seed Jannik Sinner eased into the Wimbledon second round on Tuesday, brushing aside fellow Italian Luca Nardi in straight sets.

Unfazed by the searing heat, Sinner barely broke sweat in a 6-4, 6-3, 6-0 victory lasting just one hour and 48 minutes on Court One.

“I’m very happy to come back here to such a special place for me,” Sinner said.

“Playing an Italian is very unfortunate but one has to go through and luckily it was me.”

Jannik Sinner last week insisted his surprise decision to part with two of his coaching staff on the eve of Wimbledon would not affect his bid to win the tournament for the first time.

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He opted to move on from Marco Panichi and Ulises Badio, his trainer and physiotherapist, as he looks for a new direction following his painful French Open final loss to Carlos Alcaraz.

The pair had been employed by Sinner since September 2024, helping him retain the Australian Open crown in January and reach the Roland Garros showpiece in June.

Asked if the decision might jeopardise his Wimbledon challenge over the next fortnight, Sinner was adamant it would be beneficial, with coaches Simone Vagnozzi and Darren Cahill still on his staff.

On the evidence of his dominant display against Nardi the world number one, who returned from a three-month doping ban in May, will be just fine regardless of the coaching shake-up.

“We worked a lot after Halle (grass-court tournament) on the serve and in important moments I felt I was serving very well,” Sinner said.

“First matches are never easy, so I’m very happy with the performance. It’s a new tournament, new challenges.

“If you don’t enjoy to play on these courts, I don’t know where you will enjoy. I will try to keep going.”

Sinner has won three of the past six Grand Slams, but the 23-year-old blew a two-set lead and wasted three match points as Alcaraz staged a comeback for the ages to win the French Open final.

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Sinner has failed to reach the Wimbledon final in his four visits, with a last-four appearance in 2023 ranking as his best effort.

The Italian’s Wimbledon preparations were also dented by a shock last-16 defeat against Alexander Bublik at Halle.

Playing world number 95 Nardi for the first time, Sinner had little trouble dispatching the 21-year-old in his first Grand Slam match since that bitter defeat at Roland Garros.

Sinner recently released a duet titled Polvere e Gloria, which means Dust and Glory, with renowned tenor Andrea Bocelli.

The Italian will hope he continues hitting all the right notes in his Wimbledon title bid.

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Carlos Alcaraz survived a major scare in his Wimbledon opener against Italian veteran Fabio Fognini on Monday before coming through in five sets to launch his bid for a third straight title at the All England Club.

Alcaraz battled to a 7-5, 6-7 (5/7), 7-5, 2-6, 6-1 win over the 38-year-old Italian in a first-round clash lasting four hours and 37 minutes in sweltering conditions on Centre Court.

It was first time since Roger Federer narrowly beat Alejandro Falla in 2010 that a defending champion had been taken to a fifth set in the Wimbledon first round.

Alcaraz shrugged off an inconsistent display including 62 unforced errors as he refused to wilt on the hottest opening day in Wimbledon history.

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“First of all, I don’t know why it is probably Fabio’s last Wimbledon because the level he has shown shows he can still play for three or four more years,” Carlos Alcaraz said.

“Playing on Centre Court for the first match of any tournament is never easy. I’ve been practising pretty well and playing on grass really well, but Wimbledon is special and different.

“I could feel the difference between Wimbledon and the other tournaments. I just tried to play my best but I would say that I could play better.”

The 22-year-old secured a crucial break in the second game of the deciding set, roaring “vamos” after saving two break points in the next game.

Fognini had given Alcaraz a much sterner test than expected, but the world number 138 ran out of steam as the indefatigable Spaniard once again showcased his final set prowess.

Alcaraz has never lost in a Grand Slam first round in 18 appearances.

Having vanquished Novak Djokovic in the past two Wimbledon finals, Alcaraz is looking to join an elite group of Wimbledon icons.

His clay-court credentials are firmly established after he fought back from two sets down to beat Jannik Sinner in an epic French Open final earlier this month.

Alcaraz is equally dynamic on grass, winning 30 of his 33 Tour-level matches on the surface, with his last defeat at Wimbledon coming against Sinner in the fourth round in 2022.

He is bidding to become the fifth man in the Open Era to win at least three consecutive Wimbledon titles after Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and seven-time champion Djokovic.

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If he achieves that target, Alcaraz would be the second-youngest player in the Open Era to win six Grand Slam men’s titles after Borg, who reached that landmark in 1978.

He will face British qualifier Oliver Tarvet in the second round.

“He is playing great tennis on grass and if he is in the second round of Wimbledon then he is playing at a great level,” Alcaraz said.

“I will try to improve the things that didn’t work today, such as the return and the forehand. Let’s keep enjoying being at Wimbledon as well.”

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Two-time Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur broke down in tears before retiring from her first-round match against Viktoriya Tomova on Monday.

Tunisia’s Jabeur was trailing 7-6 (7/5), 2-0 when she brought a premature end to her clash with the Bulgarian world number 111 Viktoriya Tomova at the All England Club.

The 30-year-old, beaten in the 2022 and 2023 Wimbledon finals, looked uncomfortable throughout the match in sweltering temperatures in London.

The world number 59 wiped away tears after losing a long fifth game in the first set and took a lengthy medical timeout, with staff attending to her before taking her off court.

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Jabeur, who repeatedly used ice towels in a bid to cope with the heat, eventually returned to Court 14 after a 14-minute delay, but was unable to finish the match.

“I wasn’t expecting not to feel good. I have been practising pretty well the last few days,” said Jabeur, who did not specify the reason for her withdrawal.

“These things happen. I’m pretty sad. It doesn’t really help me with my confidence.”

The former world number two’s Wimbledon exit was the latest blow in a disappointing spell.

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Ons Jabeur, a three-time Grand Slam runner-up, has slipped down the rankings over the past year after injury problems.

Earlier this year, she had breathing difficulties in the Australian Open second round after suffering an asthma problem.

“I keep pushing myself even though it was a very tough season for me, so I hope I can feel better and see what is going to happen,” she said.

“Try to disconnect a little bit from tennis and try to enjoy life outside tennis.

“Try to recover and spend time with the family. Hopefully that can recharge me. Definitely rest is the word for it.”

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Carlos Alcaraz will start his Wimbledon defence against Fabio Fognini while world number one Jannik Sinner faces a potential semi-final clash against Novak Djokovic following Friday’s draw.

On the women’s side, reigning champion Barbora Krejcikova begins her campaign against 2025 breakout star Alexandra Eala on Centre Court.

Krejcikova missed the first five months of 2025 with a back injury and was forced to withdraw from this week’s Eastbourne quarter-finals due to a thigh injury.

Filipino emerging star Eala, 20, captured the tennis world’s attention in March by defeating three Grand Slam champions — Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek — to reach the Miami semi-finals.

Top seed Aryna Sabalenka, hoping to progress beyond the semi-finals for the first time, opens against fast-rising Canadian qualifier Carson Branstine.

Second seed Coco Gauff, who beat Sabalenka in the French Open final earlier this month, starts against Nottingham finalist Dayana Yastremska.

Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, who has beaten Djokovic in the past two finals, arrives at the All England Club on a career-best 18-match winning streak.

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He is aiming to become just the fifth man to win at least three straight Wimbledon titles in the Open Era after Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and Djokovic.

The Spaniard, 22, has a 2-0 head-to-head record against Italian veteran Fognini.

Sinner’s pursuit of a maiden Wimbledon crown could hinge on a heavyweight semi-final clash with seven-time champion Djokovic.

The Italian opens against compatriot Luca Nardi at the grass-court major while Djokovic, competing at his lowest seeding (sixth) since 2018, will begin his campaign for a record-tying eighth Wimbledon men’s title against Frenchman Alexandre Muller.

Djokovic, who has been in every final since 2018, is seeded for a quarter-final meeting with British fourth seed Jack Draper, who starts against Argentina’s Sebastian Baez.

The Championships start on Monday and finish on July 13.

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Wimbledon organisers are planning to honour two-time champion Andy Murray with a statue at the All England Club.

Andy Murray, who ended a 77-year wait for a British winner of the men’s singles title in 2013 before winning again in 2016, retired after the Paris Olympics last year.

Wimbledon hopes the statue will be unveiled in 2027, coinciding with the championship’s 150th anniversary.

“We are looking to have a statue of Andy Murray here (Wimbledon) and we’re working closely with him and his team,” All England Club chair Debbie Jevans told the ainslie + ainslie Performance People podcast.

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“The ambition is that we would unveil that at the 150th anniversary of our first Championship, which was 1877.

“He’s got to rightly be very involved in that and him and his team will be.”

A bronze statue of Fred Perry, the last British men’s champion before Murray, was erected at Wimbledon in 1984 to mark the 50th anniversary of his first singles championship.

Tennis greats John McEnroe and Billie Jean King are among those that have previously called for Murray to be honoured in similar fashion at Wimbledon.

For context, Andy Murray has three Grand Slam singles titles, two Olympic gold medals, and a Davis Cup victory in his successful career.

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Novak Djokovic insists he will return to Wimbledon next year and attempt to clinch an eighth All England Club title despite a shattering straight-sets defeat to Carlos Alcaraz in Sunday’s final.

Djokovic saw his hopes of a record-setting 25th Grand Slam title ruthlessly brushed aside by the 21-year-old Spanish star who had also defeated the Serb in last year’s championship match.

Even though the clock is ticking on Djokovic’s career, he said he will keep playing into 2025, when he will turn 38.

“As far as coming back here, I would love to. I don’t have anything else in my thoughts right now that this is my last Wimbledon,” he said after his 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (7/4) loss.

“I don’t have any limitations in my mind. I still want to keep going and play as long as I feel like I can play on this high level.”

So far this season Djokovic has seen his Australian Open title pass to Jannik Sinner, the 22-year-old Italian who has also taken his world number-one ranking.

Alcaraz succeeded him as French Open champion in Paris last month, where Djokovic was forced to withdraw before his quarter-final due to a knee injury which then required surgery.

Djokovic is due to return to the French capital in under two weeks’ time when he will try to win an elusive Olympic Games gold medal.

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After that, he will attempt to defend his US Open title in New York.

“I have intentions to play the Olympic Games, hopefully have a chance to fight for a medal for my country,” he said.

“On a completely different surface (clay) obviously, going back to the place where I got injured some weeks ago. Let’s see how physically and mentally I’m going to feel.”

Despite the upbeat forecast on his future plans, Djokovic is enduring a sub-par year by his standards.

He is without a title since winning the ATP Finals in November last year and has yet to defeat a top-10 opponent in 2024.

On Sunday, he was out-hit by Alcaraz, who clubbed 42 winners to 26 and created 14 break points, five of which he converted.

“To beat these guys (Alcaraz and Sinner) in Grand Slam latter stages or the Olympics, I’m going to have to play much better than I did today and feel much better than I did today,” admitted Djokovic.

“I’m going to work on it. It’s not something I haven’t experienced before ever in my life. I’ve had so many different experiences throughout my career. In the face of adversity, normally I rise and I learn and get stronger. That’s what I’m going to do.”

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