Sinner survives five-set thriller as Serena Williams prepares for Centre Court return on drama-filled Wimbledon Day 1

Defending champion Sinner survives marathon

Jannik Sinner came through a stern physical test, fighting back from a set down twice to beat Serbia's Miomir Kecmanovic 4-6 6-3 6-7(6) 6-2 6-3. The world number one, a heavy favourite with Carlos Alcaraz injured, was playing his first competitive grass-court match of the season after a shock second-round exit at the French Open. He suffered a fall, bloodied a nail, but played through three hours and thirty minutes on Centre Court.

“It was a little tight in the beginning, I didn't play at my best but I tried to get into it. It was my first official match on grass which is also a very important factor.”

The win was Sinner's 94th at Grand Slam level, equalling Nicola Pietrangeli's Italian record. He next faces Portugal's Nuno Borges.

Serena's return builds anticipation

The All England Club braced for Serena Williams' first Wimbledon singles match since 2021. The 44-year-old American, a seven-time champion, was granted the final wild card spot and will face 20-year-old Australian Maya Joint on Centre Court on Tuesday. Organisers said the queue for on-the-day tickets had swelled to 10,000 people by Monday morning.

“She is such an icon of the sport and particularly here at the championship she's one of our most special champions. So it really will be the ticket to have tomorrow when she walks back on Centre Court.”

Williams has set low expectations, telling reporters she is focused on enjoying the moment. She will also play doubles with sister Venus later in the week.

Andreeva starts double bid

French Open champion Mirra Andreeva opened her campaign with a 7-5 6-4 win over Poland's Magda Linette. The 19-year-old Russian fifth seed fired eight aces but also served seven double faults in a match of traded breaks. She is bidding to become the first woman to win Roland Garros and Wimbledon back-to-back since Serena Williams in 2015, and next faces 2024 champion Barbora Krejcikova.

Chwalinska's heartbreak after fall

Polish 20th seed Maja Chwalinska, a surprise French Open runner-up, was leading 2-6 5-2 and held match point at 40-30 against Thailand's Mananchaya Sawangkaew when she slipped and injured her right ankle. She lost the second set 7-5 and faded in the decider, losing 2-6 7-5 6-2. Sawangkaew, ranked 164, scored her first Grand Slam main-draw victory.

More seeds fall, British hopes quashed

Men's 11th seed Casper Ruud lost in straight sets to big-serving Pole Hubert Hurkacz, while 12th seed Andrey Rublev was edged by Roman Safiullin in a deciding-set tiebreak that finished 14-12. British number one Cameron Norrie, seeded 26, fell in five sets to American qualifier Michael Zheng. The home nation's woes deepened: Emma Raducanu withdrew with injury before the tournament, Jack Draper pulled out on Monday with an arm injury, and all six Britons who took to court lost.

Among other top seeds, women's world number one Aryna Sabalenka cruised past Teodora Kostovic 6-2 6-3, 14th seed Naomi Osaka beat Elsa Jacquemot 6-1 7-5, fourth seed Jessica Pegula dispatched Darja Vidmanova 7-5 6-3, and 11th seed Belinda Bencic overcame British wildcard Mika Stojsavljevic. Stefanos Tsitsipas, having removed his father as coach on the eve of the tournament, defeated Hugo Gaston 6-1 6-4 6-2.