Tennis · London
Defending champion Sinner survives fall and five-set battle to beat Kecmanovic in Wimbledon opener
Jannik Sinner recovered from an alarming fall in the third set to defeat Miomir Kecmanovic 4-6, 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-2, 6-3 on Centre Court, extending his Wimbledon title defence beyond a tense first round.
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In brief
A slip while supporting on his right foot caused an awkward fall, momentarily leaving the defending champion in pain and the Centre Court crowd in silence. He was able to continue without apparent lasting damage.
After losing the first and third sets, Sinner won the fourth 6-2 and the fifth 6-3 to avoid a shock first-round exit, keeping his title defence alive.
Sinner fired 31 aces against just one from Kecmanovic, a personal record that helped him dominate the closing stages of the match.
The Serbian, ranked 50th, took the match into a decisive fifth set and briefly threatened to send Sinner out in the first round for the first time since 2021.
Sinner avoided joining Lleyton Hewitt (2003) as the only men's defending champion in the professional era to lose at the first hurdle at Wimbledon.
- 29 JunSinner falls in third set during tie-break, clutches hip; loses set 6-7(6)
- 29 JunSinner dominates fourth set 6-2
- 29 JunBreak in sixth game of fifth set; Sinner wins 6-3
An unsteady start on Centre Court
Sinner stepped onto the grass of the All England Club for the first time since capturing the title a year ago, but his afternoon began with visible unease. The world No. 1 dropped the opening set 4-6 as Kecmanovic, ranked 50th, pressured him with flat, clean striking. Sinner later admitted he was nervous and described his own play in the early stages as error-strewn, with repeated forehands missing deep.
The fall that silenced the crowd
In the third set, with the match finely poised, Sinner slipped while supporting on his right foot and twisted awkwardly, his left knee bending sharply inward. He stayed down, clutching his hip, as the Centre Court fell silent. After several moments he rose and continued, avoiding what he acknowledged could have been a serious injury. The incident brought back memories of the physical collapse that ended his Roland Garros campaign a month earlier, but Sinner insisted his movement did not tighten afterwards.
Sinner rallies to keep title hopes alive
Kecmanovic snatched the third set in a tie-break, putting Sinner two sets to one down and at risk of becoming only the second defending men's champion in the Open Era to lose in the first round, after Lleyton Hewitt in 2003. Sinner responded by raising his level across the final two sets, breaking early in the fourth and running away with it 6-2. A single break in the sixth game of the decider proved enough to seal a victory that stretched to 3 hours and 30 minutes.
Aces, blood and a personal record
Sinner's serve carried him through the contest, delivering 31 aces against just one from his opponent, a career-best mark for the Italian. During the latter stages he played with a bloodied right foot, the result of an earlier impact, though he later brushed off its significance. The performance was a physical trial as much as a tennis one, with Sinner falling multiple times on the still-fresh grass and needing to reset repeatedly.
What Sinner said
“One fall is a tough one because you can get injured. It's the most normal thing. Grass courts are like this. Especially the first couple of matches when the grass is very new, you slip a bit more.”
“I tried to reset as quickly as possible. Playing the first match on Centre Court is an enormous privilege and I tried to enjoy the moment.”
Day one around the grounds
Elsewhere on the opening day, women's world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka eased into the second round with a straight-sets win over Teodora Kostović. Sinner will next face Portugal's Nuno Borges, who beat Tristan Boyer in three sets.
- Jannik Sinner
- 31 aces
- Miomir Kecmanovic
- 1 aces
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Sources and context
- ReutersSinner says he was lucky to escape unscathed after Wimbledon fall
- 20 minutosAgónica victoria de Jannik Sinner en su debut en Wimbledon ante Kecmanovic en 5 sets: "Era mi primer partido en hierba en un año"
- EL PAÍSSangre, sudor y señor susto de Sinner
- France 24Sinner sufre y Sabalenka gana confianza en la primera jornada de Wimbledon
- Jannik Sinner
- World No. 1 and defending Wimbledon champion
- Miomir Kecmanovic
- Serbian tennis player, ranked 50th, who pushed Sinner to five sets
- Nuno Borges
- Portuguese tennis player, Sinner's second-round opponent
- Aryna Sabalenka
- Women's world No. 1, who won her first-round match on the same day
- Lleyton Hewitt
- Former Wimbledon champion, the only defending men's champion in the Open Era to lose in the first round (2003)
- Places
- London
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