Defending champion Sinner survives fall and five-set battle to beat Kecmanovic in Wimbledon opener

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.