Sabalenka and Andreeva advance, Sinner survives five-set scare on Wimbledon's opening day

The 2026 Wimbledon Championships opened under blue skies in London with several top seeds navigating contrasting paths through the first round.

Sabalenka rediscovers her rhythm

Aryna Sabalenka needed just 65 minutes to dismiss 19-year-old Serbian Teodora Kostovic 6-2, 6-3 on Centre Court. The world No. 1 arrived at SW19 shaken by heavy defeats in Paris and Berlin, where she lost third sets 6-0 on both occasions, and without a final appearance here in her career. A double break in the opening set set the tone, and despite a minor wobble when serving at 5-2 in the second, she closed out the match convincingly. Next up is American McCartney Kessler.

Roland Garros winner Andreeva tested

Fresh from her maiden Grand Slam title in Paris, fifth-ranked Mirra Andreeva was pushed hard by Poland's Magda Linette on Court 1. The 19-year-old Russian, who had lost her only prior grass-court match this season at Bad Homburg, rallied to win 7-5, 6-4. She joins Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff in the second round.

Gauff snaps grass-court drought

Coco Gauff claimed her first official win on grass in two years, routing Germany's Tamara Korpatsch 6-2, 6-1. The world No. 7, a champion at the US Open and Roland Garros, had not tasted victory on the surface since reaching the last sixteen here in 2024.

Defending champion Sinner survives

In the day's dramatic late finish, Jannik Sinner came through a five-set examination by Serbia's Miomir Kecmanović 4-6, 6-3, 6-7(7), 6-2, 6-3. The Italian world No. 1, still seeking his first major of 2026 after a second-round exit at Roland Garros, lost a tight third-set tie-break before rediscovering his service rhythm. He fired 31 aces and broke early in the decider to set up a meeting with Portugal's Nuno Borges. With Carlos Alcaraz absent, Sinner remains the strong favourite to defend his title.