Sinner and Djokovic survive opening-day scares as Wimbledon top seeds battle through in five and four sets

Sinner's five-set escape

Jannik Sinner came through a dramatic first-round match on Centre Court, eventually overcoming Serbia's Miomir Kecmanovic 4:6, 6:3, 6:7 (6:8), 6:2, 6:3 after 3 hours and 48 minutes. The Italian world No.1 lost the opening set and then dropped the third in a tiebreak, at one point falling heavily and clutching his hip after slipping at 2-2 in that set. He recovered without a medical timeout and shifted momentum with a break at 4-2 in the fourth, going on to dominate the decider. Blood visible on his right shoe came from a toenail, an injury he later dismissed as minor.

At the beginning it was a bit tight, I didn't play my best tennis. I tried to get into it, it was my first match on grass. I'm glad that I still turned the match around.

Sinner had not competed since his shocking second-round loss at the French Open, where he collapsed physically after leading 2-0 in sets and 5-1 in the third against Juan Manuel Cerundolo. The 24-year-old said he used the extra time for long training blocks and felt satisfied with his physical and mental condition.

Djokovic's hard-fought victory

On the same court, Novak Djokovic needed four sets and over three hours to subdue China's Wu Yibing, ranked 102 in the world, 6:4, 5:7, 6:4, 6:4. The 39-year-old Serb, chasing an eighth Wimbledon title to equal Roger Federer's men's singles record, looked in control early but faced growing resistance as the match wore on. Wu's fearless shot-making drew enthusiastic roars from the crowd, who repeatedly chanted his name.

It didn't feel like a first-round match. He put me under so much pressure. This was a real challenge for me.

Djokovic, who had not played since a third-round exit at Roland Garros, admitted he was not fresh and was seen stretching his back several times. He had entered the tournament aiming to peak on grass after a shoulder injury kept him off the tour for months earlier in the year.

Eye-catching moments and celebrity presence

The matches drew high-profile spectators including football icon David Beckham and Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny. Sinner's stumble and the sight of blood seeping through his shoe added to the drama, while his Serbian opponent Kecmanovic repeatedly denied break points in the third set and saved a set point with a spectacular defence before eventually succumbing.

What comes next

Sinner next faces Portugal's Nuno Borges, while Djokovic will meet former top-10 player Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece. Both top seeds acknowledged their performances were far from peak level, but they survived the early test on a day when the tournament's established names were pushed to the limit.