Jannik Sinner’s journey to retain his Wimbledon title was always expected to face hurdles from a famed Serbian adversary—but perhaps not the one who emerged as a formidable opponent.
In a surprising turn, it wasn’t 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic who rattled the world No. 1, but his fellow Serb, Miomir Kecmanovic, who left a mark on Sinner’s resolve as evident by bloodstains on his shoes—a testament to the fierce contest.
Meanwhile, Djokovic himself faced a formidable challenge from Chinese player Yibing Wu. Wu managed to keep the match tight at one set apiece, even securing seven break points in the third and fourth sets, but ultimately succumbed to Djokovic’s superior physical prowess and strategic mastery.
Jannik Sinner has advanced to the second round at Wimbledon, though his progression was anything but smooth.
The Italian player’s Nike shoes were notably stained with blood following a tumble early in the match, highlighting the physical toll of his effort.
It was a laborious and energy-zapping outing for the world No 1 on his first competitive appearance since he wilted in the Paris heat last month and was knocked out of the French Open in a huge second-round shock by then world No 56 Juan Manuel Cerundolo.
Sinner’s right shoe was stained by red blood, which he said was not as bad as it looked, and a five-set clash of three hours and 29 minutes was rather unwelcome for a man trying to ease himself into the tournament after having time off following his Roland Garros disappointment.
‘I am good, (the blood) seems much worse than it is,’ he said. ‘I am surprised they let me keep playing because of the all-white (uniform guidelines)!
‘It was a good match from both of us so I didn’t want to disturb and take any time (with a medical time-out).’
The Italian recovered well after losing the first set but Kecmanovic soon regained the lead after triumphing in some lengthy rallies on Centre Court, which hosted famous faces such as Sir David Beckham and Dame Mary Berry, both who joined in with the Mexican Wave.
Sinner was in no mood for such pleasantries and feared he might soon wave farewell to SW19 after just one day of his title defence.
But he soon settled and breezed through the next two sets to overturn the deficit and win 4-6, 6-3, 6-7, 6-2, 5-3.
Sinner celebrates after gritting his teeth to defeat Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic
Later in the day, a couple got engaged on Centre Court and Djokovic nearly followed the gentleman in falling down on his knee as he was given a tough examination by world No 102 Yu.
The Chinese player became a crowd favourite with his energetic style and soon they were chanting an elongated ‘Yu’ every time he won a point, amplified by the roof being shut and noise that seemed to rile Djokovic – though he might have mistaken the noise as him being booed.
Djokovic comes to SW19 having not won a major in his last 12 attempts going back to the 2023 US Open, his first two-year wait for a Grand Slam triumph since his breakthrough years on the circuit as a teenager.
Now 39, the Serb is not yet ready to quit and, with Alcaraz absent and question-marks over Sinner’s staying power after the breakdown at the last two Slams, many believe this is his last chance to win a 25th major and eighth Wimbledon crown to equal Roger Federer.
This was a stern test, though, for the man who has not played since he was felled at Roland Garros by up-and-coming Brazilian Joao Fonseca.
BBC viewers missed Wu take the second set as they asked punters to switch from BBC Two to BBC One, only to find they had to watch the final five minutes of Eastenders.
But the action was just as dramatic in west London as it is in the fictional Walford as Wu continued to test his storied opponent.
Djokovic survived a scare on Centre Court in late night action to progress through to round two
In the fourth set, he had three break points at 3-2 up and looked certain to open up a 4-2 lead but Djokovic clawed back to deuce.
Wu had another chance when he took advantage but could not capitalise again, his opponent’s experience and mentality proving stronger.
Djokovic was booed as he played an imaginary violin with his racquet at the end as Wu left to an ear-splitting ovation.
He said: ‘It was really challenging for me. Wu deserves a huge round of applause. I am feeling happy but not the freshest, it did not feel like the first round.
‘He surprised me with the level of every shot in his game. He did not really have a weakness, I probably should have lost the fourth set.’