Novak Djokovic is vying for his eighth Wimbledon men’s singles title, a feat that would equal Roger Federer’s record.
Wimbledon 2025
Venue: All England Club Dates: 30 June-13 July
Coverage: Comprehensive live coverage across BBC TV, radio, and online platforms, including BBC iPlayer, Red Button, Connected TVs, and the mobile app. Full coverage guide.
Novak Djokovic advanced to the Wimbledon second round alongside Jannik Sinner despite grappling with physical challenges, while third seed Alexander Zverev suffered an unexpected defeat against Arthur Rinderknech of France.
Djokovic, a seven-time champion who could potentially face Sinner in the semi-finals, commenced his quest for a record-extending 25th major title with a 6-1, 6-7 (7-9), 6-2, 6-2 victory over Frenchman Alexandre Muller on Centre Court.
The Serbian player appeared to struggle early in the third set, later acknowledging “something was off with the stomach,” but regained his composure after a medical timeout, winning 10 of the final 12 games.
“I went from feeling my absolute best for a set and a half to my absolute worst for about 45 minutes. Whether it was a stomach bug, I don’t know what it is,” Djokovic stated.
“I struggled with that but the energy came back and I managed to finish the match on a good note.”
Sinner, the world number one, making his first Grand Slam appearance since his defeat in the French Open final against Carlos Alcaraz last month, showcased his dominance with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-0 victory over fellow Italian Luca Nardi.
However, Germany’s Zverev became the fourth top-10 ranked men’s player to be eliminated from the tournament in the first two days.
The defeats of third seed Zverev and Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti coincided with French Open champion Coco Gauff becoming the third top-five seed to lose in the women’s draw.
Novak Djokovic has maintained an unblemished record in the Wimbledon first round across 19 appearances.
Djokovic expressed prior to the tournament his conviction that Wimbledon presents his optimal opportunity to challenge the dominance of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in pursuit of his 25th Grand Slam title.
The 38-year-old initially appeared poised for a swift victory, securing six consecutive games and conceding only two points on serve in an impressive 30-minute first-set display.
However, the remainder of the match proved to be a more demanding test of the former world number one’s resilience.
Djokovic faced challenges in overcoming an improved Muller, despite creating 11 break points, including four set points, ultimately leading to a tie-break.
Despite leading 5-2 in the tie-break, Muller mounted a remarkable comeback, winning seven of the next nine points to level the match before the roof was closed.
Concerns arose for Djokovic early in the third set when the sixth seed requested a medical timeout, displaying evident signs of discomfort.
The treatment received from the doctor, in the form of a tablet, appeared to have an immediate positive effect, enabling him to regain control of the match and rediscover his previous form, winning five successive games to take the third set.
Muller, who also sought a medical timeout for treatment on his right calf, continued to display resilience, forcing a couple of break points on Djokovic’s serve at the start of the fourth set.
However, Djokovic, consistently strong on serve, held firm before securing his decisive break, ultimately serving out the match to love, concluding less than 30 minutes before the 23:00 BST play curfew.
He is set to face Britain’s Dan Evans in the second round, having won 40 of his past 42 matches at Wimbledon, with his only two defeats coming against Alcaraz in the past two finals.
Jannik Sinner has held the top ranking for 12 months, despite serving a three-month doping suspension this year
Following his devastating defeat by Alcaraz in Paris, where he relinquished a two-set lead and three championship points in a five-and-a-half-hour epic, Sinner has emerged as a prominent title contender at SW19.
The top seed, a three-time major winner, comprehensively outperformed the 95th-ranked Nardi, securing a comfortable victory in one hour and 48 minutes on the UK’s hottest day of the year.
The 23-year-old, who will next face Australian Aleksandar Vukic, reflected on his French Open loss in his post-match interview.
“New tournament, new chances, new challenges,” said Sinner, after demonstrating why he has reached at least the quarter-finals at Wimbledon for the past three years.
“If you don’t enjoy playing on these courts, I don’t know where you will enjoy [it]. I’m very happy to be here and let’s see what is coming.”
Nardi, 21, showed resistance in the first set and managed to fend off the first five break points he faced, but Sinner soon asserted his dominance.
Eventually seizing his seventh opportunity to secure the breakthrough and claim the first set, Sinner carried that momentum into the second, with the disparity between the players becoming increasingly evident as the match progressed.
Nardi was unable to contend with Sinner’s formidable combination of pace, power, and precision hitting, leading to an entirely one-sided third set that barely extended beyond 20 minutes.
Draper advances in Wimbledon opener as opponent retires
Gauff must ‘make changes’ to achieve Wimbledon success
Evans secures first Wimbledon match win in four years
In a match that concluded nearly 24 hours after its initial start, having been suspended late on Monday night with the score at one set apiece, Zverev fell short against an inspired Rinderknech in five sets.
Zverev twice served to remain in the match during the fourth set and recovered from a 4-1 deficit in the tie-break to force a decider.
However, the 72nd-ranked Rinderknech maintained his composure after securing an early break in the fifth set, ultimately winning 7-6 (7-3), 6-7 (8-10), 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4 and achieving his first career victory against a top-five player.
Italian Musetti, a Wimbledon semi-finalist last year, also suffered a surprising first-round defeat, losing 6-2, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 to qualifier Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia.
These losses followed the eliminations of Danish eighth seed Holger Rune and Russian ninth seed Daniil Medvedev on Monday.
Alexander Bublik, Kazakhstan’s 28th seed and winner of the Halle Open leading up to Wimbledon, served for the match in the fourth set against Spain’s Jaume Munar before losing 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2.
American fifth seed Taylor Fritz completed a comeback victory from two sets down, winning 6-7 (6-8), 6-7 (8-10), 6-4, 7-6 (8-6), 6-4 after his match against Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard was suspended late on Monday.
Live scores, results and order of play
Get tennis news sent straight to your phone
Comments can not be loaded
To load Comments you need to enable JavaScript in your browser