Novak Djokovic defies ‘Wuuus’ – but this wasn’t the Wimbledon start he wanted
Novak Djokovic held on to defeat China’s Yibing Wu in four “really tough” sets to win the first round at Wimbledon.
Wu, world number 102, looked likely to drag Djokovic, 39, into the decider when he went 0-40 while trailing the Serbian 3-2, but the 24-time champion saved all six break points he faced in the fourth as he held before breaking his opponent – 6 4 4 to close 4 4 – 4 4 – 4 and 17 minutes.
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Wu, a former US Open junior champion who has been rebuilding her career as a 26-year-old due to injuries over the past two seasons, wowed the Center Court crowd with her low-key, aggressive game from the start. The level he produced led to “Wuuuu” from the crowd, which sounded like boos, but was actually recognition of Wu pushing Djokovic in a closer match than he would have liked to start in two days.
The crowd at Central Court gave Wu a standing ovation and more cries of ‘Wuuuu’ (Getty)
Djokovic has not played since his French Open third-round exit to Joao Fonseca but sounded optimistic about his Wimbledon preparations as he bids for a record 25th Grand Slam title and eighth Wimbledon title. However, this was not a straight start. Despite showing off his impressive prowess on the grass, stretching to pieces to return Wu’s shots and diving for potential winners, seeing Djokovic stretch his back and wave throughout the third and fourth sets can be worrying.
Had Wu taken one of his six break points in the fourth, it would have been impossible for the fifth set to end before Wimbledon’s 11pm curfew and Djokovic would have been forced to return on Tuesday to play the rest of the match. Djokovic even admitted that he “should have lost” the fourth set but Wu was unable to capitalize on his opportunities.
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“It felt really challenging today, Wu deserves a round of applause for his excellent performance,” said Djokovic on the court. “As for how I feel, I feel happy but not in the way I think.
“He put me under a lot of pressure. I’ve never faced him before; I knew he likes to hit the ball very low and very aggressive in the back of the court and he likes to defend the line. But he really surprised me with the level of all the shots he had in his game since he came back to serve, forehand, backhand and at some point he didn’t really have a weakness.
“I play on this court, these type of games are decided by a few points and a few shots. Thankfully I have 20+ years of experience playing on this court that can help me a little bit and control the situation. It would be good to combine experience with a fresh body – that would be a winning formula.”
Djokovic extended his opening lead but avoided a comeback on Tuesday (PA)
Jannik Sinner is bloody – but he stays put
Just after four o’clock on the opening day of Wimbledon, it looked as if Jannik Sinner might find a place in the record books. Returning as the defending champion to open play on Center Court is one of the perks that comes with winning the sport’s oldest and most prestigious trophy, but it comes with pressure, too. Only two men have lost in the first round as a reigning champion, Manuel Santana in 1967 and Lleyton Hewitt in 2003, and when Sinner trailed Miomir Kecmanovic in two sets to one it briefly looked like something historic was about to happen.
Soni slips to beat Miomir Kecmanovic in five sets (Reuters)
“I tried to fix myself as fast as I could,” Sinner said later. In doing so, the Italian avoided the kind of slump that almost unthinkably spelled his final exit at the French Open, where he lost, shockingly, in straight sets while physically and mentally exhausted from a 30-match winning streak. Despite welcoming his preparation for Wimbledon, questions remained about Sinner’s condition. When Kecmanovic, ranked 50th in the world but able to produce powerful, flat strokes from her compact, strong frame, won the third set tiebreak Sinner had lost five of her previous six sets.
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To win, Sini had to go a long way. He had not won a match in five sets since coming back from two sets down to defeat Daniil Medvedev in the 2024 Australian Open final, his first major victory. Since then, he has lost five in a row, including losses to Carlos Alcaraz in the finals of the 2025 French Open and Juan Manuel Cerundolo last month, and his loss to Djokovic in the semifinals of this season’s Australian Open. There were, too, concerns about injuries. The blood that flowed from Soni’s white Nikes from his forehead was not an issue. Rather, about falling and crying after slipping on the new grass during the second set. “I was lucky there because things can go wrong, very quickly,” said the 24-year-old.
Jannik Sinner fights back in five-set Wimbledon opener (PA Wire)
Jannik Sinner’s broken toenail bleeds into his shoe (Getty)
For all those reasons and doubts, Sinner came away with a crucial victory that could be his toughest test in this opening week. From two sets down, he settled down and found the tennis that built that 30-match winning streak and made him a heavy favorite ahead of the French Open.
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“Trying to hold the first games of service is very important because if you break it quickly, it’s difficult to come back. “But I’m trying to stay there mentally, I’m also trying to enjoy this moment because it’s been an amazing day for me and my team as well.”
And now he can get into his groove. He has faced a trip to Center Court, he has navigated the new grass and broken into the venue where he impressively beat Alcaraz to win last year’s title.
“Now we have one day, I hope it gives us a little time and the right rhythm to come back the next day,” he said. “It’s a little different to play on Center Court the first game because the ball moves slower than the fields you practice on. At first I was struggling in the front. I knew before the game. I need a few games.”
