Sinner and Sabalenka start Wimbledon with wins

Defending Wimbledon champion Jannik Sinner began his title defense with a hard-fought five-set victory over Serbia's Miomir Kecmanović. The world number one, who admitted to feeling tense and making errors early on, ultimately prevailed 4-6, 6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 6-2, 6-3 after nearly three and a half hours on court.

“

I was a bit tense at the beginning, I didn't play my best tennis because it was my first official match on grass. I'm happy I managed to turn the situation around.

Sinner acknowledged that his first grass-court match of the season was a struggle. "I was a bit tense at the beginning, I didn't play my best tennis because it was my first official match on grass. I'm happy I managed to turn the situation around," he stated. He recognized the need for improvement, particularly after a shaky start in the first two sets, and committed to elevating his game for the next round against Portugal's Nuno Borges.

“

There are some improvements to make for the next round. I made a lot of errors in the first two sets. A first round is never easy. I knew how to raise my level of play when needed.

In the women's draw, Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, the current world number one, also advanced, defeating Serbia's Teodora Kostović 6-2, 6-3. Sabalenka, who had experienced disappointing quarterfinal exits at Roland Garros and Berlin, sought to regain confidence on the London grass. She expressed satisfaction with her performance, rating it an "eight out of ten" for a first match, despite acknowledging that recent results had shaken her dominance on the tour.

“

For being the first match, I felt quite good. I give myself an eight out of ten.