{"id":770180,"date":"2026-06-30T02:53:23","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T02:53:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/770180\/"},"modified":"2026-06-30T02:53:23","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T02:53:23","slug":"wimbledon-recap-day-1-stars-slip-all-over-the-grass-as-jannik-sinner-survives-scare","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/770180\/","title":{"rendered":"Wimbledon recap Day 1: Stars slip all over the grass as Jannik Sinner survives scare"},"content":{"rendered":"

Follow The Athletic\u2019s Wimbledon coverage<\/a><\/p>\n

Welcome to the Wimbledon briefing, where The Athletic\u00a0will explain the stories behind the stories on each day of the tournament.<\/p>\n

On Day 1, there were slips and falls aplenty, a defending champion survived an upset, and Britain had a very rough day.<\/p>\n

How did the fresh grass affect play?<\/p>\n

Slipping on grass is always an occupational hazard for a tennis player, but especially at the start of a tournament when the courts are at their freshest and slickest.<\/p>\n

Sure enough, Day 1 of Wimbledon was defined to some extent by the slips \u2014 and those players who got away with them, and those who didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Jannik Sinner, the men\u2019s world No. 1 and defending champion, was one of the lucky ones. He took a couple of falls, the second of which in the third set looked particularly awkward. Sinner was quickly back to his feet, though, and ultimately beat Miomir Kecmanovi\u0107 in five sets.<\/p>\n

Maja Chwali\u0144ska, this year\u2019s French Open finalist<\/a>, wasn\u2019t so fortunate on the women\u2019s side. The 24-year-old from Poland was up match point against Thailand\u2019s Mananchaya Sawangkaew, leading 6-2, 5-2, when her legs buckled from underneath her, and she fell to the ground. Chwali\u0144ska took a medical timeout for an ankle injury at the end of the game and was clearly hampered by it for the rest of the match. She ended up losing 2-6, 7-5, 6-2 and said in a news conference afterward that she had also \u201cgot cramps everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

Argentina\u2019s Camilo Ugo Carabelli couldn\u2019t even make it to the end of his match after a fall that also left him with an injured ankle. He had led by two sets to love but was forced to retire leading Spain\u2019s Daniel M\u00e9rida 6-4, 6-3 2-6, 0-3. Canada\u2019s Denis Shapovalov also hurt his shoulder hitting a low ball before slipping into the netting by the side of the court and was forced to retire against Pablo Carre\u00f1o Busta.<\/p>\n

Novak Djokovic took a couple of falls in the early stages of his match against Wu Yibing but didn\u2019t suffer an injury.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a situation that should improve over the next few days as the areas around the baseline become rougher and more worn, but being able to avoid injury when falling is a key grass-court skill.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Charlie Eccleshare<\/p>\n

How did Sinner survive a five-set scare?<\/p>\n

For a little while Monday, Sinner<\/a> looked as though he was about to create a piece of very unwanted history. Down two sets to one against an inspired Kecmanovi\u0107 of Serbia, he was one set from becoming the first defending Wimbledon men\u2019s singles champion to lose in the first round since Lleyton Hewitt lost to Ivo Karlovi\u0107 in 2003.<\/p>\n

The 24-year-old Italian was mixing woeful drop shots with regulation misses (Sinner made 54 unforced errors in the first three sets) against Kecmanovi\u0107, who was serving brilliantly and skidding the ball through the court.<\/p>\n

When Sinner held a set point in the third set, Kecmanovi\u0107 produced extraordinary athleticism to fend him off at the net. As the players crossed one another at the change of ends, Sinner held out his hand to Kecmanovi\u0107 in respect for his opponent\u2019s heroics:<\/p>\n

A couple of points later, Sinner was a set away from what would have been his second shocking loss in a row, after a heat-induced collapse against Juan Manuel Cer\u00fandolo at the French Open last month, when Sinner wilted from two sets and 5-1 up.<\/p>\n

Sinner didn\u2019t panic, though, and seemed to remember why he has been the dominant world No. 1 this year:<\/p>\n

From 2-2 in the fourth set, he moved a bit further back to return, and in giving himself a bit more time, started to cut out the uncharacteristically sloppy returns. He won four straight games to take the match into a decider and then rolled through it 6-3. It proved to be a blessedly straightforward fifth set, having lost his previous five, and eight of his past nine.<\/p>\n

Sinner said in a news conference afterwards that after the first set, he \u201ctried to reset myself as fast as I could.\u201d He also played down the seriousness of a toenail that ripped off and bloodied his shoe a deep red, and those couple of slips around the baseline.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

\n A torn nail on Jannik Sinner\u2019s right foot bled into his shoe at Wimbledon. (Marleen Fouchier \/ BSR Agency via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

\u201cI try to stay there mentally,\u201d Sinner said. \u201cTrying also to enjoy the moment because it has been an amazing day for me and my team as well. Coming here, opening match on Centre Court, it\u2019s a huge privilege.\u201d<\/p>\n

As well as being a privilege, the tradition of opening play on Centre Court for the defending men\u2019s champion undoubtedly adds a degree of pressure. \u201cIt was very nervy, but very happy that I found a way today,\u201d Sinner said.<\/p>\n

Carlos Alcaraz experienced similar emotions in last year\u2019s first round and also needed five sets \u2014 eventually getting past the 38-year-old Fabio Fognini. He still made the final without too much trouble.<\/p>\n

Sinner will hope Monday\u2019s win was similarly more a reflection of nerves and acclimatizing to the Wimbledon grass rather than an indicator of more trouble ahead.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Charlie Eccleshare<\/p>\n

And what happened to British hopes?<\/p>\n

The first Monday of Wimbledon was a rough one for Britain\u2019s tennis stars. With Emma Raducanu<\/a> having withdrawn Sunday with a stress fracture to her right leg, Jack Draper<\/a> followed her out of the tournament, pulling out with a recurrence of his left arm injury.<\/p>\n

Still, with 10 British players on court on Day 1, there was plenty of opportunity for other names to make an impression. Cameron Norrie, the 2022 semifinalist and so often the last player standing at the All England Club lately, couldn\u2019t do it, falling 6-7(7), 6-2, 6-7(2), 6-3, 7-6(10-4) to qualifier Michael Zheng of the U.S., who had completed the feat of qualifying for all four majors in the space of one year at college.<\/p>\n

What about Harriet Dart, who moved up to No. 1 Court after Raducanu\u2019s withdrawal? She fell, too, despite a spirited performance against Latvia\u2019s Jelena Ostapenko, losing 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.<\/p>\n

And the losses just kept coming. Qualifier Ollie Tarvet, who thrilled Centre Court last year in a defeat to Alcaraz, injured himself against France\u2019s No. 25 seed Arthur Rinderknech and lost in four sets. U.S. Open girls\u2019 singles champion Mika Stojsavljevic started quickly against No. 11 seed Belinda Bencic but lost in straight sets. That was just how the day went.<\/p>\n

When it was over, 10 of the 11 British players who walked on to a grass court had lost. Jack Pinnington Jones, the lone survivor, was down two sets to Brandon Nakashima of the U.S. when their match was halted for light. On a bright summer\u2019s day in southwest London, it was the worst opening day at Wimbledon for British players since records began 26 years ago.<\/p>\n

\u2014 James Hansen<\/p>\n

Other notable results on Day 1
\nWorld No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka (1)\u00a0eased past Serbia\u2019s Teodora Kostovi\u0107 (Q)\u00a06-2, 6-3.
\nNovak Djokovic (7) used all his reserves of self-motivation to beat\u00a0Wu Yibing 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 before the 11 p.m. curfew fell on Centre Court.
\nNaomi Osaka (14) continued her rich vein of grass-court form, defeating France\u2019s Elsa Jacquemot 6-1, 7-5.
\nAndrey Rublev (12)\u00a0fell in a gripping fifth-set tiebreak to Russian compatriot Roman Safiullin (Q), 6-4, 6-7(6), 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(14-12).
\nShot\u00a0of the day<\/p>\n

Kecmanovi\u0107, down set point to Sinner, produced one of the finishing shots of his life to hold on against the world No. 1:<\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/p>\n

Drop shots<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcfa Andy Roddick<\/a> brought a fresh brand of analysis to tennis media. ESPN and Wimbledon are next.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcab At Wimbledon, the Williams sisters built a dynasty<\/a>. Now they are adding to their legacies<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udc57 For Naomi Osaka, the all-white rule at Wimbledon<\/a> was no obstacle to creativity.<\/p>\n

\ud83e\udd15 After Emma Raducanu withdrew with a stress fracture in her leg<\/a>, her fellow home hope Jack Draper was forced out with a left arm injury<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcb0 Why players have halted their media protest<\/a> after prize-money discussions with Wimbledon organizers.<\/p>\n

Up next: First round continues<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfbe Women\u2019s singles: Taylor Townsend vs. Iga \u015awi\u0105tek (3)<\/p>\n

8:30 a.m. ET on ESPN, ESPN Unlimited<\/p>\n

\u015awi\u0105tek is so much more comfortable on hard and clay courts than she is on grass that she described winning last year\u2019s Wimbledon title as beyond her imagination. This year, \u015awi\u0105tek will attempt to become the first woman to defend her Wimbledon title since Serena Williams did it in 2016. Playing Townsend won\u2019t present the easiest start. The three-time Grand Slam doubles champion has a varied game with a killer serve, and she won\u2019t be intimidated by \u015awi\u0105tek.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfbe Men\u2019s singles: Rapha\u00ebl Collignon vs. Arthur Fils (20)<\/p>\n

10 a.m. ET (est.) on ESPN Unlimited<\/p>\n

Fils\u2019 comeback match \u2014 or re-comeback match. The promising 22-year-old Frenchman had to pull out of the French Open last month because of an injury he has deliberately kept vague, just a few weeks after he returned to the tour after an eight-month layoff to heal a stress fracture in his back. Fils played impressively well during that time, considering how long he\u2019d been away, but Belgium\u2019s Collignon doesn\u2019t scare easily. He took out Ben Shelton in the second round of the French Open.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfbe Women\u2019s singles: Serena Williams (WC) vs. Maya Joint<\/p>\n

2:30 p.m. ET (est.) on ESPN, ESPN Unlimited<\/p>\n

As Williams said of her 20-year-old, first-round opponent in her pre-tournament news conference: \u201cI\u2019m sure she knows my game.\u201d Williams is correct, and Joint will be battling some version of that fearsome game and the formidable aura that accompanies the 44-year-old, 23-time Grand Slam champion whenever she steps on the court. Joint is no schlub on grass \u2014 she won a 250-level WTA title on grass in Eastbourne, England, last year \u2014 but Tuesday is as much a mental challenge as anything.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfbe Men\u2019s singles: Stan Wawrinka (WC) vs. Matteo Berrettini<\/p>\n

2:30 p.m. ET (est.) on ESPN Unlimited<\/p>\n

A match that is sure to be emotional on both sides. Berrettini lost a Wimbledon final to Djokovic in 2021, back when he was the cream of the crop of tennis players pouring out of Italy, but his career has been derailed by injury for the past few years, and at the French Open, he again had to retire from his quarterfinal match because of a hip injury. On the other side, three-time Grand Slam champion Wawrinka is playing his final Wimbledon before retirement.<\/p>\n

Wimbledon 2026 women\u2019s bracketWimbledon 2026 men\u2019s bracket<\/p>\n

Tell us what you noticed on the first day \u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Follow The Athletic\u2019s Wimbledon coverage Welcome to the Wimbledon briefing, where The Athletic\u00a0will explain the stories behind the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":770181,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[442],"tags":[49,48,9045,4963,82,593],"class_list":["post-770180","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tennis","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-global-sports","tag-olympics","tag-sports","tag-tennis"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/770180","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=770180"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/770180\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/770181"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=770180"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=770180"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=770180"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}