Wimbledon: Djokovic Makes Winning Start as Nine British Players Exit on Difficult Opening Day

Novak Djokovic began his quest for a record-extending 25th Grand Slam singles title with a composed victory over China’s Wu Yibing, while Britain’s hopes suffered a major setback as nine home players were eliminated on a disappointing opening day at Wimbledon.

The Serbian star, an eight-time Wimbledon champion, took control early on Centre Court by winning the opening set against Wu before maintaining his dominance to secure a straight-sets victory and book his place in the second round. Djokovic displayed his trademark consistency, using his powerful serve and precise baseline play to keep the former Chinese No. 1 under constant pressure.

Djokovic’s performance marked an encouraging start after an injury-interrupted season and reinforced his status as one of the favourites to challenge defending champion Jannik Sinner for the Wimbledon crown.

While Djokovic progressed comfortably, it was a day to forget for the home contingent.

Nine British players were knocked out in the opening round, including former British No. 1 Cameron Norrie, who lost a dramatic five-set battle to American qualifier Michael Zheng after more than four hours on court. Norrie twice recovered to level the match but was ultimately beaten in a deciding tie-break.

Other British casualties included Harriet Dart, Mika Stojsavljevic, Hannah Klugman, Felix Gill, Alicia Dudeney, Oliver Bonding, Luca Pow, and Hamish Stewart, leaving the home crowd with few victories to celebrate on the opening day.

The British challenge had already been weakened before play began after Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper withdrew from the tournament because of injuries.

Defending men’s champion Jannik Sinner also advanced, although he was pushed to his limits by Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanović in a gripping five-set contest.

The world No. 1 lost the opening set and struggled physically at times before recovering to claim victory, underlining the unpredictable nature of the opening day.

In the women’s draw, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka opened her campaign with a comfortable straight-sets victory, while Naomi Osaka, Jessica Pegula, and Barbora Krejčíková also advanced safely to the second round.

However, the tournament also produced several major upsets, with top men’s seeds Casper Ruud and Andrey Rublev suffering surprise first-round defeats, highlighting the competitive nature of this year’s championships.

With another confident Wimbledon debut behind him, Djokovic remains firmly focused on making tennis history by capturing a record 25th Grand Slam singles title.

The Serbian’s experience on grass, combined with his impressive movement and tactical discipline, makes him one of the leading contenders despite strong competition from Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and other top-ranked players.

As the tournament moves into the second round, attention will remain on Djokovic’s pursuit of another Wimbledon crown, while British fans hope the remaining home players can revive local fortunes after a bruising opening day at the All England Club.