LONDON, June 29 (Xinhua) -- Defending men's champion Jannik Sinner and seven-time winner Novak Djokovic survived first-round tests at the 2026 Wimbledon Championships, while China's Wang Xinyu and Zhang Shuai advanced in the women's singles draw.
World No. 1 Sinner battled back from a set down to defeat Serbia's Miomir Kecmanovic 4-6, 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-2, 6-3 in a gripping opener that lasted three hours and 30 minutes.
Playing his first match since a dramatic second-round defeat at the French Open last month, Sinner struggled with unforced errors and slipped heavily during the third set, remaining on the ground for several moments. Blood later seeped through his right shoe in the fourth set, though he later said the bleeding was caused by a toenail issue and was not serious.
The Italian found his form back in the final two sets, committing just 10 unforced errors, while firing 31 aces and 72 winners for the whole match. He will next face Portugal's Nuno Borges.
Djokovic was also pushed hard before defeating China's Wu Yibing 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 in three hours and 12 minutes. The 39-year-old Serbian showed signs of fatigue late in the match but converted three of his six break-point opportunities, while Wu managed just one break from 11 chances.
"It didn't feel like a first round, to be honest," said Djokovic. "Wu deserves huge applause for his incredible performance. He put me under a lot of pressure. I probably should have lost that fourth set. These kinds of matches are decided in a few points."
"It was a wonderful match against an excellent opponent on Wimbledon's center court," Wu said. "I had many break points in the third and fourth sets, and it's a pity that I failed to capitalize on them."
"I was fully prepared for a tough battle before the match, knowing how strong his baseline play is. I was basically in control of the match's tempo and was perhaps the more aggressive one from the baseline. However, he always managed to return one extra shot at crucial moments, using high-looping balls to disrupt my rhythm, which prevents me from playing decisively," Wu added.
In the women's draw, China's Wang defeated Elisabetta Cocciaretto of Italy 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 to reach the Wimbledon second round for the fourth consecutive year.
After splitting the opening two sets, Wang adjusted her tactics by attacking the net more frequently in the decider. She secured the decisive break in a marathon fifth game before winning the final three games to seal victory.
"The match came down to who could take control in the first two shots. We were very close in level," said Wang, who will next face 11th-seeded Belinda Bencic.
Zhang, 37, also advanced, edging former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu 7-6 (3), 7-6 (6).
The Chinese said she drew inspiration from Sinner's comeback unfolding simultaneously on the center court.
"Every time I looked up at Sinner's score, he was behind too," she said. "He's the world No. 1. Even a player as great as him can fall behind, lose sets and come back. I just needed to give my best."
China's Zheng Qinwen suffered another first-round loss to the Czech Republic's Katerina Siniakova, falling 6-4, 6-4. It marked the third time Siniakova has beaten Zheng in the opening round at Wimbledon after victories in 2023 and 2025.
"My opponent played really well today. More importantly, the two dropped games on my own serve proved to be the turning point of the match. It was also a big pity that I missed out on many break point opportunities today," Zheng said.
"Grass court play is definitely different from other surfaces. I need to be more aggressive with my serve here. Although both of us committed double faults today, I believe my serve is definitely a key area I can focus on improving," she added.
Top seed Aryna Sabalenka opened with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Serbia's Teodora Kostovic. Fourth seed Jessica Pegula, reigning French Open champion Mirra Andreeva and former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka also advanced. Enditem
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