In his 21st appearance at Wimbledon and the 116th match played at the All England Club, 39-year-old Novak Djokovic demonstrated his tenacity in pursuit of a record-equalling eighth title. He secured a 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 victory over China’s Wu Yibing, marking a challenging start to the tournament.
The match score reflects only part of the contest’s intensity. Djokovic appeared in control during the opening set, but Wu, a promising talent hindered by injuries in his career, began to unleash powerful shots from the baseline, particularly with his forehand. The third set proved pivotal as Djokovic managed to break Wu’s serve at a crucial moment and subsequently sealed the set after a lengthy deuce game. In the fourth set, he faced significant pressure from Wu but broke in the ninth game and served out to love, extending his remarkable record of never losing in the first round at Wimbledon.
“It felt really challenging for me today,” said Djokovic. “Wu deserves a huge round of applause for his performance. It didn’t feel like the first round, to be honest.”
The match began with the roof open, but it was closed after Wu claimed the second set. Djokovic remarked, “Felt like we played two different matches, without roof and closed roof,”
He added, “You kind of have to try to adjust to that and adapt to that but it’s not easy. He put me under a lot of pressure. He definitely surprised me with every shot he had in his game. I was lucky he missed the overhead on break point [at 4-4 in the fourth set]. I probably should have lost that fourth set, he had a few break points. These kind of matches are decided in a few points. “Thankfully I have experience of playing on this court that can help me a little bit. It would be nice to combine experience with a new, young, fresh body.”
As the last member of the iconic trio, with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal now retired, Djokovic faces a shifting landscape in men’s tennis. Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have emerged as the new faces expected to dominate. However, with Alcaraz absent from this year’s Wimbledon and Sinner having an early exit at the French Open and struggling on the opening day, there is an opportunity for others to emerge.
Among the promising newcomers are João Fonseca and Rafael Jódar, a Brazilian and a Spaniard respectively, both showcasing impressive skills and a fearless mindset. They both won their opening matches decisively; Fonseca defeated Spanish veteran Roberto Bautista Agut 7-6 (4), 6-4, 6-3, while Jódar overcame Britain’s Felix Gill 6-3, 6-3, 7-5.
“This surface is a bit different from the other two,” Jódar commented. “You have to pay more attention to every detail, because everything goes very fast, and if you don’t serve very well one game, then getting that break back is difficult. I think I handled very well the situations in the match today.”
