Aryna Sabalenka kept her cool on the hottest opening day in the history of the tournament while Carlos Alcaraz outlived a major scare in his opening match on Monday.
The All England Club’s average temperature on Monday was 32 degrees (89.6), breaking the previous record of 29.3 degrees set in 2001 for the start of the competition.
In a grueling four hours and 37 minute fight on Centre Court, Alcaraz defeated Fabio Fognini, 38, to claim 7-5, 7-5, 2-6, and 6-1.
A defending champion had to be in the fifth set for the first time since Roger Federer’s 2010 defeat to Alejandro Falla.
As the world number two fought back from the heat, Alcaraz shrugged off a consistent display, including 62 unforced errors.
“Fabio’s last Wimbledon is probably his last one because his level shows he can play for three or four more years,” said the Spaniard.
“Playing on Center Court is never simple when you play in a tournament.” The experience of Wimbledon is unique. I made an effort to play my best, but I think I could do better.
As medics arrived to the woman’s aid during the match, the 22-year-old immediately gave a bottle of water to the collapsed spectator who had rushed to the aid of the spectator.
Alcaraz faces British qualifier Oliver Tarvet in the second round, who has never lost in a Grand Slam first round.
The five-time Grand Slam champion, Roger Federer, Pete Sampras, Novak Djokovic, and five-time champion Bjorn Borg, is attempting to become the fifth player to have won at least three Wimbledon titles in a row.
Former England captain David Beckham and former England manager Gareth Southgate watched the action from the royal box as the crowds and players sought shade during the London heatwave.
Sabalenka, the top female qualifier, defeated Canadian qualifier Carson Branstine on Court One, 6-1, 7-5, to beat the heat.
The 27-year-old Belarusian won three Grand Slam titles in 2014, but he lost in the Australian Open and French Open finals three sets.
The world no. 1 missed the previous year’s tournament with a shoulder injury and has never gone beyond the Wimbledon semi-finals.
“I had a fantastic time. Marie Bouzkova, the 48th world number, will next face Czech world number 45 Sabalenka.
Mercury Sparrows ,
Ons Jabeur, a two-time Wimbledon champion, cried before resuming her first-round encounter with Viktoriya Tomova for an unnamed reason.
When Jabeur’s clash with the Bulgarian world number 111 came to an abrupt conclusion, Tunisian was 7-6 (7/5), 2-0.
Daniil Medvedev, a former US Open champion and past-winning semi-finalist, lost to France’s Benjamin Bonzi in a meltdown.
The fuming Russian slammed his racquet against his chair at the end of the match to claim 7-6 (7/2), 33-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-2).
Additionally, Stefanos Tsitsipas retired with an injury, while Danish eighth seed Holger Rune lost to Chilean world number 143 Nicolas Jarry, who had previously won the title, and former champion Matteo Berrettini crashed out.
Sonay Kartal, a British tennis player, defeated former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko 7-5, 2-6, and 6-2.
Madison Keys, the reigning Australian Open champion, defeated Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-7, (7), 7-5, 7-5, 7-5, 7-5, but British Open champion Katie Boulter, the ninth seed, lost in three sets to British Open champion Madison Keys.
Emma Raducanu, the former US Open champion, defeated fellow Briton Mimi Xu 6-3, 6-3 to advance to the second round with Marketa Vondrousova, the 2023 Wimbledon champion.
Due to Wimbledon’s curfew at 2300 local time, third seed Alexander Zverev and Arthur Rinderknech and fifth seed Taylor Fritz and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard were both suspended.
In order to protect the players’ health, Wimbledon has a heat rule.
