Novak Djokovic survived a stern test from China's Wu Yibing in the first round of Wimbledon, winning 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 on Monday. The 39-year-old Serbian, playing his 21st Wimbledon and 116th match at the All England Club, is seeking a men's record-equalling eighth title.
Djokovic's Grit Tested
The scoreline belied the difficulty of the contest. After a comfortable first set, Wu began to unleash powerful winners from the baseline, particularly on his forehand, pushing Djokovic to his limits. The third set proved pivotal, with Djokovic securing a crucial break and then winning a lengthy deuce game to take it. In the fourth, he faced immense pressure before breaking in the ninth game and serving out to love, maintaining his record of never losing in the first round at Wimbledon.
"It felt really challenging for me today," Djokovic said. "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 won the second set. "Felt like we played two different matches, without roof and closed roof," Djokovic noted. "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."
Next Generation Emerges
With Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal retired, Djokovic is the last of the old big three. Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz were expected to dominate, but Alcaraz is absent this year and Siner lost early at the French Open and struggled on day one. This opens the door for new talents like 19-year-old Brazilian Joao Fonseca and Spanish teenager Rafael Jodar.
Fonseca overwhelmed Spanish veteran Roberto Bautista Agut 7-6 (4), 6-4, 6-3, while Jodar defeated Britain's Felix Gill 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 in his first tour-level match on grass. "This surface is a bit different from the other two," Jodar said. "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."
British Hopes Dashed
It was a chastening first day for British hopes, with Dart and Norrie both falling short. Djokovic, meanwhile, looks to combine his experience with the energy of youth. "Thankfully I have experience of playing on this court that can help me a little bit," he said. "It would be nice to combine experience with a new, young, fresh body."
