Carlos Alcaraz survives major scare in gruelling five-setter with Fabio Fognini
The second seed eventually came through a marathon encounter 7-5 6-7 (5) 7-5 2-6 6-1 in an energy-sapping four hours and 37 minutes.
'Playing the first match is never easy, I've been playing well on grass but Wimbledon is different. I tried to play the best I could but I would say I could be better. It was a great match.'
In the first four sets the Alcaraz serve was misfiring and his forehand was erratic, and the flamboyant Fognini almost took advantage.
The former world number nine was going through his array of flicks and tricks as he enjoyed what was his final appearance in SW19.
He almost embarked on a lap of honour after coming out on top in one mesmerising rally which left Alcaraz, 16 years his junior, leaning on his towel box gasping for breath.
The roar Alcaraz let out when he came from a break down to take the third set illustrated just how much he was being tested.
When Fognini levelled the match for a second time former champion Pat Cash, commentating for the BBC, said he could be witnessing 'the biggest upset in Wimbledon history'.
Lleyton Hewitt, in 2003, is the only men's defending champion to lose in the first round in the Open era.
All the emotions on Centre Court – and it's only Day One! 😅#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/uk0zwDZq97
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 30, 2025
But Alcaraz avoided joining that exclusive club when he secured an early break in the decider, then saved two break points before a 15-minute delay while a spectator was treated after falling ill in the extreme heat.
Fognini's moment had passed and Alcaraz maintained his bid to join Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic as the only men to win three successive Wimbledon crowns.
Should he achieve the 'three-peat' he would also equal the feat of his hero Rafael Nadal, who won the French Open, Queen's and Wimbledon titles in 2008.
Alcaraz will face British qualifier Oliver Tarvet in round two and added: 'I saw his name when he qualified for the first time, he's in the second round so he's at a level. I will have to bring my best tennis to the match.'
There were plenty of shocks on day one with furious ninth seed Daniil Medvedev smashing up his rackets after losing to French journeyman Benjamin Bonzi.
The combustible Russian, who reached the semi-finals last year, tumbled out 7-6 (2) 3-6 7-6 (3) 6-2 in just over three hours.
Eight seed Holger Rune blew a two-set lead as he fell in five to inspired Chilean Nicolas Jarry.
Former world number three Stefanos Tsitsipas is also out after retiring from his match against Valentin Royer.
The Greek, seeded 24th, had treatment on his back in the second set and called it a day while trailing 6-3 6-2, handing Frenchman Royer, the world number 113, a first tour-level win.
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The Independent
23 minutes ago
- The Independent
Defending champion Barbora Krejcikova survives scare in Wimbledon opener
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Telegraph
25 minutes ago
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The world's best tennis players have very much arrived at Wimbledon, with the Championships getting under way under glorious sunshine at SW19. Skip to: Draw details How to watch How to buy Wimbledon tickets Prize money When do the Wimbledon finals take place? New to 2025 British players at Wimbledon Latest odds Draw details How to watch Wimbledon on TV and streaming in the UK The BBC is broadcasting the event on BBC One, BBC Two and iPlayer. Isa Guha (in the morning) and Clare Balding (in the afternoon) will lead the presenting team. They will be joined by John McEnroe, Martina Navratilova, Billie Jean King, Pat Cash, Tracy Austin, Tim Henman and Annabel Croft. Every match is available to stream live on the iPlayer. The popular highlights show, Today at Wimbledon, has been moved to a graveyard slot on BBC2 – at 11.55pm on day one and a similar time thereafter. For viewers who want to watch the highlights show earlier, it will still be available at 8pm or 9pm on the iPlayer. 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The tournament takes place, as ever, at the All England Lawn Tennis Club on Church Road, Wimbledon. The competition has been held on this site since 1922, when The Championships were moved from their previous location on Worple Road. How to buy Wimbledon tickets The public Wimbledon ballot is closed, meaning that most tickets for the show courts are unavailable. However, one of the traditions of Wimbledon is 'the Queue'. Every day fans can queue for a ticket to one of the show courts or for a grounds pass, depending on what is available by the time they reach the front of the queue. Each day 500 tickets for Centre Court (excluding the last four days), No 1 Court, and No 2 Court are sold. A grounds pass entitles fans to access all courts apart from the show courts. Resale tickets for Centre Court, No 1 Court and No 2 Court are available from 3pm each day, from the ticket resale kiosk north of Court 18. For more ticket information, click here. What is the Wimbledon prize money? 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Daily Mail
31 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Wimbledon star who had his career funded by Novak Djokovic is forced to retire from first-round match after collapsing in agony
A Wimbledon star who has had his career funded by Novak Djokovic has been forced to retire in his first round match after collapsing. The Championships continues in soaring temperatures on day two, with a number of players in first round action with the sweltering heat proving difficult to play through in some cases. While the likes of Carlos Alvaraz and Emma Raducanu were in action on day one, day two would play host to the likes of Coco Gauff, while Djokovic himself was pencilled in to feature on Centre Court on Tuesday. Elsewhere, though, at the All England club, some of the lesser-known names were doing their best to compete for important prize money and progress in the tournament. That included down on Court Eight, which played host to Hamad Medjedovic and Sebastian Ofner in their first round match in the men's singles. Things were going well up until the end of the first set, which featured a hard-fought tiebreak with Serb Medjedovic, 21, 8-7 up. Then, though, things went south. Medjedovic slipped at the back of the court when he had set point, trying to change direction with his legs ending up heading opposite ways. He let out a cry of pain, with the umpire rushing to check up on him. A physio also entered the court as he was shaded from the sun by a ball girl. Though clearly in some discomfort, the star limped back to his chair after a lengthy delay. On the very next point, though, he slipped again as his left ankle buckled. He lost the set and departed the court for a medial time-out. After a 14 minute break, though, he fought on. It didn't take long until the game was done, however, with Medjedovic 3-1 down in the second set and deciding to call it a day, sacrificing his spot in the competition. Now world No 73, Medjedovic had his early career funded by Djokovic, as the 24-time grand slam champion paid for expenses for his countryman. Djokovic would help out with travel, coaching and other expenses, helping Medjedovic to rise through the ranks and ultimately win the Next Gen ATP finals and end up on the circuit. The duo have also played together in the Davis Cup. Now, though, Djokovic's prodigy is out, with it unsure how serious his injury is. He has never made it through the first round at Wimbledon before.
