Alcaraz, Sabalenka In Action On Day One At Sizzling Wimbledon
With London sweltering in a summer heatwave, Alcaraz will aim to maintain his red-hot form in the opening match on Centre Court against 38-year-old Italian Fabio Fognini.
Having vanquished seven-time champion Novak Djokovic in the past two Wimbledon finals, Alcaraz is looking to join an elite group at the All England Club.
The 22-year-old has won 29 of his 32 Tour-level matches on grass, with his last defeat at Wimbledon coming against world number one Jannik Sinner in the last 16 in 2022.
Alcaraz is bidding to become the fifth man in the Open Era to win at least three consecutive Wimbledon titles after Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and Djokovic.
"I really want to lift the trophy. I'm not thinking about how many players have done it, winning three Wimbledons in a row," said the Spaniard, who beat Sinner in an epic French Open final earlier this month.
"I'm just thinking that I want to prepare myself in the best way possible. Obviously, I feel a lot of confidence right now."
Former England captain David Beckham will watch the action from the royal box on Centre Court, alongside ex-England manager Gareth Southgate.
Temperatures on Monday are expected to climb to at least 33 degrees Celsius (91 degrees Fahrenheit).
According to the Met Office, it is provisionally the hottest start to Wimbledon on record, with 29.7 Celsius being recorded nearby.
The tournament has a heat rule that it is ready to activate to safeguard the health of the players.
The rule allows a 10-minute break to be taken between the second and third sets for women's matches and between the third and fourth sets for men's matches, when the heat stress index is at or above 30.1 degrees Celsius.
"The obvious point to make is that the athletes compete in temperatures like this all year on the Tour so for us Brits here at the championships it feels very hot," said Wimbledon chief executive Sally Bolton.
"We do have the heat rule available to us which again is well used on the tour so we will be taking heat stress monitor readings."
Sabalenka will be determined to keep her cool when the women's top seed starts her campaign against Canadian qualifier Carson Branstine on Court One.
The 27-year-old Belarusian is a three-time Grand Slam champion but has suffered agonising three-set defeats in this year's Australian Open and French Open finals.
Sabalenka was beaten by Madison Keys in Melbourne and Coco Gauff in Paris, with the latter defeat triggering a frustrated outburst from the loser.
She was heavily criticised for claiming the Roland Garros loss was due to her own mistakes rather than Gauff's performance.
"I didn't really want to offend her (Gauff). I was just completely upset with myself, and emotions overcame me. I just completely lost it," Sabalenka said.
"It was a tough time for me. The lesson is learned. I was able to sit back and be open to myself, not just to ignore some things.
"I really hope it will never happen again."
Elsewhere on Monday, German third seed Alexander Zverev faces France's Arthur Rinderknech, while Italian women's fourth seed Jasmine Paolini, beaten by Barbora Krejcikova in last year's final, opens against Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia.
There are 23 British players in the men's and women's singles, the most since 1984, with former US Open champion Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter among those in action on Monday.
A significant change this year will be the absence of line judges after a switch to electronic line calling.
"It will be a little bit different and I think it'll take us a little bit of time to get used to that but we felt very much that it was time to move on," said Bolton.
With thousands of people in the queue for tickets on Monday the All England Club is advising people not to travel. Wimbledon got under way in searing heat on Monday AFP Carlos Alcaraz is aiming for a third straight Wimbledon title AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
DW
6 hours ago
- DW
Germany updates: 1,000 firefighters tackle wildfires in east – DW – 07/05/2025
Two major wildfires have been burning in the eastern German states of Saxony and Thuringia. Meanwhile, several people were injured when a bus overturned in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Follow DW for more. Following a heat wave that brought temperatures up to 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) across parts of Germany, firefighters have been deployed to tackle raging fires. A total of 1,000 emergency personnel have been deployed to Gohrischheide in Saxony and the Saalfelder Höhe in Thuringia, both in eastern Germany. Firefighters on the scene estimated the extent of the affected area to reach 1,000 hectares (2,470 acres). Several hundred people on Saturday celebrated the Christopher Street Day (CSD) parade to promote diversity and tolerance for the LGBTQ+ community in Falkensee, a town in the eastern German state of Brandenburg. On the same day, several dozen participants protested against Pride events. Police say both the march and the counter demonstration remained peaceful. Paris Saint-Germain have booked a spot in the Club World Cup semifinals after a tense 2-0 win over Bayern Munich — but the match was overshadowed by a gruesome injury to young German star Jamal Musiala. Desire Doue opened the scoring in the 78th minute after Joao Neves robbed Harry Kane near midfield and sparked a quick counter that ended with Doue's left-footed shot beating Manuel Neuer at the near post. PSG finished with nine men after late red cards for Willian Pacho and Lucas Hernandez, but clung on as Bayern threw everything forward. Ousmane Dembele sealed the win deep into stoppage time with a breakaway goal. Bayern had two goals ruled out for offside, including a Harry Kane header, and saw a late penalty overturned by VAR. Musiala's injury stunned both teams. In first-half stoppage time, PSG keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma collided with Musiala's left ankle while diving for a loose ball, leaving the 22-year-old's foot hanging at an unnatural angle. Donnarumma was visibly shaken as Musiala was stretchered off. PSG will face either Real Madrid or Borussia Dortmund in Wednesday's semifinal at East Rutherford, New Jersey. Saturday's quarterfinal drew 66,937 fans to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta — the city's biggest crowd yet ahead of next year's World Cup. A father and his child have gone missing after a boating accident on the Eibsee, an Alpine lake in southern Germany, police said on Saturday. The family of four was out on a pedal boat when the six-year-old fell into the water and the father jumped in to rescue them — but neither resurfaced. Emergency responders are caring for the mother and the couple's other child, aged four. Police said the family is from Bavaria. A major rescue operation is underway with helicopters and divers searching the lake. Firefighters and emergency personnel continue to battle the forest fire in the Gohrischheide region on the border between the eastern German states of Saxony and Brandenburg. The situation on the Saxony side remains more difficult. Around 700 firefighters were deployed on Saturday afternoon, according to a statement from the Meissen district office. The situation in the Saalfelder Höhe in Thuringia has been stabilized, according to authorities. Emergency services were able to prevent the fire from spreading overnight."Our emergency services have the situation under control," the Thuringian State Chancellery, which called the forest fire "the largest of its kind" in the state in over 30 years, posted on X. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party leader Alice Weidel says the cente-left Social Democrats' (SPD) push to consider banning her party reminds her of "very dark times." Speaking in Berlin on Saturday, Weidel compared the idea to Adolf Hitler's crackdown on other parties and the press. The SPD's party conference last weekend called for constitutional bodies to prepare conditions to file an application to have the AfD declared unconstitutional. Any party ban would have to be decided by Germany's Constitutional Court and requested by the federal government or parliament. Calls for a ban have gained momentum after Germany's domestic intelligence service upgraded its assessment of the AfD, citing "confirmed right-wing extremist tendencies." The party is challenging this label in court. Meanwhile, AfD lawmakers passed a new code of conduct on Saturday, with co-leader Tino Chrupalla aiming to polish the party's image ahead of any future term in office. The code calls for a united and moderate front in parliament, along with rules to prevent corruption and conflicts of interest. Germany captain Giulia Gwinn will miss the rest of the Women's Euros in Switzerland due to a left knee injury, the German football federation (DFB) announced on Saturday. "Our captain sustained a medial ligament injury in her left knee yesterday in the match against Poland. She is expected to be out for several weeks.", the DFB posted on X. Gwinn had to be helped off the field in tears in the 40th minute of Germany's opening 2-0 victory over Poland on Friday in St. Gallen. She suffered an injury after making a crucial tackle on Poland's striker, Ewa Pajor. It was originally feared that she had suffered a third anterior cruciate ligament tear since 2020. Anti-German graffiti has appeared on shops and cars on the Spanish island of Mallorca, a popular holiday destination for many Germans, the German-language newspaper reported on Saturday. The perpetrators defaced dozens of German-owned shops and cars with foreign licensed plates with slogans such as "Germans out" and "Foreign buyers go to hell" in the small southern village of Santanyi. Police have confirmed the incidents to German news agency "It is frightening to feel such a wave of hatred after 34 years on the island, where I pay taxes and currently employ nine people," one man affected was quoted as saying by the newspaper. In recent years, there have been rising tensions between tourists, foreign property owners, and locals on the holiday island. Thousands have protested at regular rallies against mass tourism and a housing shortage. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video from Bonn! We are continuing our coverage of news from Germany over the weekend. Anti-tourist graffiti was sited on the Spanish Mediterranean island of Mallorca, a beloved holidaying spot for Germans. Wildfires continued to rage in eastern Germany. Stick around for the latest on these stories and much more from DW. German Education Minister Karin Prien recently suggested she could be open to introducing limits to the number of foreign-born students allowed into German classrooms. The minister is a member of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU). Prien, speaking on a recent broadcast of the show Welt TV, said a Danish model limiting the number of foreign students in a given classroom could be one that might work in Germany. Without advocating one model or another, Prien — who can only make suggestions as education is a state, not a federal responsibility in Germany — said that the most important factor defining a child's chances of success was whether he or she could speak German. The education minister said she strongly believes in language proficiency tests for pre-schoolers, "because every child in this country deserves to have the same chances." Prien's oppenness to the idea of limiting foreign-born students in schools was not warmly greeted by everyone. Federal Government Commissioner for Migration, Refugees, and Integration Natalie Pawlik, for instance, said, "Germany doesn't need classroom quotas," adding that they won't solve the problems the country's education system faces. Pawlik did, however, agree with Prien that every child in Germany should be able to speak the language, whether they are foreign-born or not. She, too, advocated for intensifying language lessons at the pre-school level. Pawlik belongs to the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), which is the CDU's junior coalition partner. Gerhard Brand, federal chairman of the German Education Association (VBE), summed up his view of the matter by assessing, "Confronting a real situation with unrealistic suggestions will not help anyone." German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt is set to host his counterparts from neighboring countries for talks on tightening European migration rules at a meeting on Germany's highest mountain on July 18. The summit on the Zugspitze — a 2,962-metre (9,718-foot) peak on the German-Austrian border — aims to give fresh momentum to a tougher European migration policy, according to the Interior Ministry. Interior ministers from France, Poland, Austria, Denmark and the Czech Republic, along with EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner, have been invited. They plan to discuss ways to combat people smuggling and improve deportations during the gathering some 100 kilometers (just over 60 miles) south-west of Munich. EU member states have long debated tightening the bloc's common asylum system, known as GEAS, due to be fully in place by 2026. Under the latest reform, countries cannot deport asylum seekers outside the EU if there is no connection to that country — a rule some states want removed. The Zugspitze is the highest point in Germany. It sits on the border between Germany and Austria, in the Bavarian Alps, and is a well-known destination for skiing, hiking and mountaineering. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz reportedly held a phone call with US President Donald Trump on Thursday, German magazine reported on Friday, citing government sources. There was little information released about the content of the conversation, but the magazine said the two leaders discussed Ukraine, including strengthening its air defenses, and trade issues. The call came after the US announced a pause in certain arms deliveries to Ukraine. For more on the latest from Ukraine, follow our live blog. One of the leaders of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), Tino Chrupalla, said on Thursday that his party was in talks with the left-wing, anti-immigrant populist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) on a federal level. Wagenknecht on Friday denied that there were any ongoing talks with the AfD, however, she said that her party was also open to possible talks. The two parties already held talks in the state of Thuringia following last year's election that saw the AfD come out as the largest party. However, due to other parties refusing to work with the far-right, the state government was eventually formed from the center-right CDU, center-left SPD and the BSW. "Exclusion and speaking bans are undemocratic and a slap in the face of these voters who will only feel more connected to the AfD," Wagenknecht said of the other parties. "The firewall politics has made the AfD even stronger and should not be continued," she added. Wagenknecht formed her eponymous party after splitting from the Left Party after years of discord between her and other parts of the party for her populist and anti-immigrant rhetoric. But the BSW failed to make it across the 5% threshold to get into the Bundestag in February's federal election by a razor-thin margin. The AfD secured the second-highest vote share with 20% of the votes. The comments from the AfD and the BSW come after Wagenknecht said her party will vote with far-right parties in the European Parliament in a no-confidence vote against European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen. Other German parties have criticized Wagenknecht for cozying up to the far-right, with Janis Ehling from her former Left Party saying: "Whoever snuggles up with fascists betrays everything it means to be a left-winger." Police have searched 21 properties in Burgenlandkreis in the south ofSaxony-Anhalt and five more in Saxony as part of an investigation led by the Halle public prosecutor's office. Six men aged 25 to 36 have been taken into custody in the two eastern states. Officers seized about 70 kilograms (about 155 pounds) of marijuana, six kilograms of crystal meth, 3.5 kilograms of cocaine and one kilogram of ecstasy — with a street value estimated at €1.3 million ($1.5 million). They also found two high-end vehicles, several thousand euros in cash, knives, blank-firing guns and banned fireworks. Authorities suspect organized trafficking of large quantities of drugs and cannabis products. The six suspects are due to appear before a judge on Friday. A new survey of major German retailers has found a rise in theft, committed by organized gangs or by individuals who find it ever more difficult to make ends meet. But some criminologists doubt the figures. Read the full story on the reports of increasing shoplifting cases in Germany here. Following reports that Germany is planning to open a direct line with the Taliban to enable the deportation of Afghans living in Germany, the UN said such a move was "not appropriate." Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said on Thursday he was open to "making agreements directly with Afghanistan to enable deportations." In response, Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) said it was "not appropriate to return people to Afghanistan," while speaking to reporters in Geneva. "We have been documenting continuing human rights violations in Afghanistan," she said. Arafat Jamal, who works for the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) in Kabul, said a "non-return advisory" was still in place for Afghanistan. "In other words... the conditions on the ground are not yet ready for returns," he said. "We urge countries not to forcibly return to Afghanistan." Germany stopped deportations to Afghanistan in 2021 when the Taliban retook control of the country. However, amid a rise of the far-right and anti-immigrant rhetoric, the government led by the conservative bloc of Chancellor Friedrich Merz has put deportations high on the agenda. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Int'l Business Times
a day ago
- Int'l Business Times
Sinner Powers Into Wimbledon Last 16 As Djokovic Eyes Century
Wimbledon top seed Jannik Sinner crushed Pedro Martinez to reach the last 16 without losing a set on Saturday while title rival Novak Djokovic targets his 100th victory at the tournament. Sinner took just one hour and 55 minutes to demolish 52nd-ranked Martinez 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 in a Centre Court masterclass, though the Spaniard was struggling with a shoulder issue. The 23-year-old will face Bulgarian 19th seed Grigor Dimitrov or Austria's Sebastian Ofner in the fourth round at the All England Club. Sinner has lost just 17 games across his first three matches at this year's tournament, in contrast to defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, who has shown patchy form on route to the last 16. The Italian returned from a doping ban in May, losing the Italian Open final to Alcaraz and squandering three championship points against the Spaniard in the French Open final last month. His best performance at Wimbledon was a run to the semi-finals in 2023 and he reached the quarter-finals last year. "Every time you reach the second week of a Grand Slam it's a very special occasion," said Sinner, who acknowledged Martinez's discomfort with his shoulder. "Even more special here in Wimbledon, so I'm very happy to be in the second week." Later on Centre Court, Djokovic will resume his bid for a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam crown. The seven-time champion, locked with the long-retired Margaret Court on 24 majors, is aiming to reach the fourth round for the 17th time in his 20th appearance at Wimbledon. A third-round clash against Serbian Davis Cup teammate Miomir Kecmanovic will hold few fears for the sixth seed, who has not lost against his 49th-ranked compatriot in three previous meetings. If Djokovic beats Kecmanovic he will reach a century of victories at the All England Club, a feat only surpassed by eight-time champion Roger Federer, who won 105 times on the lawns of southwest London, and Martina Navratilova, who chalked up 120 victories. "If I play like this, I feel like I have a very good chance against anybody, really, on the Centre Court of Wimbledon, a place where I maybe feel the most comfortable on any court," Djokovic said after beating Britain's Dan Evans in the second round. Djokovic's first Wimbledon win came against Argentine Juan Monaco 20 years ago, when Kecmanovic was aged just five. Former champion Elena Rybakina became the latest star to suffer a shock exit, losing to Denmark's Clara Tauson 7-6 (8/6), 6-3. Rybakina, the Kazakh 11th seed, won her maiden Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2022 and reached the semi-finals last year. But the 26-year-old's hopes of another strong run were ended by 23rd-seeded Tauson in a third-round tie on Court Two. Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva thrashed American world number 55 Hailey Baptiste 6-1, 6-3 in just 78 minutes on Court One. The 18-year-old, seeded seventh, is one of the few leading players left in the women's draw. World number one Aryna Sabalenka is the only player remaining from among the top six seeds. Iga Swiatek has quietly gone about her business at this year's Wimbledon but will have watched the mass exodus of her top rivals with interest. The five-time Grand Slam champion is seeded eighth at the All England club after slipping down the rankings, though she is now back in the world's top four after reaching the Bad Homburg final last week. The Pole, who faces American Danielle Collins in the third round, has never been beyond the quarter-finals at the All England Club. Swiatek, who has won four titles on the French Open clay, was beaten by former Australian Open finalist Collins at the Italian Open in May. Defending women's champion Barbora Krejcikova is also in action on Saturday against American 10th seed Emma Navarro. Poland's Iga Swiatek has never been beyond the quarter-finals at Wimbledon AFP Italy's Jannik Sinner has reached the Wimbledon fourth round without dropping a set AFP
Int'l Business Times
2 days ago
- Int'l Business Times
New Wildfire Near Athens, Crete Blaze 'Retreating': Firefighters
A wildfire on the island of Crete that forced the evacuation of 5,000 tourists and locals is "retreating", Greek firefighters told AFP on Friday, but a new blaze fanned by strong winds is spreading east of the capital, Athens. Hot dry weather in Greece -- not unusual for this time of year -- has heightened the risk of summer wildfires, and scientists say human-driven climate change is making them more frequent and more intense. The new wildfire broke out at Koropi, a town some 30 kilometres (20 miles) east of Athens, where residents received text messages from civil protection units urging them to evacuate the vicinity. That fire "has reached the courtyards of the houses", Koropi mayor Dimitris Kiousis told public television channel ERT. "The fire is ongoing. All residents (in threatened areas) have been evacuated," Thodoris Grivas, deputy mayor of Koropi, told ERT. "We do not yet know the extent of the disaster," Grivas added. A fire department official later told AFP that the situation appeared "improved". "There remain some scattered clusters," he added. In all, 120 firefighters were at the scene, with 30 engines, eight planes and the same number of helicopters, fire service spokesman Vassilis Vathrakoyannis told reporters. A coastguard vessel was patrolling nearby. Concerns remain for the coming days, particularly Saturday. when temperatures are due to rise, with the risk of fire still high. Temperatures are forecast to reach up to 43 degrees Celsius (109 Fahrenheit) in some areas of the country, according to the EMY weather agency. Greece had until now been generally spared the heatwave roasting parts of Europe, particularly Spain, Portugal and France over recent days. Early on Friday afternoon, at least two water bombers and two helicopters were battling flames fanned by strong winds blowing across Attica, the Athens region, and the capital itself. The fire was destroying olive trees and brushwood, ERT images showed. Firefighters earlier managed to bring under control a separate fire which had on Thursday threatened the port of Rafina, around 20 kilometres northeast of Koropi, after some 300 local people were evacuated from their homes. Fire crews remained on alert, as the Rafina wildfire was not far from Athens International Airport and winds still posed a threat. The blaze destroyed a several houses and vehicles, local mayor Dimitris Markou told ERT. It also disrupted ferries to and from tourist islands in the western Aegean, including Mykonos. On the island of Crete, around 230 firefighters, 48 fire engines and six helicopters remained at the scene near the resort town of Ierapetra, even though the blaze was receding. Some 3,000 visitors had been forced to leave their hotels and guest houses on Wednesday evening and 2,000 local residents were also evacuated, authorities said. "The fire is retreating," Vathrakoyannis told AFP. "There are still fears of flare-ups but there is no longer a major front," he added. Scattered hot spots still remained and firefighters were dealing with several smoke-filled areas from which flare-ups had restarted, the fire department told the ANA press agency. Weakening winds in the hard-to-reach area had improved the situation, firefighters said, although a fire brigade spokesperson had warned overnight of some "difficult" days ahead. Last month, fires on Greece's fifth-biggest island Chios, in the northern Aegean, destroyed 4,700 hectares (11,600 acres) of land, according to the WWF and the National Observatory of Athens research institute. The most destructive year for wildfires was 2023, when nearly 175,000 hectares were lost and there were 20 deaths. Officials in Crete ordered evacuations when water bomber planes were unable to reach fire-affected areas AFP Fires also broke out Pikermi, 30 kms east of Athens AFP
