Wimbledon: Swiatek in action, Boulter out, and Serena Williams to return

By Callum Ashford — 30 June 2026 — 3 min read

Day 1 Highlights and Key Matches

The opening day of Wimbledon 2026 saw significant action across the courts, with several top players competing. Jannik Sinner, the world number one, began his campaign with a five-set victory against Miomir Kecmanović on Centre Court. Fellow world number one Aryna Sabalenka secured a straight-sets win over Teodora Kostović. Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic, the seventh seed, advanced after a four-set match against Wu Yibing.

American players also made progress, with fourth seed Jessica Pegula and seventh seed Coco Gauff both achieving straight-set victories. The day concluded with matches on outer courts being suspended due to darkness, set to resume the following day.

Among the men’s seeds who advanced were Felix Auger-Aliassime (3), Daniil Medvedev (8), and Tommy Paul (21). On the women’s side, seeds like Mirra Andreeva (5), Karolína Muchová (10), and Belinda Bencic (11) moved on to the next round. The highest seed to be eliminated was Maja Chwalińska, who retired due to a foot injury.

Swiatek’s Performance and Other Court Action

Reigning Wimbledon women’s singles champion Iga Świątek (3) was in action, taking the first set against Taylor Townsend 6-0. However, she was broken immediately in the second set. Townsend’s strategy involved taking the ball early and applying pressure, holding her first service game and creating early break opportunities against Świątek.

In other matches, Jasmine Paolini (13) secured a notable win against Robin Montgomery with a score of 0-6, 6-4, 7-5. Paolini demonstrated resilience, recovering from losing the first set 6-0 and being a break down in the third to earn match points. She will now face either Shymanovich or Golubic in the second round.

Brandon Nakashima led Jack Pinnington Jones by two sets and a break, with their match suspended and scheduled to resume on Court 18. Jacob Fearnley trailed Michelsen 3-6 in their match. Valentin Royer defeated Henry Wendelken 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3, setting up a potential match against Blockx or Zverev.

Looking Ahead to Day 2

Day 2 is anticipated to feature the return of Serena Williams, the 23-time Slam champion, in the singles draw. French Open champion Alexander Zverev (2) is also scheduled to play. The defending women’s singles champion, Iga Świątek, will continue her campaign.

Novak Djokovic spoke about his first-round match, describing it as challenging and praising Wu Yibing‘s performance. He noted the increased physicality for a first-round encounter. Djokovic, at 39, extended his first-round Slam winning streak to 78 consecutive matches, with his last first-round loss at a Slam occurring at the 2006 Australian Open.

During his match, Djokovic faced a potential suspension due to the 11 p.m. curfew, but he managed to secure the win in four sets. The match between Jesper de Jong and Rinky Hijikata was also suspended and will resume on Court 10.

Taylor Fritz was leading Lajovic 6-3, 6-4, 3-2, nearing a spot in the second round. Hanfman defeated Mpetshi Perricard 6-7, 7-6, 6-2, 6-3. Keys advanced to face Katie Swan next after a close match against Day.

The tournament continues with more matches, including Alexander Zverev (2) and Iga Świątek (3) both scheduled to be in action.

Source: theguardian.com