Not many would have predicted Jannik Sinner’s Wimbledon title defence to start in the manner it did on the opening day of the Championships.
Sinner came through a tough five-set bout against world number 50 Miomir Kecmanovic, coming back from two sets to one down to triumph 4-6, 6-3, 6-7, 6-2, 6-3.
The reigning champion looked completely out of sorts for the majority of the clash, tallying an uncharacteristic amount of unforced errors: 52 to be exact.
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With Sinner entering the tournament as the heavy favourite, fans of the 24-year-old will be slightly concerned at how deep he had to dig to overcome a player ranked 49 places below him.
But with the near-scare now in the rearview mirror, the four-time Grand Slam champion can take one big positive from the match moving forward in his pursuit of going back-to-back in SW19.
Jannik Sinner earns first five-set win in over two years
Sinner’s first-round victory over Kecmanovic at Wimbledon marked his first five-set win in over two years.
The last time he came out on top in a match that went to a fifth set was the 2024 Australian Open final against Daniil Medvedev, when he clinched his first major.
Prior to Monday’s action, Sinner was 6-12 in Grand Slam five-setters, a strike rate of 33.33%
In 2026, he was 0-2, having lost to Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open and Juan Manuel Cerundolo at Roland Garros.
A big talking point heading into the 2026 Championships was Sinner’s physical struggles, which were on full display at the French Open.
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Sinner was two sets up and leading 5-1 in the third during his match with Cerundolo, but his level quickly dropped when his body let him down in the brutal Parisian heat, letting the Argentine back into the contest.
While it certainly wouldn’t have been the start he had hoped for at Wimbledon, a five-set victory in his opening match may be just what Sinner needed.
His confidence with regard to his physicality will have taken a big hit in Paris, so to go the distance with Kecmanovic and win will give him and his team some momentum to work with.
On the other hand, the biggest test for Sinner’s body may be yet to come, with a second heatwave potentially set to hit London in the second week of Wimbledon.
Jannik Sinner’s second-round opponent at Wimbledon 2026
Sinner’s second-round opponent in SW19 comes in the form of Portuguese star Nuno Borges, whom he has played just once before on the ATP Tour.
Their sole clash came in Sofia on an indoor hard court during the 2022 season, where Sinner won in straight sets.
Borges, ranked 48th in the world, booked his place in the second round of Wimbledon after beating American Tristan Boyer.
Aged 29, Borges’ best result at Wimbledon is a third-round finish, which he achieved at last year’s edition.
Sinner will hope for a slightly more straightforward match against Borges after the difficult opening test.
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