Carlos Alcaraz narrowly avoided a shock early exit from Wimbledon on Monday, while Aryna Sabalenka handled both the heat and her opponent with composure on the hottest opening day in the tournament’s history.
Temperatures at the All England Club soared to 32°C (89.6°F), breaking the previous first-day record of 29.3°C set in 2001. The oppressive heat added another layer of challenge for players and spectators alike.
Alcaraz, the defending men’s champion, was pushed to the brink by veteran Fabio Fognini in a Centre Court epic lasting four hours and 37 minutes. The 21-year-old Spaniard eventually emerged with a 7-5, 6-7 (5/7), 7-5, 2-6, 6-1 win, surviving 62 unforced errors and an inspired performance from the 38-year-old Italian.
It marked the first time since Roger Federer’s five-set escape against Alejandro Falla in 2010 that a defending champion has been taken the distance in the opening round at Wimbledon.
“I don’t know why this is probably Fabio’s last Wimbledon,” Alcaraz said post-match. “The level he showed today proves he could keep playing for another three or four years.”
The world No. 2 also showed sportsmanship beyond the baseline, rushing to assist a fan who collapsed in the stands by offering water until medics arrived.
Still unbeaten in Grand Slam first rounds—now 18-for-18—Alcaraz will next face British qualifier Oliver Tarvet in round two. He continues his quest to become just the fifth man in the Open Era to win three or more consecutive Wimbledon titles, joining Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic.
Off court, familiar faces like David Beckham and Gareth Southgate watched from the Royal Box as fans sought shelter from the searing sun.
On the women’s side, top seed Aryna Sabalenka powered past Canadian qualifier Carson Branstine 6-1, 7-5 on Court One, using ice packs to beat the heat between games.
AFP)
The 26-year-old Belarusian, a three-time Grand Slam champion, is chasing her first Wimbledon title after falling short in both the Australian and French Open finals earlier this year. She missed last year’s tournament due to a shoulder injury but looked strong on her return.
“I felt great—super grateful to be healthy and ready to compete,” Sabalenka said. She will meet Czech world No. 48 Marie Bouzkova in the second round.
Tears, tantrums, and tension in the heat
The punishing conditions also took their toll elsewhere on day one.
Two-time finalist Ons Jabeur broke down in tears and retired from her match against Viktoriya Tomova while trailing 7-6 (7/5), 2-0, citing an undisclosed issue.
Russia’s Daniil Medvedev, a semi-finalist here the past two years, lost his cool in a surprise defeat to France’s Benjamin Bonzi. The 2021 US Open champion smashed his racquet in frustration after falling 7-6 (7/2), 3-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-2.
More upsets followed. Eighth seed Holger Rune squandered a two-set lead to lose to Chilean qualifier Nicolas Jarry, while former finalist Matteo Berrettini also crashed out. Stefanos Tsitsipas was forced to retire with injury.
In the women’s draw, former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko was knocked out 7-5, 2-6, 6-2 by Britain’s Sonay Kartal. Another home favorite, Emma Raducanu, cruised past compatriot Mimi Xu 6-3, 6-3 to set up a marquee second-round clash with defending champion Marketa Vondrousova.
Elsewhere, Australian Open champion Madison Keys battled back from a set down to defeat Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-7 (4/7), 7-5, 7-5, while British No. 1 Katie Boulter shocked ninth seed Paula Badosa in three sets.
Play on Centre and No. 1 Courts was halted at 11 p.m. due to the All England Club’s curfew, leaving matches involving third seed Alexander Zverev and fifth seed Taylor Fritz to be concluded on Tuesday.
In response to the soaring temperatures, Wimbledon activated its heat policy, allowing a 10-minute break between the second and third sets for women and the third and fourth sets for men, if the heat stress index exceeds 30.1°C.
With the mercury still rising, players and fans alike will need to pace themselves—Wimbledon 2025 is off to a scorching start in every sense.
