Marketa Vondrousova’s Wimbledon title defense ended in a shocking first-round defeat, marking the first such exit by a defending women’s champion in 30 years. The Czech sixth seed was ousted 6-4, 6-2 by Spaniard Jessica Bouzas Maneiro on Tuesday, leaving her reign at Wimbledon to conclude abruptly. Meanwhile, two-time champion Andy Murray faced another setback due to injury, withdrawing from singles competition just before his scheduled match against Tomas Machac.
Murray, recovering from surgery for a spinal cyst, expressed disappointment but remains hopeful for a doubles appearance later in the tournament alongside his brother Jamie. Despite the setback, Murray may soon bid farewell to his storied singles career post-Olympics.
In contrast, Novak Djokovic, battling knee issues that previously jeopardized his Wimbledon campaign, commenced his quest for a record 25th Grand Slam title with a dominant 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Czech qualifier Vit Kopriva. Djokovic, donning a grey knee support that flirted with Wimbledon’s all-white attire policy, expressed satisfaction with his performance on Centre Court, highlighting a successful return to competitive play.
Elsewhere, top-seeded Iga Swiatek navigated a challenging first-round encounter under the Court One roof, defeating Sofia Kenin 6-3, 6-4 amidst brief interruptions from light rain. Swiatek, aiming to make her mark at Wimbledon after multiple French Open triumphs, acknowledged feeling “rusty” but expressed relief at advancing to the next round.
In other matches, Russian Andrey Rublev, seeded sixth, suffered an unexpected defeat to Francisco Comesana of Argentina in his Grand Slam debut, while Alexander Zverev and Elena Rybakina started their campaigns with convincing wins.
As Wimbledon progresses, the stage is set for more drama and unexpected outcomes on the pristine grass courts of SW19.
