Islamabad, July 1, 2025: Carlos Alcaraz overcame a tense opening-round encounter at Wimbledon on Monday, while Aryna Sabalenka maintained her composure to advance on what turned out to be the hottest start in the tournament’s history.
With the temperature reaching above 30 degrees Celsius, breaking the previous record of 29.3°C set back in 2001, the Belarusian turned up the heat early to win the opening five games and looked primed for a quick finish.
Alcaraz had to dig deep to overcome 38-year-old Fabio Fognini in a physically demanding match that lasted four hours and 37 minutes, winning 7-5, 6-7 (5/7), 7-5, 2-6, 6-1.
It marked the first occasion since Roger Federer edged Alejandro Falla in 2010 that a defending titleholder was pushed to five sets in their Wimbledon opener.
The world number two struggled with 62 unforced mistakes but refused to back down under the sun.
“I’m unsure why this might be Fabio’s last Wimbledon. He’s still capable of competing for another few years,” said Alcaraz.
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“Playing the first match on Centre Court is always challenging. Wimbledon has a unique atmosphere. I tried my best but believe I could have performed better.”
During the match, the 22-year-old ran to assist a spectator who fainted, offering water before medical staff attended.
Alcaraz, unbeaten in all 18 Grand Slam first-round appearances, now faces Britain’s Oliver Tarvet next.
Sabalenka, using ice packs to stay cool, secured a 6-1, 7-5 win over Canadian Carson Branstine.
Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur retired from her match against Viktoriya Tomova while trailing 7-6 (7/5), 2-0.
Daniil Medvedev lost to France’s Benjamin Bonzi and smashed his racquet in frustration.
Several top seeds also exited early, while matches involving Zverev and Fritz were halted due to the curfew.
