Day 1 of matches at Wimbledon saw major upsets for seeded players like Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Holger Rune, as they struggled to cope with the challenges of playing on grass. In addition to this, the day was also recorded to be the hottest in the tournament’s history, testing the limits of players in action.
Tsitsipas retired from his match against Valentin Royer due to his persistent back injury that has been plaguing him since 2023. Medvedev, on the other hand, faced a crushing loss against World No. 64 Benjamin Bonzi 6-7(2), 6-3, 6-7(3), 2-6. Rune succumbed to an incredible comeback by Nicolas Jarry and had to concede in a thrilling five-setter.
Players like Ons Jabeur, Paula Badosa and Jelena Ostapenko also had to bid a heartbreaking farewell to the grass stint with their exits in London. Fans took to X to express their shock at the disappointing displays in the first-round clashes.
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"Does no one want to play Wimbledon what is going on today?" posted a fan.
"Medvedev losing R1 at a slam for the second time in a row, Jabeur retiring, Rune out despite winning the first two sets, Ostapenko out, Alcaraz in a 5 set tussle with Fognini… and Wimbledon has only barely begun," wrote a fan in shock.
"Huger Rune [Holger Rune] mehn when will this guy ever improve, he is supposed to be in the SinCarez [Sinner and Alcaraz] convo but just look at, smh," wrote another.
Some even highlighted how the scorching heat on Monday (June 30) was an unfair playing condition for the players. The heat led to the match between Alcaraz and Fognini being paused for about 17 minutes during the fifth set when the Spaniard was leading 3-0.
"Don't understand why they don't reschedule it when its cooler. It's too hot for tennis," opined one.
"How they can play in this heat is beyond me," wrote another.
The highest temperature recorded on Day 1 was 33 degrees Celsius (about 91 degrees Fahrenheit).
Youngsters stun on Wimbledon Day 1
Youngsters like Joao Fonseca and Learner Tien advanced to the second round of their first-ever Wimbledon in stellar displays. They earned spots in the main draws of the tournament and showed incredible character throughout the season with strong performances.
18-year-old Fonseca ousted home favorite Jacob Fearnley 6-4, 6-1, 7-6(5) to seal a spot in the second round. Tien, on the other hand, defeated his long-time friend and compatriot, Nishesh Basavareddy, in straight sets in his SW19 debut.
Fonseca will take on American Jenson Brooksby in his next match. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Tien will meet Nicolas Jarry, who comes fresh off a big win against Holger Rune, on July 2.
