Coco Gauff, Alexander Zverev, Jessica Pegula, Qinwen Zheng, Lorenzo Musetti, Holger Rune, Daniil Medvedev, Paula Badosa all exited Wimbledon in the first round. If you didn’t notice, they were all top-10 seeds at the grass court major. The opening two days of Wimbledon witnessed eight top-10 seeds fall – an Open Era record – and 23 in total across men and women – 13 among men and 10 in women. 10 seeds bowed out on the opening day and 13 followed them on the second.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!With French Open champion Gauff and Pegula both out, it is the first time in the Open Era that two of the top-3 have exited a Slam in the first round.The 13 exits for men’s seeds is a Wimbledon record and matches the Slam record from 2004 Australian Open. That number could have been higher with second-seed Carlos Alcaraz, fifth-seed Taylor Fritz and 25th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime all being taken to nervous fifth sets.
Accounting for Zverev, a three-time Grand Slam finalist and No. 3 seed, was 72nd-ranked Arthur Rinderknech, who came in with a 1-4 career record at the All England Club and zero trips past the third round in 18 appearances at majors.Musetti, the seventh seed and semi-finalist at Wimbledon last year, was sent packing by Nikoloz Basilashvili, a qualifier ranked 126th who only once has made it as far as the fourth round in his 31 previous Grand Slam tournaments.But none could top the shock of seeing World No. 2 Coco Gauff head out in straight sets 6-7, 1-6 to Dayana Yastremska.Pegula, the third seed was coming off a grass-court title in Germany over the weekend, and was swept aside by 116th-ranked Elisabetta Cocciaretto in a 6-2, 6-3 loss that lasted less than an hour.
Arthur Rinderknech celebrates after beating Alexander Zverev in their first round men’s singles match at Wimbledon. (AP)
All said and done, Rinderknech’s win over Zverev came out of absolutely nowhere. “What a moment. Such emotions,” Rinderknech, a 29-year-old from France, said after completing his 7-6 (3), 6-7 (8), 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-4 victory across 4 hours, 40 minutes in a match that continued from Monday’s suspension at a set apiece. “I don’t even know where to start.”“It’s my first top-five win, in the biggest stadium in the world,” Rinderknech said. “My legs are still shaking. I’m just so happy the match is finished.”Novak Djokovic takes ‘miracle pills’, wins
Novak Djokovic receives treatment during a medical timeout as he plays Alexandre Muller during their first round men’s singles match at Wimbledon. (AP)
During his first-round match on Tuesday night, Novak Djokovic was visited twice by a doctor for a stomach problem and was given what he referred to as “miracle pills.” It helped him see off Alexandre Muller in four sets.In the second set, Muller saved 11 break points and six set points to overturn Djokovic’s momentum as the Serb struggled physically. The seven-time Wimbledon champion was also 5-2 up in the tiebreak before squandering that advantage.While trailing 1-2 in the third set, Djokovic took a medical break and was seen again later in that set by a doctor.“I went from feeling my absolute best for about a set and a half to feeling my worst for roughly 45 minutes,” Djokovic explained. “Whether it was a stomach bug — I don’t know what it was — I just struggled with that. After some doctor’s miracle pills, my energy bounced back, and I was able to finish the match on a positive note.”
I went from feeling my absolute best for about a set and a half to feeling my worst for roughly 45 minutes
Novak Djokovic
Djokovic remains undefeated in the first round at the All England Club, now with a 20-0 record, where he has claimed seven of his 24 Grand Slam titles. He has reached the final in each of the last six years, although he was runner-up to Carlos Alcaraz in 2023 and 2024.“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t believe I had a chance. I think I always have a chance. I feel I’ve earned my right to believe I can go all the way and win the title,” said the 38-year-old Serbian. “I’ve always felt that grass, especially later in my career, is the surface where I play my best tennis. So, why not try to do it again?”Tennis court is a lonely place
Alexander Zverev reacts as he plays Arthur Rinderknech during their first round men’s singles match at Wimbledon. (AP)
Lyrical pieces are written about how its one-vs-one on the tennis court. It’s on the player to figure things out, on their own, when winning or losing. Subsequently, arguments are made against on-court coaching by the traditionalists of the sport.What goes ignored, though, is the mental toll it has on players who travel the world without friends, family or a break. Zverev stressed he would consider therapy following his earliest Slam exit since 2019.In an honest press conference, Zverev said he was struggling to cope with life on the tennis circuit. “It’s funny, I feel very alone out there at times. I struggle mentally. I’ve been saying that since after the Australian Open,” he said. “I’m trying to find ways, trying to find ways to kind of get out of this hole. I keep kind of finding myself back in it in a way.
I feel, generally speaking, quite alone in life at the moment. I’ve never felt this empty before. Just lacking joy, just lacking joy in everything that I do.
Alexander Zverev
“I feel, generally speaking, quite alone in life at the moment, which is a feeling that is not very nice.”Asked if he would consider therapy, Zverev said: “Maybe for the first time in my life I’ll probably need it.“I’ve been through a lot of difficulties. I’ve been through a lot of difficulties in the media. I’ve been through a lot of difficulties in life generally. “I’ve never felt this empty before. Just lacking joy, just lacking joy in everything that I do. It’s not necessarily about tennis. Just lacking joy outside of tennis, as well.“Even when I’m winning, even when I’m winning like in Stuttgart or Halle, it’s not necessarily, like, a feeling that I used to get where I was happy, over the moon, I felt motivated to keep going.“It’s just not there right now for me, which, again, is the first time in my life which I’m feeling it.”Petra Kvitova says goodbye
Petra Kvitova waves to the crowd after her first round women’s single match against Emma Navarro at Wimbledon.(AP)
Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova played her final match at the All England Club, bowing out 3-6, 1-6 against Emma Navarro. “This place holds the best memories I could wish for,” said the 35-year-old Kvitova, who will retire after the US Open. “I never dreamed of winning a Wimbledon and I won it twice.”The 35-year-old Czech returned from maternity leave in February following the birth of her son Petr in 2024, but has found it difficult to handle the demands of being a mother while juggling a professional tennis career. Now ranked 572, Kvitova has lost eight of her last nine matches.“I was lucky to have a beautiful court in my last match, where I do have lot of memories. It was a very special, emotional and happy place for me.”She later hijacked the media intercom system to announce to reporters that she was about to conduct her “last, final” press conference.“I can’t wait to be back here as a member. Thank you very much Wimbledon,” she said in her goodbye.
