Wimbledon: Defending Champion Carlos Alcaraz and World Number One Jannik Sinner Advance To 2nd Round

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and world number one Jannik Sinner advanced to the Wimbledon second round on Monday, but Australian Open winner Aryna Sabalenka withdrew due to an injury.

Carlos Alcaraz’s Journey Continues at Wimbledon

As Alcaraz and Sinner, two of the leaders of tennis’ new generation, moved on, 37-year-old Andy Murray left his fans guessing about his participation at the All England Club.

Alcaraz upset Estonia’s dreadlocked 269th-ranked qualifier Mark Lajal 7-6 (7/3), 7-5, 6-2 after falling behind in the opening two sets.

The Spaniard, who is just 21 years old, is chasing his fourth Grand Slam championship and aspires to become only the sixth person to win the French Open and Wimbledon back-to-back.

“He played a really good match, and he obviously surprised me a little because I hadn’t seen him play much,” Alcaraz said after the event began on Centre Court.

This time last year, Lajal was losing a first-round match at a second-tier Challenger event in the United States for $780; on Monday, he earned $75,000.

Jannik Sinner’s Performance Analysis

Sinner survived a mid-match wobble to defeat Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, setting up a meeting against other 2021 finalist and compatriot Matteo Berrettini.

“He played really well, he was serving well, and I missed a couple of shots,” said Sinner, who reached the semi-finals last year.

Andy Murray Farewell Tournament

Murray, the 2013 and 2016 Wimbledon champion, was scheduled to decide whether or not to play singles at his farewell tournament.

The former world number one had surgery to remove a cyst on his spine last week and stated that he still hasn’t entirely recovered feeling in his leg.

Murray will now choose on Tuesday, with schedulers assigning him the final slot on Centre Court for his match against Tomas Machac to give him extra time to think about it.

Aryna Sabalenka’s Wimbledon Withdrawal Announcement

Sabalenka, a two-time Wimbledon semi-finalist and world number three, is one of eight players to withdraw since the draw was released.

She revealed she wasn’t fully fit after sustaining a shoulder injury at the Berlin Open.

“Heartbroken to have to tell you all that I won’t be able to play in the championships this year,” Sabalenka, 26, posted on X.

Zheng Qinwen, China’s world number eight and runner-up at the Australian Open, was the greatest casualty of the day, losing in the first round for the second consecutive year.

Zheng lost 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 to New Zealand qualifier Lulu Sun, who won her maiden Grand Slam match.

Sabalenka and Zheng were prospective semi-final opponents for US Open champion and second-ranked Coco Gauff, who defeated compatriot Caroline Dolehide 6-1, 6-2.

Naomi Osaka, the former world number one, won Wimbledon for the first time since 2018, coming back from a breakdown in the last set to defeat Diane Parry of France 6-1, 1-6, 6-4.

Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam winner, hit 34 winners in the tie, which was clinched when Parry served her tenth double fault.

The victory was extremely significant for Osaka because it came the day before her daughter Shai’s first birthday.

“It feels like a dream because I haven’t played here many times,” said Osaka, who last played at the All England Club in 2019, when she was eliminated in the first round.

Daniil Medvedev’s Dominance at Wimbledon

Daniil Medvedev, Russia’s fifth seed and last year’s semi-finalist, smashed 16 aces in his 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Aleksandar Kovacevic of the United States.

“I’ve still never lost on Court One, so hopefully I can play a lot more matches on this court,” Medvedev explained.

“Last year I said it was unfortunate I had to go to Center Court for the semis, and I lost.”

Casper Ruud’s Health Struggles

Eighth seed Casper Ruud defeated Australia’s Alex Bolt in straight sets, revealing that he had been brought low by a parasite since reaching the French Open semi-finals.

“I was mostly in bed for 10–11 days, which was not what I was kind of hoping for,” the man from Norway stated.

Stan Wawrinka, a three-time Grand Slam champion, defeated British wild card Charles Broom 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 in his Wimbledon debut at age 39.

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