The Wimbledon Championships kicked off on Monday with record-breaking temperatures, as Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the second round while Ons Jabeur retired due to illness and Daniil Medvedev suffered a shock exit.
Temperatures at the All England Club soared to 31.4 degrees Celsius (88.5 degrees Fahrenheit) by mid-afternoon, making it the hottest opening day in the tournament’s history, surpassing the 2001 record.
Top seed Aryna Sabalenka managed the sweltering conditions with the aid of ice packs, securing a 6-1, 7-5 victory over Canadian qualifier Carson Branstine on Court One.
The 27-year-old Belarusian, a three-time Grand Slam champion, expressed gratitude for her health and the challenge of the second set, which helped her assess her game.
Sabalenka, who missed last year’s tournament due to a shoulder injury and has never advanced beyond the Wimbledon semi-finals, is set to face either New Zealand’s Lulu Sun or Czech player Marie Bouzkova next.
Meanwhile, defending champion Carlos Alcaraz began his quest for a third consecutive Wimbledon title in the Centre Court spotlight against 38-year-old Italian Fabio Fognini.
Alcaraz aims to join an elite group of male players in the Open Era—Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic—who have won at least three consecutive Wimbledon titles.
Former England captain David Beckham and ex-England manager Gareth Southgate were among the notable spectators in the royal box.
In a distressing turn, two-time Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur retired from her first-round match against Viktoriya Tomova while trailing 7-6 (7/5), 2-0.
The 30-year-old Tunisian, who was the runner-up in the 2022 and 2023 Wimbledon finals, appeared uncomfortable throughout the match, taking a lengthy medical timeout after losing a long game in the first set.
Jabeur did not specify the reason for her withdrawal but expressed sadness and concern for her confidence.
Former US Open champion Daniil Medvedev also experienced a surprising first-round defeat, losing to France’s Benjamin Bonzi 7-6 (7/2), 3-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 in three hours and seven minutes.
Medvedev, who had reached the Wimbledon semifinals for the past two years, visibly expressed his frustration by smashing his racquet.
Elsewhere, former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko was defeated by Britain’s Sonay Kartal in a three-set match.
With players and fans seeking refuge from the London heatwave, Wimbledon officials strongly advised people without tickets against travelling to the grounds.
The tournament’s heat rule, which allows a 10-minute break for women after the second set and for men after the third set when the heat stress index reaches 30.1 degrees Celsius or above, is in effect.
Wimbledon chief executive Sally Bolton noted that while athletes are accustomed to such temperatures on tour, the heat feels particularly intense for British attendees.
