Jannik Sinner opened what he hoped would be a repeat title at Wimbledon against Miomir Kecmanovic. The Serbian isn't a bad player, mind you, but few thought he would push the Italian much. That view likely changed in the first set.
While Sinner was able to hold until late in the set, he also didn't give himself many chances to break Kecmanovic. Maybe Sinner just needed to shake off the rust of not playing since he was stunningly defeated by the heat and Juan Manuel Cerundolo at the French Open, but whatever the issue, it was the Serbian who got the late break in the set, not the top-seeded Italian.
The second set reverted to more of what was initially expected. Sinner got an early break and just kept holding to even the match. Still, he was going to be forced to play a longer opening-round match than he, or anyone else, probably expected. Maybe the test would be good for him in the long run at Wimbledon, as long as he could actually survive against Kecmanovic.
Jannik Sinner had a much tougher time with Miomir Kecmanovic at Wimbledon than anticipated
The third set was no easier, though. Sinner uncharacteristically kept hitting as many unforced errors, especially from his forehand, as winners. Instead of the clean and efficient tennis that fans are used to, he was unable to put Kecmanovic away when given many opportunities. The set finished in a tense tie-break that saw Sinner keep making errors, and the Serbian took the tie-break 8-6.
Stunningly, Jannik Sinner was going to have to go five sets to win his first-round match at Wimbledon 2026. Entering the match, his record was just six wins and 12 losses in such matches. There was also no guarantee that Sinner would even win the fourth set to even the match.
Miomir Kecmanovic wasn't just lucky to be leading the match, after all. He was getting the better of his opponent on longer rallies. The Serbian, ranked No. 50, was playing better than the ATP No. 1 through three sets.
The fourth set, though, appeared to change the narrative of the match. Sinner stopped making so many unusual errors, at least for him, and while his drop-shot remained a mess, he was able to break Kecmanovic twice in the process of an easy 6-2 set win for the Italian. Surely, what had been an unexpectedly difficult match would now become easier.
The final set wasn't as one-sided as the fourth set, but Sinner was holding much more easily. At 3-2, he would get the break he needed off the Serbian and won the fifth set 6-3. Kecmanovic deserves to feel good about how he played, but the better player won the match, a much tougher one than anyone expected.
Jannik Sinner will next play Nuno Borges in the second round of Wimbledon. Borges defeated Tristan Boyer in the first round, but Borges is not normally successful on grass courts, with a career losing record on the surface.
