Wimbledon 2025 Women’s Day 1

Aryna Sabalenka opened showcourt play at Wimbledon on Monday, dispensing a straightforward 6-1, 7-5 first-round dismissal of a Canadian qualifier.

Cason Branstine had little to show for her Grand Slam main draw debut barely a month after having lost in qualifying at Roland Garros.

The outsider ranked 193 on the WTA list went down in 74 minutes as her opponent, a three-time champion at the majors, won the first five games on the match and was never under pressure.

Both women struck 17 winners, with Branstine’s 26 unforced errors making up some of the difference. 

Sabalenka won seven of the last 10 points to advance to the second round on a heat-wave day at the All England Club with temperature expected into the low 30s Celsius.

“The goal is to win as quickly, easily as possible, so physically you’re more fresh in the next rounds,” Sabalenka said.

“It was really good for me to have this little fight in the second set (late break) just to, like, see where my level is at, if I’m mentally ready to fight.

“I think I’m ready. So I think at the end it was good to have this little fight in the second set.”

Emma Raducanu performed as expected against fellow Brit and wild card entry Mimi Xu, posting a 6-3, 6-3 opening win against the No. 318.

“I’m super=pleased to come through, it’s so difficult to play another Brit in the first round,” the winner said.

“I can’t say I was loving that, she has some amazing weapons. There were good times and then I’d lose focus. But I’m happy how I won the important points today.

“I love playing in this atmosphere – I saw a champagne cork pop onto the court — so I’m happy to get another match here.”

The slump continued for former two-time Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur, with the Tunisian crashing out in her opening match 7-6 (5), 2-0 as she quit with illness against Viktoriya Tomova.

Jabeur, who now stands 59th in the world, duplicated her recent first round loss in Paris. She left the court in tears and had to have her blood pressure taken during an extremely lengthy 14-minute injury timeout.

“I’ve been practising pretty well in the last few days but I guess these things happen,” she said. 

‘I’m really sad. It doesn’t really help me with my confidence and what I keep pushing myself to do, even though it was a very tough season for me.”.’

Two-time semi-finalist Elina Svitolina secured a quick 62-minute trip to the second round over Anna Bondar 6-3, 6-1, while sixth seed Madicoan Keys scraped out a 6-7 (4), 7-5, 7-5 comeback over Elena-Gabriela Ruse of Romania.

No. 51 Sonay Kartal got British women off to a winning start with a 7-5, 2-6, 6-2 upset of 20th seed and former Grand Slam champion Jelena Ostapenko.

“My opponent can go through games, even sets, just playing tennis that’s just unplayable,” the winner said.

“The pace she gets and the angle she gets off the ball is honestly
unreadable at times. 

“I knew I just had to stay with it. If she was going to go on a good run, just not get too down, and when I got the opportunity, to maximise it the most I could.”

Ostapenko, playing here for the 10th time, boasts a top pedigree, with grass titles in Birmingham and Eastbourne over the previous two seasons. She previously lost in the first  round here in 0216 and 2019.