Wimbledon 2026 Women’s Day 1

Aryna Sabalenka imposed her game on a grasscourt neophyte on Monday’s opening day of Wimbledon, with the top seed producing a 6-2, 6-3 victory into the second round over Serb Teodora Kostovic.

The world No. 1 winner is working to rediscover her habitual Grand Slam success after losing in the Roland Garros quarter-finals and the Australian Open final this season.

After losing in her fist match on the iconic Centre Court, Kostovic had to ask the chair umpire how to actually leave the arena.

The challenger saved three match points over two games before Sabalenka wrong-footed her on a fourth chance at the win in just over an hour.

“She brought a really good fight and pushed me hard,” Sabalenka said of her No. 184 opponent. 

“I’m happy to win in straight sets. I’m feeling pretty good after just one match on grass. I’d rate myself eight out of 10.”

Sabaenka compiled a 2-1 record on grass this month at her Berlin warm-up tournament where she reached the semi-finals..

The 28-year-old with three Wimbledon semi-final appearances overwhelmed Kostovic, who had never played a grass match until qualifying last week.

Fourth seed Jessica Pegula raced off at the start but found her progress slowed before finally producing a 7-5, 6-3 win.

The American took a 4-0 lead after 11 minutes but had to battle as she found herself level-pegging at 5-all; she advanced over 92nd-ranked Czech Darja Vidmanova, firing 31 winners in victory.

“I definitely wanted to redeem myself a bit from last year’s (first round) exit and then also the early exit at the French,” Pegula said.

“There were a little extra nerves or pressure today, but then also motivation at
the same time.”

Swiss 11th seed Belinda Bencic clocked the first match win of the fortnight, racing past Brit Mika Stojsavljevic with the loss of just three games in 66 minutes.

The 2025 semi-finalist earned her 22nd victory of the season as she reached the second round.

Poland’s surprise French Open finalist Maja Chwalinska was stunned 2-6, 7-5, 6-2 by Thai outsider Mananchaya Sawangkaew, the world No. 164.

Chwalinska’s fairytale run to the Paris final against Mirra Andreeva was just a dim memory on the grass as the Asian qualifier staged her comeback in a Grand Slam main draw debut.

Chwalinska shook off a slip which affected her right ankle as she held a match point and completely unraveled. 

“I fell, and I felt my ankle. I wanted to continue, but I I didn’t feel comfortable moving,” she said, “It doesn’t matter if I fell or not. It definitely didn’t help me later on, but it is what it is.

“I don’t have a huge experience playing on grass. I know that it happens.
So I just accept it. It’s sport, so what can I do?”

The Pole’s failure to take advantage of her chance gave her opponent some hope.

“When I went to the court I just think, okay, I’m going to give as much as I can in this time,” the Thai winner said. 

“Then I get down match point, and was, like, okay, the match not done yet.

“I just had  to fight until the end. So I just run for every ball, catch every ball that I can, and then the result is good.”

Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, who entered the court wearing a ceremonial robe from her native Japan – one of her continuing Grand Slam fashion statements – booked the second round over Elsa Jacquemot 6-1, 7-5.

Osaka, who took a year off to have a child, is competing here for the fourth time in eight editions

2018 semi-finalist Jelena Ostapenko handed Britain’s Harriet Dart 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 defeat.