Novak Djokovic celebrated his first-round victory at Wimbledon on Monday by describing his performance as 'wolf energy on the court' in a social media post, as he began his quest for a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title.
Djokovic overcomes Wu Yibing in four sets
The Serbian tennis icon defeated China's Wu Yibing 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 in a match that lasted over three hours. The win sets up a second-round clash with Stefanos Tsitsipas, whom Djokovic leads 12-2 in their head-to-head series. The two have not faced each other since the Paris Olympics in 2024.
Taking to Instagram after the match, Djokovic posted, 'Full moon in the sky. Wolf energy on the court. Woooooo to round 2.' The post included a photo of him celebrating on Centre Court.
Djokovic's path to 25th Grand Slam
Djokovic is aiming for his first Grand Slam title since June 2023, when he won the French Open. A victory at Wimbledon would bring him level with Margaret Court's all-time record of 24 major singles titles, but Djokovic is targeting a 25th to surpass her. The Serbian has won Wimbledon seven times, most recently in 2022.
Sinner survives scare to defend title
Earlier on Monday, defending champion Jannik Sinner started his Wimbledon campaign with a hard-fought win over Miomir Kecmanovic. The world No. 1 won 4-6, 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-2, 6-3 in three hours and 30 minutes, according to the ATP website.
Sinner made 52 unforced errors and struggled early, but recovered to take control in the final two sets. Kecmanovic played strongly, especially in the third set, where he produced a standout rally in the tie-break. At 5-6 down, he pushed Sinner from side to side before rushing the net and forcing a diving shot, which brought the Centre Court crowd to its feet.
Sinner also slipped earlier in the set, landing awkwardly, but continued without medical treatment.
Sinner equals Italian Grand Slam wins record
The win saw Sinner equal Nicola Pietrangeli's Italian record of 94 Grand Slam match victories. He also avoided becoming only the third defending men's champion to lose in the first round at Wimbledon. Sinner will next face Portugal's Nuno Borges in the second round.
