Jannik Sinner overcame a mid-match wobble to see off the challenge of Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann in his Wimbledon opener on Monday but said he would have to raise his game. The Italian world number won 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in just under three hours on No. 1 Court to set up a match against 2021 Wimbledon finalist and compatriot Matteo Berrettini. “He played really well, he was serving well, I missed a couple of shots,” said Sinner. “First-round matches are never easy and in the next round I have to raise my level.

“I have a day off and then I need to get my rhythm.”

Sinner appeared on course for a straightforward victory against his 110th-ranked opponent after taking the first two sets.

But Hanfmann raced into a 4-0 lead in the third set, sealing it 6-3 before the roof was closed on the court.

Sinner, who won his first Grand Slam at the Australian Open earlier this year, regrouped, outbattling his opponent to break in the fourth game of the fourth set.

The 22-year-old, a semi-finalist at Wimbledon last year, punched a backhand past his opponent on his second match point to claim victory.

He hit a total of 47 winners against 30 unforced errors.

Sinner was asked during his on-court interview what it was like to play the tournament as the newly installed world number one.

“First of all it’s a huge privilege and honour to be in that position, and there’s no better place to play as a world number one,” he said.

“It’s an amazing feeling but every match starts with 0-0 and every opponent wants to win, as I do. All matches are a very high level, which all of you want to see.”

‘Heartbroken’

Two-time Wimbledon semi-finalist Sabalenka, ranked third in the world, is one of eight players to have pulled out since the draw was made.

She had admitted she was not 100 percent fit after suffering a shoulder injury at the Berlin Open.

“Heartbroken to have to tell you all that I won’t be able to play the Championships this year,” wrote 26-year-old Sabalenka on X.

China’s world number eight Zheng Qinwen, the Australian Open runner-up, was the biggest casualty of the day, losing in the first round for a second successive year.

Zheng went down 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 to New Zealand qualifier Lulu Sun, who celebrated her first Grand Slam match win.

Both Sabalenka and Zheng were potential semi-final opponents for US Open champion and second-ranked Coco Gauff, who eased past compatriot Caroline Dolehide 6-1, 6-2.

Former world number one Naomi Osaka claimed her first win at Wimbledon since 2018 when she recovered from a break down in the final set to defeat Diane Parry of France 6-1, 1-6, 6-4.

Four-time Grand Slam title winner Osaka fired 34 winners in the tie, which was decided when Parry served up her 10th double fault.

Victory was extra special for Osaka as it comes a day before her daughter Shai celebrates her first birthday.

“It feels like a dream because I haven’t played here many times,” said Osaka, whose last appearance at the All England Club was in 2019, when she exited in the first round.

Russian men’s fifth seed Daniil Medvedev, a semi-finalist last year, hit 16 aces in his 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 win over Aleksandar Kovacevic of the United States.

File photo of Aryna Sabalenka.© AFP

The dark “intense, crazy” days when the likes of Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova bitterly and publicly aired their grievances are long gone, says Aryna Sabalenka. To illustrate her point, world number two Sabalenka will happily take on best friend Paula Badosa for a place in the last 32 of the French Open on Saturday. It will be the pair’s seventh meeting but first at a Grand Slam. “It’s always tough to play your best friend on tour,” said Australian Open champion Sabalenka.

“But we know how to separate court and life. So it’s always a great battle. I always enjoy playing against her.”

She added: “I would say that right now the top 10 players are all good with each other, and there are no big fights outside of the court. 

“It’s not like we are best friends, but it’s not something crazy, like intense.”

Ten years or so ago, such warmth was rare.

Back in 2013, Williams hit out at a top five player she described as “boring”.

“She’s not going to be invited to the cool parties. And, hey, if she wants to be with the guy with a black heart, go for it.”

Williams didn’t name Sharapova but the Russian, as well as most other observers, viewed it as a reference to her relationship with Bulgarian tennis player Grigor Dimitrov.

Sharapova hit back at Williams and her relationship with her French coach Patrick Mouratoglou.

Elsewhere, the American once arrived at a press conference wearing a shirt that said “Are you looking at my titles?”

That was a reference to being ranked number two after winning the Australian Open and Wimbledon while Dinara Safina was at number one despite never claiming a major.

At the 2012 Australian Open, meanwhile, Polish player Agnieszka Radwanska criticised Sharapova’s infamous grunting on court.

“Isn’t she back in Poland already?” came the icy retort from Sharapova after Radwanska’s exit.

There will be no similar trash talking ahead of Sabalenka’s clash with Badosa.

“She has a big personality, she’s a good girl, always bringing good energy, even on court,” said Spanish star Badosa.

“I think it’s going to be fun. Of course sharing the court with her after all these results she’s doing and all this is a pleasure for me.”

Should Badosa lose for a fifth successive time against Sabalenka, she’ll find support from boyfriend and world number nine Stefanos Tsitsipas, a former runner-up at the French Open.

“I’m really grateful to have someone like him by my side. Also in the next few days, we’re going to play mixed doubles, so also sharing the court with him, I think it makes it even more special.”

Aryna Sabalenka eased into the French Open second round at a rainswept Roland Garros on Tuesday as Novak Djokovic prepared to begin his title defence, confident his Grand Slam pedigree will help turn around his lacklustre season. Australian Open champion Sabalenka, a semi-finalist in Paris in 2023, over-powered Russian teenager Erika Andreeva 6-1, 6-2 in just 68 minutes under the roof on Court Philippe Chatrier.

World number two Sabalenka fired 27 winners past the 100th-ranked Andreeva and broke serve five times in a dominant display.

“I’m trying to do well on clay, it is tough conditions here but I enjoy playing here and I’m just trying to bring my best tennis every time — whatever the surface,” said Sabalenka.

The Belarusian has made at least the last four at her past six Grand Slams and is expected to be Iga Swiatek’s toughest rival in the Pole’s bid for a fourth French Open title.

Heavy rain caused play on the outside, uncovered courts to be delayed by five hours and by 6 pm local time only nine of the scheduled 40 matches had been completed.

World number one Djokovic, seeking a fourth Roland Garros title and record-extending 25th major, is enduring his worst run since 2018.

Djokovic, 37, has not won a title in 2024 and has yet to make a final with semi-final spots at the Australian Open and Monte Carlo Masters his best performances.

He also suffered the indignity of being accidentally hit on the head by a metal water bottle in Rome which caused nausea and dizziness.

In Geneva last week, where he was knocked out by Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic, Djokovic said he had been suffering from a stomach problem.

“They are rather bumps on the road,” said Djokovic, who watched his long-time rival and 14-time champion Rafael Nadal bow out of the tournament against Alexander Zverev on Monday.

When asked to elaborate further on his difficulties so far this season, Djokovic opted for discretion.

“Various things have been happening in the last couple of months, but I don’t want to get into it. I don’t want to open Pandora’s Box.”

On Tuesday, Djokovic will take on French wildcard Pierre-Hugues Herbert, the world number 142 who hasn’t won a match on the main tour this year.

Two-time runner-up Casper Ruud, who won clay-court titles in Barcelona and Geneva in the build-up to Roland Garros, cruised to a 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 victory over Brazilian qualifier Felipe Meligeni Alves.

“It’s great to be back here at Roland Garros,” he said. “Hopefully I can make it another good year here.”

Ruud was beaten in straight sets by Novak Djokovic in last year’s final following a one-sided loss to Rafael Nadal in the 2022 showpiece. He also lost the 2022 US Open final to Carlos Alcaraz.

Frenchwoman Alize Cornet’s career ended with a straight-sets defeat by Zheng Qinwen in her record-extending 69th consecutive Grand Slam appearance.

Cornet was no match for China’s Australian Open runner-up Zheng, losing 6-2, 6-1.

She made her debut at Roland Garros as a 15-year-old in 2005 and has not missed a Grand Slam tournament since the 2006 US Open.

‘Cried watching Rafa’

Cornet reached a career-high ranking of 11th in 2009 and enjoyed a surprise run to the 2022 Australian Open quarter-finals.

“I already cried yesterday watching Rafa,” said a tearful Cornet after seeing Nadal lose what was likely his last match at the French Open on Monday. Over on Court Suzanne Lenglen, former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina powered into the second round with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Belgian Greet Minnen.

Kazakh world number four Rybakina is the only player to defeat Swiatek on clay this season, in the Stuttgart semi-finals in April.

Also due on court in the men’s singles is Argentine qualifier Roman Andres Burruchaga who has sporting success in the blood.

His father Jorge famously scored the winning goal for Diego Maradona’s Argentina in the 1986 World Cup final against West Germany.

Ranked at 144, the 22-year-old is making his Grand Slam debut and takes on Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff.