When Carlos Alcaraz pulled out of both the French Open and Wimbledon, it appeared as if Jannik Sinner had no credible threats. Then at Roland-Garros, when the World No. 1 lost in the second round under sweltering conditions, a new foe emerged — heat.

Tuesday at Wimbledon was Sinner’s first test against this unconventional adversary, and to his immense credit, the 24-year-old came out unscathed to beat German Jan-Lennard Struff 7-5, 7-6(4), 6-3 in two hours and 35 minutes.

Temperatures were admittedly not as bad as Paris, and just about touched 30 degrees. Nonetheless, it felt harsh because of the high prevailing humidity. With the entirety of Court No. 1 bathed in sunshine and there being no cloud in sight, it was difficult to spot even an inch of shade to retreat to. Yet, Sinner found a safe haven — in his clutch play.

“It’s a good step forward,” he said after sealing his berth in Friday’s semifinal. “We worked a lot after Paris. Discussed what went wrong and prepared in the best possible way. It was a huge test. But I felt really comfortable on the physical side.”

Tennis-wise, Struff had the attributes to trouble Sinner. From a height of 6’4”, his service was his biggest weapon, and on grass, as always, it acquired an additional layer of menace.

The 36-year-old was also in form, having overcome the likes of Daniil Medvedev and Hubert Hurkacz en route his maiden Major quarterfinal.

Sinner’s usually solid ground-strokes had deserted him for much of the first week, and this continued in the first set on Tuesday as well. But at 5-5, the defending champion broke through, putting together a sequence of two forehand winners and a fierce return that hurried Struff into a low — and ultimately futile — volley. A hold to 15 gave him a one-set lead.

Margins remained tight in the second stanza, and worryingly, Sinner’s serve started wobbling. He couldn’t consolidate a break at 2-1, and then had a distressing time in the tenth game as Struff ran up a set-point.

However, the Italian turned it around like the flick of a switch, hammering two service winners and an ace. In the tie-break that ensued minutes later, Sinner landed five big first-serves, and soon led two sets to love.

At the French Open against Juan Manuel Cerundolo, Sinner was 6-3, 6-2, 5-1 ahead before melting under the torrid weather. But here, he didn’t let those bad memories bog him down, with the immaculate drop he executed to lead 2-1 in the third set indicative of his calm mind. A break of serve seemed imminent, and it duly arrived in the eighth game when Struff sent a stretched backhand long. Sinner leaned forward, and dashed to the finish like an expert runner on a smooth downhill home stretch.

Indian juniors advance

Elsewhere, India’s Arnav Vijay Paparkar overcame third seed Keaton Hance of the United States 6-2, 6-3 to enter the third round of the boys’ singles.

On Monday, Arnav and his Thai partner Kunanan Pantaratorn had booked their place in the doubles second round while Maaya Rajeshwaran and her U.S. comrade Thea Frodin had done the same in girls’ doubles.

Late in their careers, legends are masters at rationing excellence. It is an act of self-preservation, for trying to radiate class for sustained periods can often be energy sapping. Instead, they choose to remain steady, hang in there when needed, and go for the kill in short bursts.

On a hot Sunday afternoon at Centre Court here, Novak Djokovic did exactly this to quell the challenge from Roman Safiullin 7-6(6), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.

It was a record 106th match-win for the 39-year-old Serb at Wimbledon as he went past Roger Federer, and it propelled him into his ninth straight singles quarterfinal at the All England Club.

Good going

At the start, it was Safiullin, with his ruffled look, loose-fitting T-shirt and expansive style, who was better. He ran up a 5-2 lead as Djokovic struggled with his depth and appeared troubled by the sun directly hitting his eyes while serving.

Safiullin also had significant momentum coming into the match. Grass is one surface where the value of early round results compounds. The Russian had started in the qualifying, beaten the 12th seed Andrey Rublev in the opening round and then ousted rising star Joao Fonseca in the third.

Six matches are generally good enough to get a feel for the lawns and find your footing on the slippery turf, and Safiullin, whose best result at a Major is also at Wimbledon (quarterfinals in 2023), seemed at ease.

Champion stuff

But not for nothing is Djokovic a seven-time titlist at SW19, and he showed this in the eighth game of the first set by erasing two set-points with a service winner and an inch-perfect ace.

The value of this hold was fully realised in the subsequent game when he broke the Safiullin serve after recalibrating his power and range. The set was secured in the tie-break for the loss of six points.

In the second stanza, Djokovic, again, chose his moments wisely. He broke in the sixth game after earning a break-point with a searing forehand winner, and then executed two first-rate serve-and-volley points at 5-3, 30-30.

In the third set, however, the 24-time Slam champion’s level dropped. After an early trade of breaks, he fought hard in the sixth game to deny Safiullin five chances to go 4-2 up by coming up with aces, on-the-run passes, lobs and volleys. The pressure, though, eventually told, as the World No. 132 took it on the sixth opportunity, and held on to 6-3.

But the 28-year-old’s honeymoon ended there as Djokovic stepped it up a notch to zoom 3-0 ahead in the fourth set. Safiullin wilted, and the stunning low volley on match-point summed up Djokovic’s overall superiority. “I don’t get to feel inferior from the back of the court often, but I did today,” Djokovic said later.

“I didn’t want to stay in the rallies [for long]. I had to change things up, and my accuracy and precision with the first serves got me out of trouble.”

“Survive to thrive” was his mantra, the Serb added. And he did that to a T.

Later, Naomi Osaka, in contrast, only thrived as she reached her first Wimbledon quarterfinal with a 6-2, 7-6(2) over World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.

It snapped the Belarusian’s 14 straight quarterfinal or better performances and 20 consecutive tie-break wins at Majors, and was her first straight-sets loss at a Slam since US Open 2020.

Former three-time winner Novak Djokovic has pulled out of the Madrid Open, beginning next week, because of a lingering injury.

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The fourth-ranked Djokovic hasn’t competed since the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. He missed the Miami Open because of a right shoulder injury and also skipped the Monte Carlo Masters.

“Madrid, unfortunately I won’t be able to compete at the Madrid Open this year,” he wrote on Friday (April 17, 2026) on his social media accounts. “I’m continuing my recovery in order to be back soon. Hasta pronto!”

The tournament said in a statement: “We hope to see you back here as soon as possible so we can enjoy your tennis as we have done so many times in the Caja Mágica.”

The news is another blow for Djokovic with time running out to be fit for the year’s second Grand Slam, the French Open, which begins in Paris in a month’s time.

With inputs from AP, AFP