Wimbledon 2026: Defending champion Jannik Sinner survives Kecmanovic scare
What's the story
Top seed Jannik Sinner reached the 2026 Wimbledon second round after beating Sweden's Miomir Kecmanovic. However, Sinner's first-round men's singles win wasn't as straightforward. After drawing first blood, Kecmanovic dragged the three-hour affair to the fifth set. It was the Italian who won the match 4-6, 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-2, 6-3. Notably, Sinner entered the Centre Court as the defending champion.
Stats
Sinner fires 31 aces
Sinner won a total of 157 points and 72 winners throughout the match. He fired 31 aces compared to Kecmanovic's one. The Italian won 89% of his points on the first serve. He also won 88% of his net points, besides converting four of his nine break points. Kecmanovic (33) had fewer unforced errors than Sinner (52).
Journey
Sinner unbeaten in eight Wimbledon matches
As mentioned, Sinner is the defending champion, having won the 2025 Wimbledon final against Carlos Alcaraz. The Italian ended Alcaraz's unbeaten streak at Wimbledon, after the latter won the 2023 and 2024 finals. Sinner, who earlier suffered a second-round defeat at Roland Garros, is now 21-4 at Wimbledon. His overall win-loss record at Grand Slams is 94-22.
Information
Record win for Sinner
As per Opta, Sinner recorded his third-longest win at Wimbledon (3 hours and 28 minutes). This falls only behind Sinner's wins over Matteo Berrettini (R64 in 2024) and Alcaraz (R16 in 2022).
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Record-equaling Sinner to face Borges
As per ATP, Sinner now has the joint-most singles Grand Slam wins among Italian players, equaling Nicola Pietrangeli (94). The former will take on Portugal's Nuno Borges in the second round.