Novak Djokovic overcame a mid-match health scare to advance to the second round of Wimbledon, while third seed Alexander Zverev suffered a shock early exit.
The seven-time Wimbledon champion defeated France’s Alexandre Muller 6-1, 6-7 (7-9), 6-2, 6-2 on Centre Court, despite battling stomach issues that visibly affected him in the third set.
After taking a medical timeout, Djokovic regained his rhythm and won 10 of the final 12 games to seal the victory.
“I went from feeling my absolute best for a set and a half to my absolute worst for about 45 minutes,” Djokovic said. “Whether it was a stomach bug, I’m not sure, but the energy came back and I finished strong.”
The win keeps Djokovic on course for a potential semi-final clash with world number one Jannik Sinner, who cruised past compatriot Luca Nardi 6-4, 6-3, 6-0 in his first Grand Slam match since his epic French Open final loss to Carlos Alcaraz.
Meanwhile, Zverev became the fourth top-10 men’s seed to fall in the opening two days, losing to France’s Arthur Rinderknech. Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti also exited early, adding to the list of high-profile upsets.
In the women’s draw, French Open champion Coco Gauff joined the casualty list, becoming the third top-five seed to be knocked out in the opening rounds.
