Carlos Alcaraz, the reigning champion, began his Wimbledon title defense on a strong note, defeating Estonian qualifier Mark Lajal 7-6(3), 7-5, 6-2 in the first round of the men’s singles on Monday.
Meanwhile, former US Open champion and crowd favorite Emma Raducanu, awarded a wildcard, made a triumphant return to the grass court major after two years, overcoming lucky loser Renata Zarazua of Mexico 7-6(0), 6-3 in her opening match. Raducanu was initially scheduled to face Ekaterina Alexandrova, but the 22nd-seeded Russian withdrew due to an injury.
Adding to the drama, injuries forced third seed Aryna Sabalenka and 16th seed Victoria Azarenka to withdraw from the tournament. Their spots were filled by Russia’s Erika Andreeva and France’s Elsa Jacquemot, respectively.
Second-seeded Coco Gauff comfortably advanced to the second round with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over fellow American Caroline Dolehide.
Other notable wins in the men’s singles included fifth seed Daniil Medvedev’s straight-sets triumph over Aleksandar Kovacevic, while top seed Jannik Sinner will face Yannick Hanfmann.
In the women’s singles, Erika Andreeva secured a hard-fought win over Emina Bektas, while Naomi Osaka, making her Wimbledon return after a four-year absence, defeated Diane Parry in a thrilling three-set match.
The first day of Wimbledon 2024 provided plenty of excitement and dramatic moments, setting the stage for an intriguing fortnight of tennis at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.
