Sinner survives five-set thriller at Wimbledon 2026 to keep title defence alive
Defending champion Jannik Sinner needed five hard-fought sets to see off Miomir Kecmanović (4-6, 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-2, 6-3) in his opening round at Wimbledon 2026.
It was far from the commanding display Jannik Sinner would have wanted. The defending Wimbledon champion and world No. 1 was taken to five sets by Miomir Kecmanović before eventually prevailing 4-6, 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-2, 6-3 on Centre Court.
Kecmanović makes Sinner sweat
Kecmanović took the first set 6-4, then pushed Sinner to the limit in a third-set tiebreak that the Italian lost after dropping 12 consecutive points. Down two sets to one and looking shaky, Sinner needed to dig deep into his champion's resolve.
Champion's quality tells
He did exactly that. Dominant in the fourth set (6-2) and controlled in the fifth (6-3), Sinner showed why he is the clear favourite in Alcaraz's absence. But the match was a clear warning: his level will need to be much higher in the rounds to come.
Still the man to beat
With Alcaraz absent and Djokovic yet to peak, Sinner remains the man to beat at Wimbledon 2026. But his first-round scare showed that on grass, anyone can cause a surprise on any given day.
