Novak Djokovic survives Wu Yibing test in Wimbledon opener

Novak Djokovic beat Wu Yibing 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 on Centre Court at Wimbledon on Monday to begin another run at a record 25th Grand Slam title. The 39-year-old Serb was pushed for three hours and 12 minutes before setting up a second-round meeting with Stefanos Tsitsipas.

The result kept Djokovic perfect in Wimbledon first-round matches, but it was far from routine. Wu, the only Chinese man in the main draw, won the crowd over with flat, fearless hitting and left Djokovic admitting the contest felt tougher than an opener should.

The Full Story

Djokovic arrived at Wimbledon chasing the one major milestone still sitting just beyond him: a standalone 25th Grand Slam singles title. He has been level with Australia’s Margaret Court on 24 majors since the 2023 US Open, and Wimbledon remains one of the clearest routes for him to move ahead.

His first step was anything but simple. Djokovic broke in the opening game and took the first set 6-4, only for Wu to stay with him in the second and strike at 6-5. That levelled the match and changed the mood under the Centre Court roof, with the crowd beginning to roar Wu’s name as his winners piled up.

Djokovic steadied in the third set, eventually taking it 6-4 on his fourth set point. The fourth set was where the match nearly tilted again. Wu created six break points, including one that Djokovic later said he was lucky to survive when Wu missed an overhead. Djokovic then broke at 4-4 and served out the win.

The match was also a reminder of how Djokovic manages tense moments differently from many opponents. Wu produced more winners, but Djokovic was far better on the biggest points, converting three of six break chances while Wu missed 10 of his 11 break opportunities, according to China Daily’s match report.

It felt really challenging for me today

Djokovic had not played since losing in the third round of the French Open to Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca. That lack of recent match play showed in patches, with the Serb tense, amused and frustrated at different moments, but his experience on Centre Court still carried him through.

Who's Involved

Novak Djokovic is the seventh seed at Wimbledon and a seven-time champion at the All England Club. At 39, he is chasing a record 25th Grand Slam title and extended his perfect first-round Wimbledon record to 21-0 with this victory.

Wu Yibing, ranked 102nd, was playing his Wimbledon main draw debut and entered as the only Chinese man in the draw. China Daily reported that he had once been junior world No. 1 and won the 2017 US Open boys’ title, before injuries and health issues interrupted his progress after he won China’s first ATP singles title in Dallas in 2023.

Stefanos Tsitsipas is next for Djokovic in the round of 64. Djokovic beat the Greek player in the 2021 French Open final and the 2023 Australian Open final, making this second-round match a familiar Grand Slam pairing rather than a gentle follow-up.

You've got to love what Djokovic does. You have to respect him - he brings fire, intensity, desire and love to the sport

By the Numbers

25 is the Grand Slam target Djokovic is chasing at Wimbledon. He remains tied with Australia’s Margaret Court on 24 major titles, a mark he has shared since the 2023 US Open.

The match lasted three hours and 12 minutes. Djokovic won 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, and his Wimbledon first-round record moved to 21-0.

Wu hit 54 winners to Djokovic’s 35, which tells the story of how aggressive the Chinese player was from the baseline. The decisive gap was break-point execution: Djokovic converted 3 of 6, while Wu converted only 1 of 11.

SPOTV reported that Djokovic also became the first player in the Open Era to record more than 80 first-round wins across the four Grand Slam tournaments. That kind of consistency matters because it shows how rarely he gives lower-ranked opponents a clean opening at majors, even when he is not at his sharpest.

What This Means

For Djokovic, the win was valuable because it tested both body and nerve immediately. He admitted he was “not the freshest”, and the physical baseline rallies with Wu showed why a best-of-five Wimbledon run at 39 can become demanding quickly.

For Wu, the loss still carried weight. He showed that his fast, flat ball-striking can bother one of the sport’s great match managers on grass, but the missed break points also exposed the gap that still appears in pressure moments against the very best.

This is something that I feel like I could brag about for the rest of my life.

Australian readers have an extra hook in Djokovic’s chase because Margaret Court’s all-time major mark is the record he is trying to leave behind. Every Djokovic win at Wimbledon now nudges that discussion forward, particularly on grass, where his experience has so often done the heavy lifting.

What to Expect

Djokovic will face Stefanos Tsitsipas in the second round at Wimbledon. The winner will move deeper into the men’s singles draw, with Djokovic’s title chase still alive after a far tougher first night than the scoreboard alone might suggest.

Wu leaves Wimbledon after one round, but not quietly. His performance against Djokovic gave him a clear benchmark: the shot quality is there, while the next step is handling the narrow points that decide matches against Grand Slam champions.