Sinner Bounces Back at Wimbledon as Top Seeds Continue to Fall

Jannik Sinner sent a powerful message to the rest of the field at Wimbledon, easing past compatriot Luca Nardi in straight sets just weeks after his heartbreaking loss to Carlos Alcaraz at the French Open.

The world No. 1 and three-time Grand Slam champion showed no signs of lingering disappointment from Paris, where he squandered a two-set lead and three match points in a marathon five-set final. Under clear skies and soaring temperatures—the hottest day of the year in the UK—Sinner produced a clinical performance to dispatch world No. 95 Nardi 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 in just under two hours.

“It’s a new tournament with new opportunities,” Sinner said in his post-match interview. “You have to enjoy moments like these. Playing on these courts is always special.”

Nardi, 21, provided some early resistance, saving five break points in the opening set before Sinner finally broke through on his seventh chance. From that point on, the 23-year-old Italian was in complete control. His trademark blend of pace, power, and pinpoint accuracy proved too much for Nardi, who struggled to match Sinner’s intensity and consistency. The third set lasted barely 20 minutes as Sinner wrapped up a commanding win to set up a second-round clash with Australia’s Aleksandar Vukic.

While Sinner flourished, other top names in the men’s draw faltered.

Germany’s Alexander Zverev became the latest high-profile casualty, falling to France’s Arthur Rinderknech in a dramatic five-set thriller that spanned two days. After the match was halted late Monday at one set all, the two resumed on Tuesday with Rinderknech eventually prevailing 7-6 (7-3), 6-7 (8-10), 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4. The 72nd-ranked Frenchman notched his first-ever win against a top-five opponent, seizing an early break in the decider and never looking back.

Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti, a semi-finalist at SW19 last year, was also sent packing in the opening round, losing to Georgian qualifier Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-2, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1. His defeat followed early exits on Monday for top-10 seeds Holger Rune and Daniil Medvedev.

Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik, seeded 28th and fresh off a title run in Halle, surrendered a two-sets-to-one lead and a chance to serve out the match in the fourth before succumbing to Spain’s Jaume Munar in five sets: 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2.

Meanwhile, American fifth seed Taylor Fritz kept his Wimbledon hopes alive with a gutsy comeback against France’s Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. Resuming play after their match was suspended the previous night, Fritz clawed his way back from two sets down to seal a 6-7 (6-8), 6-7 (8-10), 6-4, 7-6 (8-6), 6-4 victory.