Two-time defending Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz had to dig deep on opening day as he battled past Italian veteran Fabio Fognini in a dramatic five-set encounter to secure his place in the second round.
Under sweltering heat at the All England Club&mdash;recorded at 31.4&deg;C&mdash;Alcaraz, the World No. 2 and reigning French Open champion, edged out Fognini 7-5, 6-7(5), 7-5, 2-6, 6-1 in four hours and 37 minutes of high-octane tennis.
The 22-year-old Spaniard, now on an 18-match winning streak, showed remarkable resilience, maintaining his perfect fifth-set record at 14-1. Despite a fierce challenge from the 38-year-old Fognini&mdash;who came in on a 10-match losing streak&mdash;Alcaraz rallied back in the third set and took control in the fifth, much to the relief of fans and spectators, including David Beckham in the Royal Box.
Alcaraz avoided joining the short list of defending champions to crash out in the first round&mdash;Manuel Santana (1967) and Lleyton Hewitt (2003) being the only ones so far. With this win, he also preserved his flawless 18-0 first-round record at Grand Slams and extended his Wimbledon winning streak to 15 matches.
The three-time major winner is now eyeing a rare Roland Garros-Wimbledon double, a feat previously achieved by Bjorn Borg. He will next face British qualifier Oliver Tarvet, who made a strong Grand Slam debut by defeating Leandro Riedi in straight sets.
Alcaraz is chasing his sixth title of the season, having already clinched trophies at Roland Garros, Monte Carlo, Rome, and Queen&rsquo;s Club. [Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by the Benefit News editorial team and is published directly from the IANS news feed]

Alcaraz Wins Wimbledon Opener in 5-Set Thriller

Carlos Alcaraz survives Fognini scare to advance in Wimbledon 2025 after a four-hour battle

Alcaraz Wins Wimbledon Opener in 5-Set Thriller

Carlos Alcaraz survives Fognini scare to advance in Wimbledon 2025 after a four-hour battle

July 1, 2025 | 16:26 IST