In a dramatic opening day at Wimbledon, three-time Grand Slam finalist Alexander Zverev, seeded third, suffered a shocking first-round defeat to Arthur Rinderknech, ranked 72nd, in a five-set battle lasting nearly five hours. Zverev’s exit marks a notable upset, as he was expected to make a deeper run, having struggled previously at the All England Club.
Similarly, No.7 seed Lorenzo Musetti faced an early exit at the hands of qualifier Nikoloz Basilashvili, ranked 126th, reflecting a day of significant upsets that saw over 12 seeded men’s players knocked out, the highest number since the tournament increased to 32 seeds in 2001.
The women’s competition witnessed its fair share of surprises as well, with eight seeds eliminated, including world No.3 Jessica Pegula and No.2 Coco Gauff. Pegula, fresh off a grass-court title in Germany, was defeated by 116th-ranked Elisabetta Cocciaretto in under an hour, while Gauff, recently crowned champion at Roland-Garros, lost in the first round to unseeded Dayana Yastremska, committing numerous errors throughout the match.
Gauff’s early exit at Wimbledon marks a continuing pattern of struggle at this venue, her least successful major, where she has yet to progress beyond the quarter-finals since making her debut at age 15. Other notable seeded players, including No.5 Zheng Qinwen and No.15 Karolina Muchova, also faced early elimination, contributing to a day overshadowed by unexpected outcomes.
The day’s most remarkable moment came from Rinderknech, who celebrated his first victory over a top-five player after overcoming Zverev. The Frenchman credited his success to powerful serving, achieving 25 aces and staving off all nine break points he faced. Following his victory, Rinderknech expressed a mix of disbelief and joy, stating, “It’s my first top-five win, in the biggest stadium in the world.”
Overall, the second day of Wimbledon has set the stage for an unpredictable tournament, with fans witnessing early exits from well-favoured players, bringing excitement and surprise to the grass courts.