​Aryna Sabalenka gave her Wimbledon debut a confident eight out of ten after a commanding 6-2, 6-3 victory over qualifier Teodora Kostovic in 65 minutes to begin her campaign. The world No. 1, who has yet to reach a Wimbledon final in four appearances at the tournament, looked sharp after her surprising and disappointing quarter-final exit at last month’s French Open. Sabalenka struck 22 winners to Kostovic’s 10 and did not face a break point until she was 5-1 up in the second set while serving for the match, briefly wobbling before quickly recovering to break again and seal the win. She recalled her French Open form, where she had led by a set and 4-1 before succumbing, and joked about thinking of quitting tennis after that defeat. Sabalenka now advances to face American McCartney Kessler in the second round and continues her bid for a first grass-court title and her first major on a non-hard surface.
Meanwhile, French Open runner-up Maja Chwalinska was one point from a Wimbledon victory before a grass-court slip derailed her match. The Pole, who reached the Roland Garros final as a qualifier, led 6-2, 5-2 against Mananchaya Sawangkaew but slipped while chasing a forehand, forcing a medical timeout and leading to a dramatic shift as Sawangkaew took the decider. With her ankle heavily strapped and back issues emerging, Chwalinska still managed to push Sawangkaew to a deciding set, ultimately losing 2-6, 7-5, 6-2. The emotional moment saw Polish fans rallying behind her as she left the court, supported by officials and teammates, with Chwalinska insisting she did not want to retire in Wimbledon.