The first two rounds of Wimbledon do not normally bring a lot of high-level upsets, but 2025 has begun a bit differently. Day 1 brought an early upset when a top-20-seeded player lost. Maybe this year will shape up to be one of the more shocking in the grass-court major's history.
That would certainly make for a fun and memorable event for fans. Perhaps Carlos Alcaraz won't easily sweep through to his third-straight title. Maybe the WTA side will have its third-straight shock winner.
There is little doubt, though, that the biggest upset was Daniil Medvedev, a two-time semifinalist, falling to unseeded Benjamin Bonzi. Bonzi is 29 years old, had a career losing record, but likely had his match serving of his career. He was dominant, and maybe he will go on a nice run and be one of the stories of the tournament.
Wimbledon 2025 Day 1: Upsets, sadness, and what didn't surprise
For Medvedev, he might be wondering what is next in his career. He is no longer the force he once was. He was not in great condition for Wimbledon, as he got sick on the court. Bonzi ran him around easily, and the Russian looked like a shell of his former self in losing 7-6(2) 3-6 7-5(3) 6-2.
Upsets (besides Daniil Medvedev)
Jelena Ostapenko was the first-seeded player to bow out, but the home crowd was certainly happy with her loss. That is because most were cheering for Brit Sonay Kartal, who dispatched Ostapenko in three sets 7-5 2-6 6-2. As Ostapenko had made the quarterfinals at Wimbledon twice and the semifinals once, this was a shock.
Nicolas Jarry shocked 8-seed Holger Rune by coming back from two sets down to take the final three sets. The Medvedev loss ranks higher on the upset scale because of his high-level career success. Rune seems to always disappoint in the major events. He reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon in 2023, but only the fourth round last year. Jarry won the match 4-6 4-6 7-5 6-3 6-4.
Nuno Borges defeated Francisco Cerundolo after dropping the first set. Cerundolo was seeded 16, but he is more of a clay-court specialist. Borges took the match 4-6 6-3 7-6(5) 6-0.
Brit Katie Boulter got the crowd excited by defeating 9-seed Paula Badosa in three sets. 6-2 3-6 6-4. Badosa had been playing better in 2025, and Boulter needed the victory as she had dropped in the rankings, but she played with confidence and could be a threat to make a deep run at the major.
Kamil Majchrzak sent fan-favorite Matteo Berrettini home earlier than expected in a thrilling five-set victory. Berrettini has always more potential than he has been able to turn into high-end success because of so many injuries, but Majchrzak simply outplayed him 4-6 6-2 6-4 5-7 6-3.
Sadness
Ons Jabeur, one of the more pleasant players on either the ATP or WTA tours, has struggled over the last year and a half, but what happened in her first-round match against Viktoriya Tomova seemed worse. Instead of an injury, Jabeur appeared to break down emotionally before retiring, down 6-7(5) 0-2.
She left the court once in set one after being seen literally crying into her towel, and then she quit in set two. She couldn't muster the poise needed to take the match. She deserves better, and whatever the issue was, hopefully it will be resolved soon.
No surprises
Frances Tiafoe took his first-round match 6-3 6-4 6-2 against Elmer Moller and was never truly threatened. His game should translate to grass fairly well, with his ability to serve well and move around the court, but his career-best finish at Wimbledon is the fourth round. Maybe 2025 will be different.
Top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka made easy work of Canadian Carson Branstine 6-1 7-5. The Belarusian is attempting to win her first Wimbledon, and this was the dominant start she wanted.
Carlos Alcaraz managed to scrape by feisty Fabio Fognini in five sets, though the fifth set had no real drama, and the Spaniard took the set 6-1. Fognini should be applauded for his effort in what is likely his last Wimbledon. It was a first-round loss, but a great memory.
Madison Keys moved on to the second round, but she also had to fight her way through. It took her three sets to defeat Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-7(4) 7-5 7-5.
Note: This page will be updated throughout Day 1 as matches finish.