Nothing about the first-round match of Wimbledon 2026 between Novak Djokovic and Wu Yibing was easy for either player. Wu was a great juniors player who has dealt with injuries that have thwarted any real positivity to his career. Djokovic is, of course, arguably the best player ever.
But he is 39 years old now, and while he retains a high tennis IQ and elite hand-to-eye coordination, he isn't quite as fast or as fit as he once was. He's still capable of beating even the best of the younger players, as he did Jannik Sinner at the 2026 Australian Open, but he has to tough out matches much more than he used to.
Wu, to be fair, also showed little fear of the great Serbian and struck the ball as if he were playing a true equal. The Chinese player hit with bombast and surprising precision, though he could make Djokovic run a bit more on some points in an attempt to tire the older player.
Novak Djokovic overcomes Wu Yibing in the first round of Wimbledon 2026
The Wimbledon crowd was in favor of Djokovic, but Wu definitely had his supporters, and each player played to the crowd at times. It was a fun match, and an exceedingly well-played one until Wu made a brutal error at 4-all in the fourth set.
Serving to try to get the advantage, but facing a break point, Djokovic hit a defensive lob that Wu Yibing attempted to crush with an overhead. Instead, Wu hit the ball long, and Djokovic had the match on his racket.
No set had been easy. Djokovic took the first and third sets 6-4, but Wu stunned and excited the crowd by taking set two 7-5. Beating the best ever takes a full match at a Grand Slam, however, and one slip can ruin the match for the less accomplished player.
Tasting the end of the match, Djokovic put on a brutally efficient hold of service at love to win the third set 6-4. Wu had every right to feel proud of how he played, and against most players he might have won. Even at 39, Novak Djokovic is no ordinary player.
The Serbian will next play Stefanos Tsitsipas in the second round. The Greek has struggled greatly over the last two years, but is still capable of being a very dangerous player. If Djokovic makes it through the next round, he will be favored in the third round against either Martin Damm or Arthur Rinderknech.
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