Jannik Sinner defeated Miomir Kecmanovic, 4-6, 6-3, 6-7, 6-2, 6-3, in the first round of Wimbledon.
The Italian was made to work hard for his place in round two as his Serbian opponent proved tough to beat on Centre Court.
How worried are you about Jannik Sinner’s first round performance?
But Sinner prevailed in five sets, thanks to an exceptional serving performance.
Jannik Sinner sets personal record for aces in a match during Miomir Kecmanovic win at Wimbledon
Sinner made a career-best 31 aces during his first-round win at Wimbledon.
Jannik Sinner vs Miomir Kecmanovic – Match stats
| Stats | Jannik Sinner | Miomir Kecmanovic |
| Aces | 31 | 1 |
| Double faults | 5 | 5 |
| 1st Serve % | 63% | 66% |
| Win % on 1st Serve | 89% | 74% |
| Win % on 2nd Serve | 59% | 50% |
| Break points won | 4/9 | 1/4 |
| Net points won | 22/25 | 14/22 |
| Unforced errors | 52 | 33 |
| Winners | 72 | 20 |
| Total points won | 157 | 128 |
His previous-best tally was 26, set during his Australian Open semi-final defeat to Novak Djokovic in January.
Sinner needed every one of those 31 aces, as his serve propelled him to a hard-fought win over the world number 50.
His serving excellence made up for his forehand, which produced many errors during the match.
Sinner adapted his forehand ahead of the 2026 season, introducing more spin in a bid to improve his clay-court game.
The move almost worked, as Sinner won three clay-court Masters 1000 titles, but he failed to win the one trophy he needed to complete his Career Grand Slam: Roland Garros.
Unfortunately for Sinner, the ‘spinnier’ forehand isn’t quite as effective on grass as it was on clay.
The flatter forehand helped him win Wimbledon 12 months ago, but if his first-round performance is anything to go by, he may struggle to retain his title if he does not revert to that technique.
That is, of course, easier said than done, as the 24-year-old has grown accustomed to the shot that yielded 18 match wins on the clay.
With that being true, Sinner will need to rely upon his imperious serve if he is to lift the Wimbledon trophy for a second time.
Jannik Sinner’s serving stats (Last 52 weeks)
- Serve rating – 301.2 (2nd on ATP Tour)
- 1st Serve % – 63.4% (38th on ATP Tour)
- Win % on 1st Serve – 80.3% (2nd on ATP Tour)
- Win % on 2nd Serve – 58.9% (1st on ATP Tour)
- Win % of Service games – 92.7% (1st on ATP Tour)
- Average aces per match – 7.4 (35th on ATP Tour)
Now, Sinner is unlikely to break his new record of 31 aces unless he requires a fifth set again this tournament.
Looking to preserve energy ahead of the second week, Sinner will be keen to get through his next few matches in straight sets.
Who will Jannik Sinner play next at Wimbledon?
Sinner will now prepare to take on Portugal’s Nuno Borges in the second round.
Borges defeated the American Tristan Boyer in his opener, 6-3, 7-5, 7-5, and is in good form, having reached the semi-finals of last week’s Mallorca Championships.
Sinner and Borges have met once before, in Sofia, Bulgaria, four years ago, a match the Italian won in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4.
The world number one will walk on court as a heavy favourite to record a second win over Borges and advance to the third round, where he would meet Jenson Brooksby or the 31st seed, Ignacio Buse.
Then in the last 16, Sinner could play Rafael Jodar, Pablo Carreno Busta, Shintaro Mochizuki, or Ethan Quinn.
Of the names listed above, Sinner might be most fearful of Jodar, who burst onto the scene during the clay-court season.
There were question marks over his fitness after he skipped Queen’s and Eastbourne, but his dominant first-round win proved Jodar is here to compete.
Sinner won’t want to get ahead of himself thinking about the fourth round just yet, though, as he first turns his attention to Borges and their second-round tie on Wednesday, July 1.
