Djokovic survives a Wu scare to advance on his Wimbledon return
Pushed hard on his Wimbledon return, Novak Djokovic (No 7) edged Yibing Wu 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, surviving four break points in the fourth set – “I probably should have lost that set,” he admitted. Stefanos Tsitsipas awaits.
Novak Djokovic, Wimbledon 2026 | © Action Plus / PsNewz
Serbian seventh seed Novak Djokovic came through a stiffer test than the scoreline suggests on Monday evening, edging Chinese qualifier Yibing Wu 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 in 3 hours and 10 minutes to reach the second round of Wimbledon.
Playing only his fifth event of the year and without a grass-court warm-up, Djokovic was pushed hard by an opponent he had never faced before. The most precarious moment came in the fourth set, when Wu carved out four break points while leading 3-2 and threatened to force a decider.
Djokovic held firm, saw out the game, and broke at 4-4 to settle the contest – but he was candid afterwards about how close it had been. “I probably should have lost that fourth set, as he had many break points,” he said. “I was lucky he missed an overhead on a break point.”
“Wu deserves a round of applause”
Djokovic was generous in praise of an opponent who had surprised him. “Wu deserves a round of applause for his incredible performance,” he said. “I knew he loves hitting the ball very flat and aggressively from the back of the court, but he surprised me with the level of every shot – return, forehand, backhand. At some point he didn’t really have a weakness.”
The Serb described a match played in two halves, the roof opening and closing over Centre Court changing the conditions underfoot. “It felt like we played two different matches, one with the open roof and one with the closed roof,” he said. “It affects the moisture of the grass – it becomes more slippery, so you have to adapt.”
Djokovic – Tsitsipas next
If the body was not quite at its freshest, the experience was decisive. “These matches are decided in a few points and a few shots,” he said. “Thankfully I have the experience of the last 20-plus years on this court to help me manage the situation. It would be nice to combine that experience with a young, fresh body – that would be the winning formula.”
Among those watching from the stands was David Beckham, Bad Bunny with Djokovic’s wife and children in attendance. Djokovic, ranked No 8, will next face Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas for a place in the third round.
