Top seed, Jannik Sinner, made a confident return to Wimbledon, easing past compatriot Luca Nardi in straight sets to kick off his campaign at the All England Club.
Facing world number 95 Nardi for the first time, Sinner showed his class and composure to dispatch the 21-year-old, marking his first Grand Slam outing since a heartbreaking loss at Roland Garros.
The 23-year-old Italian, whose best performance at Wimbledon came in 2023 when he reached the semi-finals, shared his enthusiasm about being back on the grass courts in an interview with France24.
“I’m very happy to come back here to such a special place for me,” Sinner said.
“Playing an Italian is very unfortunate but one has to go through and luckily it was me.
“We worked a lot after Halle (grass-court tournament) on the serve and in important moments I felt I was serving very well.
“First matches are never easy, so I’m very happy with the performance. It’s a new tournament, new challenges.
“If you don’t enjoy to play on these courts, I don’t know where you will enjoy. I will try to keep going.”
Despite his recent Grand Slam success, winning three of the last six majors, Sinner enters Wimbledon still chasing his first title at the historic event.
His recent heartbreak came in Paris, where he squandered a two-set lead and three match points in a dramatic French Open final loss to Carlos Alcaraz.
Now, with a promising start and renewed focus, Sinner sets his sights on breaking new ground at SW19.
