A resilient Novak Djokovic launched his latest bid for a record 25th Grand Slam title with a battling win over China’s Wu Yibing in the first round at Wimbledon.
The 39-year-old has been tied with Australia’s Margaret Court on 24 major titles since the 2023 US Open.
But he started his campaign for the standalone record with a gritty 6-4 5-7 6-4 6-4 win on a rowdy Centre Court to maintain his 100% win rate in 21 first-round matches at SW19.
“It felt really challenging for me today,” said Djokovic, who had not played since his third-round defeat by Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca at the French Open.
“I’m feeling happy but not the freshest. It didn’t feel like the first round to be honest.”
