Top seed Aryna Sabalenka overcame Canadian qualifier Carson Branstine on a sweltering Court One to get her quest for a first Wimbledon title up and running with a 6-1 7-5 win on Monday.
With the thermometer soaring above 30°C, the Belarusian turned up the heat early to win the opening five games.
But Branstine, who juggles her time between the tennis courts and working as a model, earned loud applause when she got on the scoreboard and though Sabalenka eased to the first set, the second was an intense duel of fierce baseline rallies.
Sabalenka, seeded one at Wimbledon for the first time, usually overpowers her opponents with the sheer force of her game, but Branstine had firepower of her own.
The Canadian powered down several big aces as she stayed ahead in the second set but Sabalenka sensed her chance at 5-5 and broke serve by forcing her opponent to net a forehand.
The world No.1 is off to a winning start 💪
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 30, 2025
Aryna Sabalenka defeats Carson Branstine 6-1, 7-5#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/U09xCPnjE3
Sabalenka wrapped up the win with a solid hold.
Twice Wimbledon runner-up Ons Jabeur's tournament lasted only one hour and 25 minutes as the Tunisian retired in her first- round match against Viktoriya Tomova.
Bulgarian Tomova took a tight opening set on a tiebreak and was 2-0 ahead in the second when Jabeur, who reached the final in 2022 and 2023, decided she could not continue.
The 30-year-old former world number two had looked uncomfortable in fiercely hot conditions on Court 14 and needed a long medical timeout in the first set.
Jabeur, who has slipped outside the world's top 50, suffers from asthma and experienced breathing difficulties at this year's Australian Open.
Temperatures at Wimbledon were expected to reach 34 °C on the opening day of the championships and the All England Club has implemented its warm weather policy.
Reuters
