Wimbledon 2026: Jannik Sinner overcomes Nuno Borges, Aryna Sabalenka passes tough test to advance to third round
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Wimbledon 2026: Jannik Sinner overcomes Nuno Borges, Aryna Sabalenka passes tough test to advance to third round")
Jannik Sinner in action Photograph: (AFP)
Defending champion Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka advanced to Wimbledon's third round as Novak Djokovic targeted history and Naomi Osaka moved on
Defending champion Jannik Sinner booked his place in the third round of Wimbledon after overcoming Portugal's Nuno Borges in straight sets, while women's world number one Aryna Sabalenka also progressed following a determined performance. Novak Djokovic was set to take centre stage later in the day as he continued his pursuit of a record-breaking Grand Slam title. Sinner defeated Borges 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 in a tightly contested second-round match at the All England Club. Although the Italian secured win in straight sets, he was pushed throughout by the world number 48 and admitted there is still room for improvement.
The 24-year-old entered the contest after surviving a difficult first-round battle against Serbia's Miomir Kecmanovic, where he recovered from two sets to one down. During that match, Sinner injured his right foot after an awkward fall but showed no obvious signs of discomfort against Borges. "The second set was very tough. First couple of sets we were serving very well. These matches, where you don't have a lot of control, I'm happy to win," Sinner said. "I didn't do a lot of practice because the first match was very long.
Sabalenka cruises to third round
“There's a couple of things I need to improve. I felt some moments where I still need to get back to this rhythm.” Sinner, who ended Carlos Alcaraz's two-year reign as Wimbledon champion with a memorable final victory last year, will next face American world number 81 Jenson Brooksby in the third round. Aryna Sabalenka also secured her place in the last 32 after defeating American McCartney Kessler 6-1, 7-6 (11/9) on Court One. Despite dominating the opening set, the Belarusian had to withstand a spirited challenge before sealing the win in a tense tie-break.
The four-time Grand Slam champion has now reached the last 32 and will meet former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in the next round. "That was a true battle and I'm super happy that I was able to stay in that second set to get into that tie-break," said Sabalenka. “She really tested me and I'm super happy to pass the test.” Sabalenka is still searching for her first Wimbledon title after reaching the semi-finals in each of her previous three appearances at the tournament.
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Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic prepared for a high-profile clash against Stefanos Tsitsipas on Centre Court. The Serbian star began his Wimbledon campaign with a challenging first-round win over Wu Yibing and is chasing a record 25th Grand Slam singles title.
At 39, Djokovic is also aiming to become the oldest men's Grand Slam singles champion of the Open Era.
Although recent major tournaments have exposed signs of vulnerability, he enters the match with confidence, having won his last 11 meetings against Tsitsipas. Off the court, Serena Williams' return to Wimbledon suffered a setback after she sustained a knee injury during her singles defeat to Maya Joint on Tuesday. The 44-year-old is still hoping to compete in the doubles alongside sister Venus Williams later this week. Her agent said Serena "is doing everything she can to be ready for her doubles match".
Osaka beats Gasanova
Elsewhere, Naomi Osaka defeated Russia's Anastasia Gasanova 6-3, 6-2 to reach the third round. The Japanese star revealed she had extra motivation to avoid an early exit. "Tomorrow is my daughter's birthday and I just wanted to be here for longer," said the 14th seed. "I didn't want to make her get on a plane on her birthday so I was really happy with today."
Osaka will next face Australia's Daria Kasatkina as she attempts to reach the Wimbledon fourth round for the first time. Italy's ninth seed Flavio Cobolli also advanced after defeating Argentina's Mariano Navone in four sets, continuing his impressive run following last month's French Open final appearance. Later in the day, French Open champion Mirra Andreeva was scheduled to face former Wimbledon winner Barbora Krejcikova in one of the tournament's standout second-round matches.
