Novak Djokovic had words of warning for his children after keeping them up past their bedtime during an epic first-round Wimbledon win over Wu Yibing. The 24-time Grand Slam champion battled through a tough test on Centre Court, eventually prevailing 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 against the Chinese opponent.
Djokovic's Message to His Children
After the match, Djokovic reprised his violin celebration for his daughter and was asked about a message for his children. He replied: 'Past bedtime, we'll have to talk about that.' The 39-year-old Serbian star acknowledged the challenge Wu presented, saying: 'It felt really challenging to me. Wu deserves a huge round of applause for his incredible play. I'm feeling happy but not the freshest I guess. It didn't feel like the first round. It felt like we played two different matches with the roof off and then the closed roof. He put me under a lot of pressure. I never played him before, I know he loves hitting the ball very flat and very aggressively from the back of the court. He surprised me.'
Match Highlights
Djokovic and Wu exchanged the first two sets before the roof closed over Centre Court, with fans chanting Wu's name as the match moved into its third hour. Wu, 26, was playing his first-ever main stage match at Wimbledon after losing to Frances Tiafoe on Court 3 in his only previous appearance. Despite the unfamiliar environment, Wu grew into the match and broke Djokovic to take the second set 7-5. Djokovic responded by breaking at 4-4 in the third set and held on to win the next two sets. The match began at 7pm after Jannik Sinner's five-setter against Miomir Kecmanovic pushed back the Centre Court schedule.
What's Next for Djokovic
The seven-time Wimbledon champion moves into the second round, where he will face Stefanos Tsitsipas. The 27-year-old Greek, twice beaten by Djokovic in Grand Slam finals this decade, claimed a straight-sets win over qualifier Hugo Gaston earlier on Monday. Djokovic's victory came amid a vocal crowd that grew in voice as Wu made his mark on the match, but the Serbian star ultimately prevailed in just over three hours.
