Top seed Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the second round of Wimbledon 2026 on Monday with a straight-sets victory over 19-year-old Serbian qualifier Teodora Kostovic.
The Belarusian world No. 1 won 6-2, 6-3 on Centre Court, avoiding the early upsets that eliminated men's seeds Andrey Rublev and Casper Ruud.
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Dominant Start
Sabalenka broke Kostovic's serve in the opening game and raced to a 4-0 lead.
The teenager, making her Grand Slam debut, held serve later in the set but could not close the gap as Sabalenka took the first set 6-2.
Kostovic struggled with baseline pressure, recording twice as many unforced errors as winners.
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Second Set Battle
The second set was tighter early on. Sabalenka broke for a 3-2 lead and then again to go up 5-2.
Serving for the match, she was broken by Kostovic, who showed resilience to delay defeat.
Sabalenka responded immediately, breaking back to seal the set 6-3 and the match.
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In the second round, Sabalenka will face American McCartney Kessler, whom she defeated at Indian Wells in 2025.
