World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka opened her Wimbledon campaign with a straight sets win over Serbian qualifier Teodora Kostovic on Centre Court. She took the match 6-2, 6-3 on Monday.
Sabalenka started strong and controlled most of the contest. Kostovic, a teenager making her main draw Grand Slam debut, showed fight in the second set and pushed the top seed at times. Sabalenka broke serve when needed and closed it out without dropping a set.
In her post match comments, Sabalenka said she was happy to return to Wimbledon and play on the big stage. She rated her performance an 8 out of 10 for the opening match and noted she was pleased to finish in straight sets. She acknowledged that Kostovic stepped up more in the second set and created some pressure.
Sabalenka also addressed Kostovic’s earlier comments about wanting to face her to test whether she could handle the younger player’s power. Sabalenka laughed and called the idea “so scary” in a lighthearted way. She added that playing Centre Court for the first time brings a lot of pressure, but she expected Kostovic to handle it better in the future.
Sabalenka next faces American McCartney Kessler in the second round. The win gives her a solid start as she looks to build momentum on grass.