It is worth reminding ourselves occasionally that most players perform better when they are doing their job with a smile on their face. The Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka has found life difficult off the court lately, fielding more questions about the war in Ukraine than her tennis, but on Tuesday she looked happy and confident as she eased into the second round.
The No 2 seed dismissed the challenge of the world No 82, Panna Udvardy of Hungary, in just over an hour with eight aces, 27 winners and even a tweener, treating the crowd to her power and athleticism on her return to Wimbledon after missing the event last year because of the ban on Russians and Belarusians competing.
A semi‑finalist two years ago when she lost against the eventual champion, Ash Barty, Sabalenka is now a grand slam title winner, having exorcised the serving demons that at one stage threatened to derail her career and won the Australian Open. Udvardy was powerless to stop her from cruising to a 6-3, 6-1 win here, one that was never in doubt from the moment she broke serve early on.
Three more breaks sealed the deal for Sabalenka and she will now play either Camila Giorgi of Italy or Russian-born Varvara Gracheva, who recently switched nationality to France. “I didn’t realise how much I missed this place until this match,” Sabalenka said. “Thank you for coming, thanks everyone for supporting, it really means a lot for me.”
She had way too much power for Udvardy but she also moved well, thrilling the crowd with the tweener in the second set. Even though she lost the point, she punched the air in delight, revelling in the moment. “It was a great match for me. I was just trying to do my best, I was enjoying the atmosphere, enjoying my game. I missed this place a lot, I think that’s why I played my best tennis today.”
The first face Ons Jabeur saw when she arrived at the All England Club a few days before Wimbledon was Elena Rybakina, a reminder of just how close she came to winning the title last year when she led by a set in the final only to be overhauled in three. Though she reached the US Open final soon after, Jabeur has struggled in 2023, a minor knee operation in February leaving her a little short of top form going into the clay-court season.
Beaten in the quarter-finals at Roland Garros, she lost early in Berlin and Eastbourne but on Tuesday, under the comfort of the No 1 Court roof, the Tunisian put together a confident opening‑round win, beating Magda Frech of Poland 6-3, 6-3. The sixth seed had struggled to beat Frech when they met in Indian Wells this year but she was at ease throughout here. One acutely angled forehand gave her the opening set and, though Frech recovered an early break in the second, Jabeur broke again and moved away to victory.
The crowd responded to Jabeur’s variety and touch, and the 28‑year‑old said playing with joy made the daily grind of training and travelling worthwhile. “Sometimes if I don’t focus on having pleasure on the court, that main idea that tennis is fun [and] it’s not just a job that you have to do … it would be very difficult for me to enjoy. Maybe my creativity and the shots that I do, they won’t be there.
“That’s why I always try to enjoy. On a surface like grass, it’s a surface that I enjoy so much, I don’t know why, more than the others. Maybe because I’m a football fan, and I always enjoy playing football on grass. I feel the connection between both.”
