Top seed Aryna Sabalenka overcame Canadian qualifier Carson Branstine on a sweltering Court One to get her quest for a first Wimbledon title up and running with a 6-1 7-5 win on Monday.

There are plenty of tennis players who might be daunted by the prospect of making their Grand Slam debut against someone ranked No. 1 and in a big stadium

Aryna Sabalenka, the current World No. 1 and a favourite to win Wimbledon 2025, advanced to the second round on Monday with a commanding 6-1, 7-5 victory over qualifier Carson Branstine. This year's Wimbledon championships kicked off on the hottest opening day on record,