Wimbledon 2025 is off to a chaotic, sun-soaked start, and the grass hasn’t just been green—it’s been slippery for the seeds. From racket-smashing tantrums to emotional retirements, Day 1 brought a wave of drama that few saw coming. With some of the tournament’s top names packing their bags early, it’s clear: this year’s Championships aren’t following any script. Let’s unpack the day.

Daniil Medvedev has a meltdown!

Two-time semifinalist Daniil Medvedev is heading home early, and he’s taking a few broken rackets with him. The Russian star, seeded ninth, crashed out in a first-round stunner to World No. 64 Benjamin Bonzi, losing 7-6(2), 3-6, 7-6(3), 6-2. The Frenchman couldn’t contain his joy after securing the first top-10 win of his career, while Medvedev let loose on his gear, slamming his racket against his chair and bag in frustration.

This is uncharted territory for the 2021 US Open champ, who had made the second week of Wimbledon in his last seven appearances. But after early exits at the Australian and French Opens, this marks his third straight flop at a Slam. “It’s tough, I mean, sad. I felt like I didn’t play too bad. I don’t see much I could do better,” Medvedev said. “I was surprised by his level. I know that he can play well. I would be surprised if you find a match of him playing like this any other time this year. I’m surprised he did today. But it can happen. That’s when sensations happen.”

Holger Rune falls after a two-set lead

It looked like business as usual when Holger Rune went up two sets against Nicolas Jarry. But in a twist straight out of a tennis thriller, the Dane’s Wimbledon unraveled in slow motion. Jarry blasted 31 aces and refused to fold, while Rune, visibly hampered, took a medical timeout in the fourth. Battling a sore knee and a Chilean with a big serve, Rune lost 4-6, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4.

Post-match, the eighth seed said, “I mean, if I play normal, I’m beating him nine out of ten times, with all respect for Nicolas Jarry. Obviously today didn’t make it a lot easier with my knee, but yeah, it was not great.” But what exactly made it difficult for him? “Fourth set, I started to feel my knee and then got some treatment. Yeah, never was able to serve and hit my backhand as I was able to do in the first two sets.”

Arthur Fery stuns Alexei Popyrin in breakthrough win!

Alexei Popyrin, the 20th seed, was supposed to coast past Arthur Fery, a wildcard ranked 461 in the world. But the Brit had other plans. In front of a buzzing home crowd, Fery took down the Aussie 6-4, 6-1, 4-6, 6-4—sealing his first-ever main-draw win at Wimbledon.

It was a nervy finish, with double faults and air swings from Popyrin adding to the tension. But Fery held his ground, sinking to his knees in disbelief on Court 15, just a short walk from where he went to school.

“It’s probably the most proud day in terms of my tennis career,” Fery said. “It’s great, and hopefully I can keep going and stay healthy for the rest of the year.”

Stefanos Tsitsipas calls it quits…

Then, there was Stefanos Tsitsipas, who didn’t get a fair shot at Wimbledon this year. Battling a back injury, the 26th seed was forced to retire during his first-round match against French qualifier Valentin Royer, who led 6-3, 6-2 when the Greek waved the white flag.

Tsitsipas looked uncomfortable from the start, struggling with his serve and movement. After a medical timeout in the second set, it became clear he couldn’t continue. He was heartbroken as he said, “I’ve tried everything. I’ve done an incredible job with my fitness. I’ve done an incredible job with my physiotherapy, so I’ve maximized on everything that I possibly can do. Right now I’m just absolutely left with no answers. I don’t know what to do.” Royer, meanwhile, marches on in his main-draw debut.

Ons Jabeur’s tough goodbye

In one of the most emotional moments of Day 1, two-time Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur was forced to retire midway through her opening match. Facing Bulgaria’s Viktoriya Tomova, the Tunisian star looked visibly distressed, needing a 14-minute medical timeout in the first set before calling it quits down 7-6 (7-5), 2-0.

Ranked No. 59 after a year riddled with injuries, Jabeur struggled physically throughout the match, burying her head in a towel and even having her blood pressure checked mid-match. Afterward, she hinted at needing time away from the game, saying she’d try to “disconnect a little bit from tennis.” Her fans will be hoping it’s not goodbye for long.

Sonay Kartal turns the tables on Jelena Ostapenko!

Home crowd magic struck again as Sonay Kartal pulled off a big upset over 20th seed Jelena Ostapenko, winning 7-5, 2-6, 6-2. After blowing a 5-2 lead in the first set, Kartal regrouped to take the match in style, avenging her recent loss to Ostapenko at Eastbourne. The Brit now owns three career Top 30 wins and has already made a splash in just her second Wimbledon main-draw appearance. “I think I played pretty well today. I think I handled her pace well, deflected her pace as best as I could. I think I served very well, as well. I don’t think that I could have done too much better at times in that match. Yeah, I feel confident,” Kartal said after winning.

As for Ostapenko, a semifinalist in 2018 and quarterfinalist just last year,  it’s another early Slam disappointment.

With several top names already out, the draw has cracked wide open. One thing’s for sure: if the rest of the fortnight is anything like this, tennis fans are in for a wild ride at Wimbledon. Do you think Day 2 will also have so many upsets? Let us know in the comments below!