Jannik Sinner continued his Wimbledon title defense with a hard-fought 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2), 6-4 victory over Portugal's Nuno Borges on Wednesday to reach the third round.

The world No. 1 delivered a more assured performance than in his five-set opener against Miomir Kecmanovic, although he still committed 29 unforced errors and remained short of his usual standard.

Italy's Jannik Sinner returns against Portugal's Nuno Borges during their men's singles second round tennis match on the third day of the 2026 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 1, 2026. (Photo: AFP)

Borges, ranked No. 48 in the world, impressed with powerful baseline hitting and deft drop shots, even earning an early break in the second set. However, Sinner raised his level in the key moments, winning both tiebreaks before sealing victory in two hours and 32 minutes.

"I need to get back to the rhythm, but matches like these help me a lot," Sinner said. The four-time Grand Slam champion will next face American Jenson Brooksby.

Seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic also advanced comfortably, defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 to reach the third round at the All England Club for the 20th time.

Serbia's Novak Djokovic returns the ball to Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas during their men's singles second round tennis match on the third day of the 2026 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 1, 2026. (Photo: AFP)

After being pushed to four sets by China's Wu Yibing in the opening round, Djokovic produced a dominant display against Tsitsipas, winning their first career meeting on grass and extending his head-to-head advantage over the Greek to 13-2.

The Serbian wrapped up victory in one hour and 38 minutes, highlighted by a brilliant return game at 4-2 in the third set that featured three winners, including a perfectly executed lob.

"You feel very happy, satisfied and joyful on the court when you are playing this way," Djokovic said.

"That game when I went 5-2 up was one of the best return games I've played in a while. I just went for my shots and felt more relaxed."

In the women's draw, top seed Aryna Sabalenka survived a stern test from American McCartney Kessler, rallying for a 6-1, 7-6 (9) victory to advance to the third round.

After cruising through the opening set, the world No. 1 found herself trailing 5-2 in the second set and had to save four set points before prevailing in a tense tiebreak. The victory improved Sabalenka's 2026 tiebreak record to 9-2 and extended her Open Era record of 21 consecutive Grand Slam tiebreak wins.

"It was a true battle," Sabalenka said. "She really tested me today, and I'm really happy to pass the test."

Belarus's Aryna Sabalenka celebrates winning against US player McCartney Kessler during their women's singles second round tennis match on the third day of the 2026 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 1, 2026. (Photo: AFP)

Reflecting on her remarkable success in tiebreaks, Sabalenka added: "I'm glad from the outside it looks like I'm really calm. Inside I'm like, 'OK, please get this point.' I trust my shots and stay aggressive, and I think that really makes a big difference."

Sabalenka will next face former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, who needed just 66 minutes to defeat Antonia Ruzic 6-2, 6-0, firing 34 winners while committing only 10 unforced errors.

Meanwhile, former Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova battled past this year's French Open champion Mirra Andreeva 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 in a gruelling three-hour contest.

The Czech recovered after squandering six match points at 5-3 in the deciding set before finally closing out the victory and securing her place in the third round.