Wimbledon 2023 LIVE: Results and reaction as Coco Gauff is knocked out; Djokovic and Brit trio win

That's a wrap for our live blog - thanks for sticking with us today! From Novak Djokovic's towel antics to Venus Williams' shock exit, it's been an eventful first day to say the least.

Come back to the same place tomorrow for more of the action at Wimbledon!

If this is to be the last we see of Venus Williams on Centre Court, then it was a fitting tribute to her skill, resilience and warrior spirit.

The 43-year-old five-time champion had slogged through two months of rehab on a hamstring injury to make it to the start line. So it was cruel indeed to see her pick up a knee issue in Birmingham last month - and crueller still to hear the scream of agony in today's first round when she slipped and fell, clutching that same right knee.

Hobbled as she was, it was a remarkable effort to complete the match and win as many games as she did, eventually going down 6-4, 6-3 to Elina Svitolina.

To read more click below...

What a performance that was from Jannik Sinner. The young Italian provides a scintillating display to cruise into the second round at Wimbledon. It was a commendable effort from Cerundolo but, ultimately, Sinner was too strong. 

Perhaps a saving grace for Dan Evans, who's game has been suspended until tomorrow. The Brit is currently 6-2 6-3 down but will hope for a different showing tomorrow.

As expected, Sinner takes the his service game with ease. The serves from the Italian have been a sight to behold throughout the match. 

And, after an intense deuce, he goes within touching distance of the second round after breaking his Argetine counterpart.

You get the feeling this is the beginning of the end for Cerundolo. Utter dominance there from Sinner, who stormed through his service set before breaking counterpart. Now, with service, there's a real chance he runs away with this. 

Coco Gauff suffered a shock first-round defeat by compatriot Sofia Kenin in arguably the biggest upset of the first day of Wimbledon.

Gauff, the No 7 seed, was beaten 6-4 4-6 6-2 on Court No 1 by Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion who is currently ranked No 128 in the world.

Kenin has never gone beyond round two at SW19, while 19-year-old Gauff suffered her earliest exist at The Championships.

To read more click below...

Sinner, expectedly, won his service game to tie up the third set but Cerundolo has fired back with a blistering hold of his own. He nearly did it without faltering but did hit an unforced error right at the end.

Promising stuff for the Argentine, nonetheless.

It's not looking good for Great Britain's Dan Evans over on Court Two. He's currently 6-2 6-3 down to France's Quentin Halys and on the brink of elimination.

He'd join Harriet Dart and Katie Swan as Britain's stars to exit in the first round of Wimbledon this year.

Cerundolo takes the first game of the third set after a strong display of serving. It's vital that he holds his service games if he stands any chance of winning this tie. 

And just like that, Sinner has wrapped up the second set. Emphatic stuff from the Italian, who has barely put a foot wrong throughout the whole match. You can imagine this third set getting settled rather quickly. 

Not many would've seen this coming! Coco Gauff has been defeated by her compatriot Sofia Kenin in a thrilling match on Court One. Kenin triumphed 6-4 4-6 6-2.

The Argentine isn't going down without a fight and has managed to hold on here to force Sinner back to his service. Can the Italian clinch the second set now?

Assertive play against from the Italian, who makes no mistake in extending his lead in the second set with back-to-back games. This is beginning to look like a formality for the youngster.

Dominant showing from the Italian once more. His skills are proving too much for Cerundolo at the minute. Sinner's aggression and willingness to come to the net has helped turn the tide in his favour. 

The Argentine starts this set off on the right foot after winning his service game. The question is whether he's able to break his Italian counterpart.

Well, he's not able to do it straight away as Sinner breezes through his service game 40-0. The serve, once again, proved too much for his Argentine opponent.

And, as predicted, Sinner wraps up the first set with ease. The youngster breezes past his Argentinian counterpart to take his first step towards the second round. 

A bit of back-and-forth here as both players take a game. Cerundolo seems to have earned some respect in this one and looks a bit more confident out on the court. 

However, you wouldn't bet against Sinner wrapping this up within the next game. 

Finally, the Argentine has won a game. A couple of unforced errors from the Italian helped him out along the way and hopefully that can give him a bit of confidence for the rest of the match. 

Britain's Dan Evans has lost the first set in his tie against France's Quentin Halys, 6-2.

Cerundolo really has no response for what Sinner is producing at the moment. The youngster is breezing through his opening set with little issue. 

His serve has been particularly useful throughout.

Better from Cerundolo in that game but, again, Sinner is just too dominant. The 21-year-old has such composure throughout the point and seems to dictate proceedings, even when he is outstretched and struggling.

His beautiful dropshot to earn break point was particularly pleasing. Thoroughly entertaining so far. 

Brilliant play from the Italian. His serve has so much power that Cerundolo can hardly get it back. This could be a quick one, at this rate.

Wow. This kid is here to make a statement and he certainly did so with that opening game. His tremendous volley to win the game will be the talking point so far. A thumping effort.

Dan Evans finds himself in a precarious position in the first set of his match against France's Quentin Halys, with the score currently 4-1. 

The British star has struggled to assert his control on the match thus far and finds himself at a hefty disadvantage early on. 

Both Sinner and Cerundolo are out on Centre Court ahead of this match starting. The Italian is looking raring to go for this one. 

Meanwhile, Dan Evans finds himself 2-1 down in the first set of his match against Quentin Halys. 

Well, up next will be Jannik Sinner vs Juan Manuel Cerundolo on Centre Court. The young Italian will be looking to make his mark on the competition early on.

Meanwhile, we have an update for you on Court One. As it stands, Coco Gauff is one set down against Sofia Kenin but leads 2-0 in the second set. Certainly one to keep an eye out for. 

Britain's Katie Swan follows her compatriot Harriet Dart out of the competition after suffering defeat against 14th seed Belinda Bencic.

Dan Evans will have the opportunity to avenge her defeat, as he prepares to take to Court Two to face France's Quentin Halys

It's all over! Elina Svitolina has beaten five-time Wimbledon champions Venus Williams on Centre Court. A knee injury will cast questions over this match, as to whether the American could've performed better on another day.

However, take nothing away from the display from the Ukrainian who was dominant from start to finish. 

Well, we thought Svitolina was going to go ahead and wrap this one up but Williams is refusing to be beaten here!

The American picks up back-to-back games to draw nearer to her Ukrainian opponent.

This is looking nearly impossible for Venus Williams now. The five time Wimbledon winner can hardly keep up with Elina Svitolina's play and has been significantly hampered by that knee injury in the first set.

Credit where credit is due though, Svitolina has been tremendous throughout the match and is deserving of her lead. 

Another impressive service display from the Ukrainian. Her forehand shot has been one of her most useful tools this afternoon, as Williams struggles to scramble from side-to-side on the court.

Svitolina took the second game after a dominant showing on her serve before Williams returned fire with a, similarly, impressive service display. 

The American is giving it her all but her Ukrainian counterpart was always going to be a worthy challenger... and it could prove to be too much for Williams today.

That was a hard-fought game, which goes in favour of Svitolina after a brilliant break for the Ukrainian. Williams was throwing all she had behind the serve and her counterpart was able to respond at every call. 

I reckon that'll give her all the confidence she needs to go ahead and claim the win here. 

Strong start to the game sees the Ukrainian go 30-0 up but, after two unforced errors, the score is tied. Svitolina then hits long again and the crowd roars in support of Williams - who could secure a vital break now. 

But Svitolina hits a lovely, spin back-hand to throw off Williams and bring the game to deuce. And the Ukrainian is able to push through and secure the set following a tremendous rally, where Williams eventually hits into the net. 

Venus Williams is showing tremendous strength and grit to stick in this one. Svitolina has been brilliant as well and probably should have the set wrapped up. 

But the American dug in and edged a tense deuce encounter just then. Now, the Ukrainian is serving for the set... but can she find a way past the five-time winner?

Venus Williams was left screaming in pain and clutching her knee after slipping on the grass just three games into her Wimbledon return on Monday afternoon.

The 43-year-old American, who was returning for her 24th singles appearance at The Championships, is facing difficult opposition in Ukraine's Elina Svitolina.

But things turned ugly with the score 2-1 in the first set as Williams came into the net to play a volley, slipping on the grass and extending her already-strapped up knee.

To read more click below...

Elsewhere, on Court 1, Casper Ruud has booked his place in the next round after victory over Laurent Lokoli. The Frenchman put up a valiant effort but was eventually beaten  6-1 5-7 6-4 6-3. 

The Norwegian will now face British wildcard Liam Broady in the next round...

Svitolina stormed through her service and made it 4-2 but the American battled back to end the Ukrainian's streak to make it a one-game difference.

Williams definitely looks impacted by the knee injury but hopefully it won't affect her game too much...

Williams has opted to play on but it's clear that she's battling through some problems - and it's starting to show on the scorecard. 

Svitolina has ramped up the pressure and taken back-to-back games to flip the set on it's head and take a 3-2 advantage. She's now serving and could extend that further...

Well, this doesn't look good. Five-time Wimbledon winner Williams is sent tumbling to the ground after an awkward slide. There seems to be a lot of concern over her knee at the minute. 

The American had taken a 2-1 lead in this match over Svitolina.

Brilliant opening game. Svitolina took an early 0-30 advantage but Williams battled back well and managed to hold on. The Ukrainian struck her final effort into the net which settled the game in Williams' favour. 

Britain’s Liam Broady has beaten France’s Constant Lestienne 6-1 6-3 7-5 in the first round! It's a huge win for the Brit, who follows Jodie Burrage into the second round.

Svitolina leads the way as the players make their way onto the court here. The crowd are murmuring in anticipation for this one.

Novak Djokovic eased into the second round of Wimbledon amid farcical scenes on Centre Court.

The four-time defending champion defeated Argentinian debutant Pedro Cachin 6-3 6-3 7-6 (4) but the clash was delayed for nearly an hour and a half after the first set because of a damp court despite the roof being deployed.

Djokovic had begun to complain about the surface but officials waited until the end of the set to cover the court, which proved to be a major error.

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Well, there's an absolute cracker up on centre court next as Venus Williams takes on Elina Svitolina.

Meanwhile, Casper Ruud has claimed the third set in his match with Laurent Lokoli - with the score now 6-1 5-7 6-4 in favour of the Norwegian.

'The conditions were not great. Still slippery. Once the roof was open, it was a different story. This is the holy grail of tennis. This court is really something special.'

It's all over - Novak Djokovic has won in straight sets over Pedro Cachin! A dominant performance from the Serb sees him cruise through the first round of the tournament on a dreary day at Wimbledon.

It's 6-4. Djokovic has two match points. He just passed up a third after a brilliant shot from Cachin but how long can the Argentine hold on for?

The Serb is sweeping through the early exchanges. A brilliant display of forehand shots has made life extremely difficult for the Argentine. 5-1 in the tiebreak.

Brilliant stuff from the Argentine to force a tie break on centre court. A nifty dropshot to make it 30-0 was surely the highlight there.

The Argentine holds on to survive in the match! Cachin's serve was proving a difficulty for Djokovic. 

Back to the Serb on serve and he makes no mistake, sweeping past his opponent 40-0. The pressure from the veteran is absolutely relentless...

Well, it's back-and-forth on centre court at the moment. They each hold to see the Serb go within touching distance of the match.

It's now 30-30 on Cachin's serve...

A great serve from Cachin to save break point and he sees out the game to hold again.

Djokovic leads 4-3 now and we're getting towards the most important stages of the set.

A bit of confusion here as Djokovic ends up on top of the net with the ball in play after a great rally!

Cachin wins the game. All that just to hold serve!

Laurent Lokoli, meanwhile, is back in it against Casper Rudd on court No 1 as he takes the second set 7-5. A loud cheer from both the player and crowd as he wins set point!

A fantastic forehand down the line gives Cachin two break points in the first leg of the third set.

A strong Djkokovic serve rids the first... and the same again for the second.

A nice little drop shot gives the champion the advantage and and ace wraps it up. Close one.

Cachin is on the board but Djokovic is still in control.

The courts are dry with the sun out now and all the other games are continuing.

Britain's Liam Broady is 1-0 up in his game, and Laurent Lokoli is finding his feet against Casper Ruud, leading 3-2 in the second set.

The roof is open again and we are back underway, finally. Djokovic leads 1-0.

Djokovic wins the point of the game after a great rally and he goes onto take the game too, returning serve really well. 

An utterly dominant first set from Casper Ruud and he takes it 6-1 in 28 minutes.

Laurent Lokoli is struggling massively, but he has to regroup and go again. There's still a long way to go.

A beaming smile from Lokoli as he wins his first leg of the game.

We have some news from centre court! A few minutes until we get back underway now.

Lokoli is struggling here and produces an awful double fault to give Rudd another break point.

4-0.

He's still getting used to these surroundings as a relative newcomer but the nerves are getting to him against one of the favourites.

Ruud rushes into a 2-0 lead on court No 1 but finds himself 40-0 down with Lokoli looking to break back immediately.

He recovers to 40-40 however and sees the game out to go 3-0 up.

The defending champion is taking matters into his own hands...

Murray had spoken the other day about wanting an earlier slot on Centre Court so he could get home to his kids and that wish has been granted with tomorrow’s first round match against Ryan Peniston in the No 2 slot.

Perhaps that explains the smiles on the practice courts a short time ago.

Those with tickets on No 1 Court getting to see some more action first by the looks of it.

The men’s No 4 seed Casper Ruud walking on court for his first round match against France’s Laurent Lokoli under the roof.

The players did come back out briefly to inspect how wet the Centre Court surface is.

Djokovic didn’t look too happy about how wet the area around the baseline at one end was. The grass doesn’t seem to be drying out too well, so the delay goes on.

This is all a bit frustrating really as there is no action on any court at the moment.

The mops are out with the ground staff trying to get any excess water off the grass surface and make it safe again for Novak Djokovic and Pedro Cachin to resume.

They’ll begin again at the beginning of the second set after Djokovic took the first 6-3.

The opening day of the 2023 Wimbledon championships has been marred by long queues to get inside the venue - with some claiming that they have had to wait over eight hours.

Novak Djokovic, Venus Williams, and British hopefuls Katie Swan and Dan Evans are among those to be in action on the first day of the Grand Slam tournament.

Fans will have been eagerly awaiting the first day of the Championship with some queueing since the early hours of the morning to make sure they can catch a glimpse of the action.

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All over on No Court and it’s a comfortable victory in one hour and 20 minutes (plus that 20 minutes rain delay) for the women’s No 1 court Iga Swiatek.

She proved just too string for her Chinese opponent Zhu Lin, winning it 6-1, 6-3.

We are still waiting on Centre as Novak Djokovic mills around by the entrance to the court having a chat. The officials are just checking the moisture on the grass.

They have succeeded in quickly getting No 1 Court covered up and Iga Swiatek has resumed her final push for victory against Lin Zhu.

The Polish No 1 seed was 4-3 up and has now held serve to lead 5-3. She is on the brink of making it through.

The order of play for Tuesday has just been announced and there’s good news for Andy Murray, who is granted his wish for a slightly earlier start time.

He takes on fellow Brit Ryan Peniston in the second slot on Centre after the reigning women’s champion Elena Rybakina takes on American Shelby Rogers.

Second seed Aryna Sabalenka round things off on Centre tomorrow against Panna Udvardy.

Spectators on No 1 Court will see Carlos Alcaraz first against Jeremy Chardy, then Ons Jabeur playing Magdalena Frech.

After that, Cameron Norrie gets his Wimbledon campaign underway on No 1 against Tomas Machac.

Here’s the roof being closed on No 1 Court as the rain continues to fall at SW19.

At least we’re now able to continue on two of the courts unlike in yesteryear when it was all re-runs on the TV, frustration and the threat of Cliff Richard singing.

The referees’ office have been monitoring the rain radar and some heavier downpours are expected in the coming minutes, meaning the decision has been taken to take everyone off the courts.

This pause on the show courts offers a chance to update you on what’s happening elsewhere.

It’s a strong start by Britain’s Liam Broady, who leads Constant Lestienne 4-1 in the opening set on Court 15.

On Court 16, American John Isner trails Jaume Lunar of Spain 3-2 in the opening set.

David Goffin took the first set of his first round match against Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan 6-2.

A similar delay for the rain on No 1 Court where Iga Swiatek is 4-3 ahead against Lin Zhu in the second set, having won the opener 6-1.

She will be frustrated by the stoppage I’m sure as she is closing in on victory.

And the heavens have opened, with the covers being dragged on. Get that roof closed!

There was just enough time for Novak Djokovic to clinch the first set 6-3.

It has been gloomy overhead at Wimbledon for a little while now and indeed there is a pause in the Djokovic match as the umpire steps down from his chair to ensure the surface isn’t too slippery.

Someone shouts out ‘it’s fine’ from the crowd which makes Djokovic smile. And they continue for now. There would be a delay of course if the roof had to be shut.

Pedro Cachin has certainly not been overawed by the Centre Court stage during this opening set but unfortunately he has just been broken and Djokovic will serve for the set at 5-3.

Having smashed the opening set 6-1, Iga Swiatek is showing again why she’s the top-ranked female at Wimbledon this year by gaining an early break in the second. She leads 2-1.

The second of our British hopes for the day is about to get underway on Court 15.

Liam Broady is in first round action against France’s Constant Lestienne.

We will keep you posted on how he gets on.

Cachin wasn’t ahead for too long. He misses with his attempted backhand volley and Djokovic breaks back to level the opening set at 2-2.

An early surprise on Centre Court because Novak Djokovic has gone a break down against Pedro Cachin of Argentina in his first round match.

Cachin on serve and leading 2-1.

The break came off a Djokovic double fault, too. You don’t see that very often - maybe a few signs of early rust.

Harriet Dart became the first British casualty at Wimbledon after she lost in three sets to Frenchwoman Diane Parry.

The British number four had an impressive build-up to her home grand slam, reaching the quarter-finals in Nottingham and Birmingham, but fell 6-7 (4) 6-0 6-4 to Parry.

Dart, who reached the third round here in 2019, was up against it from the start in tricky conditions on Court 12, where the wind was causing issues, as she fell 3-0 down in the opening set.

But she found her feet and levelled at 5-5 after an impressive long rally ended in her firing a superb cross-court backhand winner.

That seemed to turn the tide as Dart went on take the set in a tie-break and the Briton would have been eyeing a straight-sets win.

But the wheels soon came off as Parry raised her level with some heavy forehand hitting and breezed to the second set in just 33 minutes without letting Dart win a game.

The writing was on the wall when Parry broke early in the decider to take a 3-1 lead, but to Dart's credit she immediately hit back to stay in the match.

However, the world number 96 struck again at 5-4 to clinch her place in the second round and send the first home hope packing.

Little surprise here but Iga Swiatek has wrapped up the first set of her opening match quickly, winning it 6-1 against Lin Zhu.

The fourth seed in the women’s singles Jessica Pegula has emerged victorious in her all-American first round clash with Lauren Davis.

Pegula won the third set 6-3 to complete victory in two hours and 19 minutes.

Djokovic going for a fifth consecutive Wimbledon triumph and a sixth in nine years. Having already won the Australian and the French Opens, it would also be the third leg of a calendar Slam.

And I’m afraid it’s bad news for Harriet Dart as we have our first British casualty of this year’s Wimbledon.

She was broken in that final service game and it’s France’s Diane Parry who goes through to the second round.

In a few moments’ time, Novak Djokovic will stroll out onto Centre Court to begin what he hopes will be the journey to Grand Slam success No 24.

He takes on Argentina’s Pedro Cachin in the first round.

We are already 41 minutes into the third and final set and Diane Parry has just held serve to go 5-4 ahead against Britain’s Harriet Dart.

No margin for error now on the next service game for Dart.

No messing around from the women’s No 1 Iga Swiatek, who cruises into a 3-0 first set lead against Zhu Lin.

Might not last too long that match.

Harriet Dart really needed that… she breaks back and trails 2-3 now in the third set of what has been an engrossing first round game with Diane Parry.

The British wildcard needs to keep her composure now.

The action about to get started on No 1 Court as Iga Swiatek, the world No 1 and French Open champion, walks on to play China’s Zhu Lin.

The Pole is completely dominant in the women’s rankings and has been in that No 1 position for 66 weeks in a row, a span of six consecutive Slams.

There was an exchange of breaks at the start of the deciding third set between Harriet Dart and Diane Parry but the French player has just held serve to go 2-1 ahead.

The all-American affair between Jessica Pegula and Lauren Davis is going to a third set.

Pegula took the first 6-2 but Davis, having saved two match points, won the second set tie break 10-8 to take it to a decider.

The prices of drinks at Wimbledon this year have been revealed with the cost of a Pimm's and a pint showing the stark price hikes at the event.

Spirits on the menu are listed at £9.70 each, including canned Grenache rose wine, Sipsmith gin and light tonic and a 330ml Stella Artois.

A general pint will set punters back £7.55 as the competition gets underway on Monday.

Pints in the 2022 competition generally cost £6.50, with some listed as low as £6.10.

Last year's menu also showed the price of a Pimm's at £9.75 for a reusable glass costing £29.50.

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The seventh seed Andrey Rublev has booked his place in the second round with a straight sets 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 victory over Australia’s Max Purcell.

The first result in the books a little earlier saw Barbora Strycova of the Czech Republic defeat Belarusian Maryna Zanevska 6-1, 7-5 in 83 minutes.

Her compatriot Victoria Azarenka has lost the second set of her match against China’s Yuan Yue 7-5 so all-square there.

Wimbledon's female stars wore coloured undershorts for the first time in the history of the competition on Monday after the famous all-white rule was ditched to ease worries over periods.

The All-England Club announced in November it would be changing its long-standing dress-code after a number of voices called for organisers to reduce anxiety around menstrual cycles at the Grand Slam.

Belarusian tennis player Victoria Azarenka was one of the first stars seen enjoying the rule change as she wore black undershorts during her first round clash against Yue Yuan on court 15.

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A dominant second set by Diane Parry to level up her match against Britain’s Harriet Dart.

Parry takes it 6-0 and much for Dart to think about in the deciding set on Court 12.

There may be a new king and queen of SW19 this year, with Wimbledon - one of the summer's sporting and social highlights - now underway.

One of the great British hopes for the tournament is Katie Boulter, the nation's new women's No 1 and all eyes will be on the 26-year-old's progress, along with that of her Australian boyfriend Alex de Minaur - ranked No 17 in the world.

Both have reasonably strong chances to go deep into the competition and will be relying on each other to help maintain focus and discipline in what is one of the tennis calendars most glamorous events.

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Not too long now until the action gets underway on the show courts.

No 1 Court starts at 1pm with the women’s favourite Iga Swiatek playing China’s Zhu Lin.

Then 30 minutes later, next door on Centre Court, we’ll see Novak Djokovic begin his quest to win a 24th Grand Slam title as he plays Pedro Cachin of Argentina.

Five more Brits to come as well. Liam Broady will likely be the earliest on court against France’s Constant Lestienne.

A definite sense of deja-vu on Court 12 as Harriet Dart of Great Britain falls three games behind in the second set, just as she did in the first.

On that occasion, she came back to win it in a tie-break but she will have to dig deep again because Diane Parry is on top at the moment.

Venus Williams against Elina Svitolina is well deserving of a Centre Court billing on Monday despite the pair being in the tournament thanks to wildcards. Williams' story is just remarkable.

When she made her debut here in 1997, this year's favourite Iga Swiatek wasn't even born. But now 43 and after so many injuries in the last year or so, the American is still out there looking so fired up. Ukrainian Svitolina got to the semis four years ago and had a great run in Paris last month.

She also won in Strasbourg in May on her return from giving birth to daughter Skai alongside husband Gael Monfils. The Wimbledon crowd will have so much respect for these two.

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Russia’s Andrey Rublev, the No 7 seed in the men’s draw, wasting no time in his match against Max Purcell of Australia as he opens up a two set lead.

Not that it’s all been plain-sailing on Court 3 - Rublev was 5-2 down in the second set but surged back to take it 7-5 having won the first 6-3.

Lots of resolve shown by Harriet Dart in that first set and she has prevailed in a tie break, winning it 7-4, to take it.

A strong fightback from two breaks down early on as her French opponent Diane Parry lost her way.

One feature of this year’s Wimbledon is the enhanced bag searches for spectators as they come onto the grounds.

That’s to stop the tournament being disrupted by the orange powder-wielding Just Stop Oil protestors who have interrupted a number of high-profile sporting events in recent months.

Among banned items this year are cable ties, glue, chains, padlocks and powder substances. Body searches have been sanctioned and there are police spotters in the crowd.

Wimbledon chief executive Sally Bolton said: "We are very committed to being environment positive and it's important that we recognise the context. It really shapes a lot of the things that we do here.

"Of course we've taken account of what we've seen elsewhere so security has been uplifted in various places around the grounds.

"We would really appeal to those attending the championships to respect that others want to view the tennis enjoyably, quietly and in a safe environment, and that is what we're very much focused on.

"As we've seen at other sporting events, we can't guarantee anything but we're extremely confident that the measures we've got in place are the right measures and we're ready to deal with something if it happens."

Victoria Azarenka is another familiar name returning to Wimbledon this year with the Belarusian player, twice a semi-finalist here, among those banned in 2022.

She has won the opening set of her first round match against China’s Yuan Yue 6-4.

The crowd on Court 12 are cheering because Harriet Dart has just won the longest rally of the match so far to break and draw us level at 5-5 in the opening set of her game against Diane Parry.

Considering Dart trailed 3-0 early on, that’s a fine fightback.

Mike Dickson reports from Wimbledon: Something about Wimbledon today is that it is extremely windy and likely to remain that way all afternoon.

Harriet Dart struggling against Diane Parry of France. One of six Brits in action today, you would hope for two or maybe three wins from that, anything more and it would be an excellent day.

It wouldn’t be Wimbledon without an early glimpse at Henman Hill, or whatever name you prefer for the grassy mound.

Not too many people yet taking up the opportunity to watch some of the outer court action on the big screens.

I’m sure it’ll be packed later on.

No messing around by American Jess Pegula, who steamed through the opening set of her match against Lauren Davis on Court Two, winning it 6-2 in just 27 minutes.

An improvement from Britain’s Harriet Dart to pull back a couple of games in the first set of her match on Court 12, but Diane Parry leads 4-3.

Wimbledon will celebrate Roger Federer's achievements at the All England Club with a special ceremony on Centre Court on Tuesday.

The eight-time champion, who announced his retirement last September, will visit the scene of many of his greatest moments and be honoured before the start of play.

Chief executive Sally Bolton announced the news, saying: "I'm pleased to say that Roger will be with us tomorrow and we will have a special celebratory moment on Centre Court before play starts just to honour him as the man holding the most gentlemen's singles titles here at Wimbledon.

"For those lucky enough to have a seat on Centre Court tomorrow I'd encourage them to get into their seats about 1.15pm and we'll have a moment just to celebrate his achievements and to say thank you for all the memories."

Federer has mostly stayed away from tennis since bowing out in emotional scenes at the Laver Cup in London but was similarly honoured at the grass-court event in Halle, Germany last month.

His last match at Wimbledon came in 2021 when, struggling with knee trouble, he lost to Hubert Hurkacz in the semi-finals. He also visited the club last year as part of the celebrations to mark 100 years of Centre Court.

Bolton revealed that Serena Williams, who bowed out a few weeks earlier at the US Open, had also been invited but was unable to travel.

"We invited Serena similarly this year but as you'll know she's pregnant so understandably couldn't travel," said Bolton. "We of course wish her lots of luck with the remainder of her pregnancy and we hope maybe we might see her next year."

The first day of this year's Wimbledon is due to start this morning, but an iconic name will not feature on our screens.

For the last 30 years, Sue Barker has been an iconic figure on our screens during Wimbledon. However, she will not be presenting this year's showcase.

Barker will not be presenting this year's show after stepping down from her role last year.

The 66-year-old presenter was offered a three-year extension by the BBC to stay.

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I mentioned that Harriet Dart was leading the British charge on this opening day. But she hasn’t started too well, falling two breaks and 3-0 down in the opening set of her game with France’s Diane Parry.

You’ll recall that Russian and Belarusian players were banned from last year’s Wimbledon in the wake of the Ukraine invasion, a decision which led to a fuss over ranking points.

Well, they’re back this year and among the early starters is the Russian world No 7 Andrey Rublev, who is taking on Australia’s Max Purcell on Court Three.

Rublev has been outspoken against the war in Ukraine.

The former US Open winner and British No 1 withdrew from Wimbledon - and the French Open last month - having undergone minor surgery on both hands and her ankle.

But Raducanu is at Wimbledon this morning and will no doubt be enjoying a bit of live action later on.

Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios has opened up about his mental health struggles and why he refused to to take anti-depression medication after it was prescribed for him.

The talented 28 year-old, who announced his withdrawal from Wimbledon on Sunday evening by pulling out less than 24 hours before his first match was due to begin, has had a history of depressive episodes.

At just 18, the controversial player became one of Australia's most well-known tennis stars, but has since described how the sport drove him close to a dark place while he was relentlessly pursued by disapproving fans and commentators.

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Players are making their way to the outside courts, where the action is about to get underway.

One match we will be keeping an eye on is Britain’s Harriet Dart against Diane Parry of France on Court 12.

Mike Dickson reports from Wimbledon: An interesting change this year is the permitting of coaching from the stands. Ivan Lendl tells the BBC he is not a fan.

Big first day queues, unsurprisingly, given that crowds have been packed at British summer events, they had a visit from the injured Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper as part of a corporate commitment.

It’s traditional for the reigning champion to be first on Centre Court and Novak Djokovic, who takes on the Argentine Pedro Cachin at 1.30pm, was on site early having a practice session alongside his coach Goran Ivanisevic.

Mike Dickson has made his predictions for who’s going to emerge victorious and who will steal the headlines at Wimbledon this year.

All eyes will be on Katie Swan at Wimbledon today as she faces her crunch opener against Swiss No 1 Belinda Bencic.

The Bristol-born right-hander, 24, is leading the charge of seven British hopefuls at SW19 but has a tough opponent in Ms Bencic, who is ranked world No 14 and won gold in the singles at the Tokyo Olympics.

But Ms Swan, who was seen warming up on the practice courts yesterday, said: 'I think this year is more exciting than normal.

'I feel in probably the best form that I have been in coming into this week – I'm excited to get going.'

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The Wimbledon gates opened at 10am and those lucky ticket holders for the first day are making their way in.

BY LEWIS STEELE

Cam Norrie says there is no reason why he shouldn’t be aiming for another semi-final at least at Wimbledon and the British No 1 is embracing the added pressure after a solid run last year.

The 27-year-old was catapulted into the eye of the general British public and wowed royals last July when he seared towards the last four, only to lose to eventual winner Novak Djokovic in four sets.

World No 13 Norrie has far too often been the last Brit standing at Slams in the last 18 months but says he is relishing the weight of expectation upon his shoulders going into Wimbledon, which will begin with a clash against Czech Tomas Machac on Tuesday.

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Yep, Rufus is still scaring away the pigeons from Wimbledon’s courts and has been doing for over 15 years.

BY MIKE DICKSON

Andy Murray has pleaded with Wimbledon to stop scheduling him in the early evening as he would like to get back home and see his children before bedtime.

He also gave a purer tennis reason for trying to get his matches done during the afternoon, in that the late slot often involves disruption with the roof having to be closed.

'Usually I get given the late shift so hopefully this year they will put me on a little bit earlier,' he said.

'All the late matches end up being played under the roof. I would like to play slightly earlier in the day if at all possible so I get to see the kids in the evening.'

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British player Emma Raducanu won’t be playing in this year’s Wimbledon because of injury but she is there and took the time to pose for selfies with fans waiting to get in this morning.

Nobody took much notice in 2005 when a spindly teenager from Serbia turned up for his debut at Wimbledon. On the defunct Court 19, where rows of picnic tables now stand, he unobtrusively beat Argentina's Juan Monaco in straight sets.

Roger Federer was the odds-on favourite to claim the men's title, win it he did, and long before then Novak Djokovic had made an unremarkable third-round exit.

Eighteen years, and several lifetimes' worth of controversies on, the Serb is still coming back, and now he is Lord of all he surveys at the All England Club.

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The rain isn’t so much of an issue at Wimbledon nowadays with Centre Court and No 1 court able to be covered over.

But it could still disrupt things on the outside courts, which don’t have that luxury, and make for a rather soggy day out for the fans with ground passes - not to mention those out in the Queue.

Over 6,200 non-ticket holders have joined the day one Queue in Wimbledon Park but the Met Office has advised them to pack a rain jacket and an umbrella because we could well see some showers today.

Rain is expected in south-west London at some point today and Tuesday threatens to be even wetter, though the outlook is brighter for the end of the week.

So you’ve been warned!

Anyone heading to Wimbledon this week should be aware of potential rail disruption after unions called another six days of industrial action.

Aslef, the train drivers’ union, has imposed a ban on overtime working, meaning timetables could be impacted.

South Western Railway, whose trains serve Wimbledon mainline station, are among 16 train operators across the country involved.

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Wimbledon will certainly be a duller place this year following the news that Australian wild child Nick Kyrgios, who made last year’s final, has pulled out with a wrist injury.

Kyrgios was due on No 1 court this afternoon against Belgium’s David Goffin but put out a statement last night saying he’d torn a ligament in his wrist and wasn’t able to get it right in time.

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Hopefully this graphic will help you get your bearings with action on all courts today.

Action on all the courts begins at 11am except for Centre Court (1.30pm) and No 1 Court (1pm).

Six Brits take to the courts on day one.

Dan Evans is one of two seeded British players in the men’s draw (along with Cam Norrie) and he opens against Quentin Halys of France on No 2 Court this afternoon.

Before that match on the schedule will be Katie Swan, who has an unenviable draw against the women’s No 14 seed Belinda Bencic of Switzerland.

Liam Broady is in action, second onto Court 15 where he will play unseeded French player Constant Lestienne. Wildcard Jan Choinski is third on Court 17 against Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic.

Elsewhere in the women’s draw, the Nottingham Open finalist Jodie Burrage is on Court Three against Caty McNally of the United States.

Harriet Dart completes the British interest - first up on Court 12 at 11am against Diane Parry of France.

A packed schedule as ever to get things off and running on the first Monday of Wimbledon - and plenty of stars will be on court today.

Novak Djokovic, as is tradition for the defending champion, is first on Centre Court at 1.30pm BST as he takes on the unseeded Argentina Pedro Cachin in his first round match.

Following them is perennial Wimbledon favourite and five-time champion Venus Williams, 43, who has a tough first round match against Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina.

Rounding things off will be men’s eighth seed Jannik Sinner, who plays Juan Manuel Cerundolo of Argentina.

Meanwhile over on Court One, the women’s world No 1 and top seed Iga Swiatek will be getting her campaign underway against China’s Zhu Lin from 1pm.

Following on is the Norwegian Casper Ruud, the beaten French Open finalist last month, who plays France’s Laurent Lokoli.

Last on court One is Coco Gauff, seeded No 7 this year, who takes on fellow American Sofia Kenin.

The grass has been mowed, the lines have been painted, the brass polished, the champagne chilled and the strawberries are ready to be served…

Wimbledon 2023 is ready to go and it promises to be a fortnight with all manner of thrills.

The big question is whether anyone in the men’s draw can topple Novak Djokovic as he goes for that record 24th Grand Slam title. Perhaps Carlos Alcaraz, the exciting young Spaniard who seems to have adapted very nicely to grass?

Can Britain’s Cameron Norrie replicate last year’s storming run to the semi-finals?

Elena Rybakina won the ladies’ singles last year and will be considered among the favourites to win again alongside the Polish top seed Iga Swiatek and returning Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka.

British hopes in that draw rest with Katie Boulter, who is in good form and at a career-high ranking, but maybe someone else can spring a surprise?

And 10 years on from his first Wimbledon triumph, Andy Murray returns and will be hoping to rekindle those magic memories with another run.

Our daily live blog will bring you all the latest scores and news, the best pictures and insight from our team of reporters down at SW19. Welcome along.