DAY 1 WOMEN'S UPDATES: Tearful Jabeur forced to retire, Sabalenka cruises

Two-time Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur broke down in tears before retiring from her first-round match against Viktoriya Tomova on Monday.

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Tunisia's Jabeur was trailing 7-6 (7/5), 2-0 when she brought a premature end to her clash with the Bulgarian world number 111 at the All England Club.

The 30-year-old, beaten in the 2022 and 2023 Wimbledon finals, looked uncomfortable throughout the match in sweltering temperatures in London.

The world number 59 wiped away tears after losing a long fifth game in the first set and took a lengthy medical timeout, with staff attending to her before taking her off court.

Jabeur, who repeatedly used ice towels in a bid to cope with the heat, eventually returned to Court 14 after a 14-minute delay, but was unable to finish the match.

"I wasn't expecting not to feel good. I have been practising pretty well the last few days," said Jabeur, who did not specify the reason for her withdrawal.

"These things happen. I'm pretty sad. It doesn't really help me with my confidence."

The former world No 2's Wimbledon exit was the latest blow in a disappointing spell.

Jabeur, a three-time Grand Slam runner-up, has slipped down the rankings over the past year after injury problems.

Earlier this year she had breathing difficulties in the Australian Open second round after suffering an asthma problem.

"I keep pushing myself even though it was a very tough season for me, so I hope I can feel better and see what is going to happen," she said.

"Try to disconnect a little bit from tennis and try to enjoy life outside tennis.

"Try to recover and spend time with the family. Hopefully that can recharge me. Definitely rest is the word for it."

TOP SEED SABALENKA CRUISES INTO SECOND ROUND

Top seed Aryna Sabalenka cruised into the second round, beating Canadian qualifier Carson Branstine 6-1, 7-5.

The 27-year-old Belarusian is a three-time Grand Slam champion but has never been beyond the semifinals at the All England Club.

She is looking to ease the pain of losing in the finals of the Australian Open and the French Open this year.

Sabalenka broke Branstine twice in a one-sided first set as the Canadian struggled with her serve.

Branstine was a tougher proposition in the second set, winning the first game to love on her own serve, but missed a chance to break in the next game.

The 24-year-old was playing her first Grand Slam main-draw match but enjoyed significant wins over French Open semifinalist Lois Boisson and Bianca Andreescu in qualifying.

The match were locked at 5-5 in the second set before Sabalenka broke in the 11th game and served out the victory to set up a meeting with New Zealand's Lulu Sun or Czech player Marie Bouzkova.

KARTAL GETS BRITISH CHARGE OFF TO FLYING START

The biggest British assault on Wimbledon for 41 years got off to a great start when Sonay Kartal upset 20th seed and former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko 7-5 2-6 6-2.

British tennis is enjoying a buoyant period, and although Jack Draper and Emma Raducanu are making most of the headlines, there are 23 Britons in the men's and women's singles this week, the most at Wimbledon since 1984.

Seven qualified directly through their top-100 world rankings, US-based collegiate player Oliver Tarvet came through qualifying, and a further 15 players were handed wildcards.

Raducanu, the biggest draw for the locals, takes on fellow Briton Mimi Xu, one off three teenage British wildcards in the draw, later on Number One Court.

Raducanu, Katie Boulter and Kartal were all in the top 50 last week, the first time three British women were ranked that highly since 1986.

Kartal got things going on a sun-drenched Court Three on Monday morning but struggled to find her range in the early games and quickly trailed 4-1.

She finally gave the crowd something to cheer when she broke back for 4-5, and then spiritedly held serve.

Latvian Ostapenko, a Wimbledon semifinalist in 2018 and quarter-finalist last year, was losing her range and Kartal broke again before serving out for the set.

The crowd lapped it up, but Kartal’s quality immediately dropped off in the second set and Ostapenko, who beat the Briton in straight sets at Eastbourne last week, did not have to work too hard to take it 6-2.

Then it was Ostapenko's turn to lose her form, making some horrible errors amid regular chuntering at the crowd, as Kartal, 23, broke in the opening game and surged into a 5-0 lead.

Ostapenko finally stopped the rot but 51st-ranked Kartal held her nerve and served out impressively to take the decider 6-2.

KEYS KEEPS EYE ON THE BALL TO REACH SECOND ROUND

American Madison Keys did not let an ailing opponent or the furnace-like conditions on Wimbledon's Court 2 distract her from notching up a 6-7(4) 7-5 7-5 victory over Elena-Gabriela Ruse in the first round.

Keys' hopes of extending her perfect 10-0 first-round record at the All England Club appeared to be in jeopardy when her Romanian rival bagged the first set with some sizzling shots from the baseline.

However, despite wrapping ice towels around her neck during the changeovers, the intense heat appeared to get to Ruse in the second set.

She called on the trainer, who escorted the Romanian off court for treatment after checking her blood pressure.

With the break lasting close to 10 minutes, Australian Open champion Keys opted to stay in the zone by hitting serves as she waited for her opponent to return to the court.

Trailing 5-3, the scorching 32-degrees Celsius heat caused Ruse further problems as she collapsed to the ground in agony clutching her right thigh, stricken by a bout of cramp.

Once she was free of pain, the world number 58 got back on her feet to level the set at 5-5 and stood two games away from toppling the sixth seed.

Keys then produced the kind of form that carried her to a maiden Grand Slam title in Melbourne earlier this year as she won four games on the trot to take the second set and surge into a 2-0 lead in the third.

As far as Ruse was concerned, desperate times called for desperate measures.

Facing further break points which would have left her trailing 3-0, Ruse whipped across an underarm serve that caught Keys by surprise as it landed on the outer edge of the line.

If the 30-year-old had secured the double break, it might well have been game over for Ruse.

Instead, Keys was broken when she served for the match at 5-4, doubling over the net after she raced forward to hit the ball on break point down.

It proved to be Ruse's last hurrah though as Keys was screaming out a deafening 'Come on' just two games later after sealing victory. She will next face Serbia's Olga Danilovic.

"Really tough match, she played really well, obviously she was suffering a few issues as it was quite toasty out here," Keys said courtside as she wiped beads of sweat off her face and shoulders. "My serve got me through that match."

PAOLINI POWERS HER WAY INTO WIMBLEDON SECOND ROUND

Wimbledon fourth seed and 2024 runner-up Jasmine Paolini came from a set down to beat Latvia's Anastasija Sevastova 2-6 6-3 6-2, sealing a place in the second round.

The 5-foot-4-inch pocket rocket, who had not won a main draw match on grass before her surge to the Wimbledon final last year, looked a bit rusty in the early evening sunshine on Court 2, surrendering an early break to her 35-year-old opponent.

Sevastova, making her first Wimbledon appearance since 2021 after maternity leave and injury, set up another break point with a deft backhand slice and went 5-2 up when Paolini hit into the net.

The Italian made 13 unforced errors in the first set as her 402nd-ranked opponent took the lead.

The pair traded breaks twice in the second set but after an hour of play it was Paolini who had the momentum while Sevastova began to tire, the power ebbing away from her groundstrokes. Paolini broke again and served out the set to level.

Sevastova took a medical timeout before the third set, but on the resumption of play Paolini pounced and pummelled the Latvian into submission, rattling off three games in a row as the sun set on her opponent's stay at the All England Club.

The 29-year-old Italian, having found her rhythm and her voice, comfortably powered her way to victory and a second-round meeting with Russia's 80th-ranked Kamilla Rakhimova.