Tim Henman warns Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner after Wimbledon record tumbles

Tim Henman has fired a warning to the likes of Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon after a record number of shock results.

The first two days of the 2025 Championships saw a staggering wave of early exits from seeded players, including world No.3 Alexander Zverev.

Seventh-seed Lorenzo Musetti, eighth-seed Holger Rune and ninth-seed Daniil Medvedev were all also dumped out in their opening matches.

In the men’s singles, 13 seeded players fell in the first round, breaking the tournament record and tying the 2004 Australian Open for the most at a Grand Slam tournament.

The previous Wimbledon record for the most seeds to lose in the first round of the men’s singles first round was 11 – most recently in 2021.

The first wave of second-round matches took place on Wednesday as Carlos Alcaraz – tipped by many to land this year’s Wimbledon trophy – defeated British player Oliver Tarvet.

‘You have to go out there and deliver a performance’

The likes of Djokovic and Sinner do not play their second-round matches until Thursday and Henman has warned that top players need to produce their very best tennis to avoid embarrassment at the All England Club.

Quizzed about the record total of upsets in the opening round, Henman told the BBC: ‘It’s amazing.

‘I think that emphasises the unpredictability but it also emphasises what fine margins there are between the very top players and players ranked a lot further down – whether they have come through qualifying or if they’re No.80 or No.90.

‘You know you have to go out there and deliver a performance. If you don’t, if you’re slightly off your game, you’re going to be vulnerable.

‘When we see some of these top seeds going out, it’s great to see some of those new names looking to break through.

‘It’s sad to see a great champion lose but when they do lose it provides a very exciting opportunity for others.’

Djokovic wary of Evans threat ahead of showdown

Djokovic says that British star Dan Evans is ‘one of the guys that you don’t want to face on grass’ ahead of Thursday’s battle on Centre Court.

‘He’s a super talented player and a great competitor,’ the Serbian said. ‘Always backs himself up on the court, believes in himself.

“Playing obviously against a Brit in Britain, it’s never easy. I have to be ready for a great battle. I haven’t played him in a long time. The only time we played was on clay actually. He beat me in Monte-Carlo.

‘He uses his slice quite a lot. I think that favours grass courts because the ball stays low. He can serve and volley. He chips the ball, comes in, mixes up the pace. He’s really a tricky opponent to play against. You don’t want to have him in your draw really in the early rounds.

‘It’s a good test. It’s a good test for both of us. I think he’s been picking his form up, as well. I think his rankings are not doing justice at the moment. He deserves to be ranked higher.

‘He’s been a really tough player to face on any surface, particularly the grass and quicker ones. I know that because that’s always the talk of the locker room. He’s one of the guys that you don’t want to face on grass. But I look forward to a good challenge. Let’s see what happens.’