Novak Djokovic’s 2022 Wimbledon hopes were given a stern opening test on Monday by Soonwoo Kwon, but the defending champion stayed resolute to hold off the South Korean and advance to the second round at the grass-court Grand Slam in London.

The Serbian maintained a solid level in his 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory against the World No. 81, yet Kwon’s aggressive tactics meant Djokovic was never completely comfortable in his first tour-level match since his Roland Garros quarter-final on 31 May. The South Korean was a break up in each of the first two sets and pumped up the Centre Court crowd after he levelled proceedings at a set apiece, but Djokovic’s trademark consistency proved enough to complete a two-hour, 27-minute victory.

The top seed will face Thanasi Kokkinakis or Kamil Majchrzak in the second round at SW19, where he now holds an 80-10 record. The World No. 3 is chasing his fourth consecutive title at Wimbledon, and his seventh overall. That tally that would draw him level with legendary American Pete Sampras and move him within one of record-holder Roger Federer’s eight crowns.

More to follow…

Following his victory at the Mallorca Championships, Stefanos Tsitsipas has moved back into the Top 5 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, while Maxime Cressy jumps to a career-high No. 45 after reaching the final at the Rothesay International in Eastbourne.

ATPTour.com looks at the movers of the week, as of Monday, 27 June.

No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas, +1
The Greek has climbed back to No. 5 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings after he captured his first grass-court title and ninth tour-level crown overall at the Mallorca Championships. The 23-year-old, who was making his debut at the ATP 250 event, defeated Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut in the championship match. Read Mallorca Final Report & Watch Highlights.

View Latest Pepperstone ATP Rankings

No. 45 Maxime Cressy, +15 (Career High)
The 25 has jumped 15 spots to a career-high No. 45 after he reached his second tour-level final of the season at the Rothesay International in Eastbourne. The American downed Reilly Opelka, Daniel Evans, Cameron Norrie and Jack Draper before falling to countryman Taylor Fritz. Read Eastbourne Final Report & Watch Highlights.

No. 94 Jack Draper, +14 (Career High)
#NextGenATP Briton Draper has soared into the Top 100 following his run to the semi-finals in Eastbourne. The 20-year-old, who has won four ATP Challenger Tour titles this season, did not drop a set en route to his first tour-level semi-final, upsetting World No. 15 Diego Schwartzman on the way.

Other Notable Top 100 Movers
No. 19 Roberto Bautista Agut, +1
No. 32 Tommy Paul, +3 (Career High)
No. 40 Nick Kyrgios, +5
No. 47 Benjamin Bonzi, +9 (Career High)

Jan-Lennard Struff will open his Wimbledon campaign on Monday against fifth seed Carlos Alcaraz. It will be the pair’s second ATP Head2Head meeting, with the German previously defeating Alcaraz in the 2021 Roland Garros third round.

The 32-year-old achieved a career-high Pepperstone ATP Ranking of No. 29 in 2020 and reached his first ATP Tour final on home soil in Munich last May. Playing in the Wimbledon main draw for the ninth time this fortnight, Struff is seeking to advance beyond the first round for the fourth time, including a pair of third-round runs in 2018 and 2019.

Before the action heats up at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, find out what Struff likes to cook and eat to prepare himself for competition.

If you were having some friends over for dinner, what would you cook for them?
I like Caprese salad a lot. It’s pretty easy to do, I would say. Depends who’s coming over.

For myself, I always cook pasta and some fresh vegetables or something like this. I like macaroni a lot. I like vegan meats, something like this with cheese on top and maybe bolognese sauce; something plant-based

It sounds like you know your way around the kitchen pretty well. Would you call yourself a good cook?
No, I’m not that good but I can cook some things. Maybe some chicken… I would do it with vegetables and rice with teriyaki sauce.

Do you cook often at home?
Sometimes with my girlfriend I cook. She’s cooking more often.

So far you’ve mentioned a lot of healthy meals. Do you have a particular cheat meal that you enjoy?
Pizza with pepperoni and a coke. Good Italian pizza.

READ MORE FOOD COURT FEATURES

What about when you need to be careful about what you eat? Do you have a go-to meal the night before a big match?
I like sushi or rice. Some grains or some salmon.

What do you like to eat on the day of a match?
In the morning I have a light breakfast. It depends what time I’m playing. If I just have the breakfast, I eat a bit more. But I try to get some wheat bread or yogurt.

If I eat in the afternoon, some plain pasta, sometimes some rice. I like salmon as well, but not too much.

During a match, what do you consume to help keep you going?
I drink my stuff — electrolytes — and sometimes have some bars. Sometimes I will have a few dates and bananas.

Back off the court… if you were to go out to a nice restaurant, what is one of your favourite orders?
Depends on the style, which type of restaurant. But I like to eat good steak, some cream spinach maybe. Vegetables, maybe some potatoes.

What about food from your country or culture? Are there any particular dishes that you like?
Some sausages. Bratwurst, for a soccer game… I sometimes eat it at the stadium. Schnitzel is always nice, but Austrian is better. But still I like it a lot. And potatoes, I think they’re very healthy.

He is the one and only Mr. 54 per cent.

Novak Djokovic is in a class of his own competing on the three outdoor surfaces in our sport. An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of the highest achievers when playing outdoors identifies Djokovic is the only player to push through the 54 per cent threshold of points won on grass, hard and clay. The data set goes back to 1991 when official records began and includes all players who have competed in a minimum of 10 matches on each surface.

The following breakdown includes only players to have broken through the 54 per cent threshold for points won on each of the three outdoor surfaces.

Grass
1. Pete Sampras = 54.64%
2. Roger Federer = 54.59%
3. Novak Djokovic = 54.16%

Hard
1. Novak Djokovic = 55.04%
2. Roger Federer = 54.43%
3. Rafael Nadal = 54.06%

Clay
1. Rafael Nadal = 56.28%
2. Novak Djokovic = 54.10%

First on hard. Second on clay. Third on grass. It’s a ubiquitous record that finds Djokovic as the only player in 30-plus years to break through the 54 per cent barrier with points won on all three outdoor surfaces. It speaks to his longevity and adaptability to thrive on slow, medium and fast courts.

Djokovic is imminently poised to improve his grass-court resume in the coming weeks at Wimbledon, where he has already won the title six times, including the past three editions. An interesting comparison between generations is that of Djokovic and grass-court legend John McEnroe.

Djokovic has already surpassed McEnroe in one facet, with six Wimbledon titles to the American’s three. With a win at SW19 in 2022, Djokovic would pull even with McEnroe with eight grass-court titles apiece. In fact, the equality runs even deeper if Djokovic is again triumphant this year, as both players would then share a grass-court match winning percentage of exactly 85.8 per cent, with Djokovic winning 109 of 127 and McEnroe 121 of 141. There are still seven matches in the way of that becoming reality.

What about comparing Djokovic to Sampras and Federer on grass?

Sampras edges Djokovic and Federer with grass-court points won, but Djokovic climbs above Sampras when analysing games won on grass. 

Grass: Games Won
1. Roger Federer = 58.66%
2. Novak Djokovic = 58.34%
3. Pete Sampras = 57.71%

Grass: Matches Won
1. Roger Federer = 86.9% (192-29)
2. Pete Sampras = 85.71% (90/105)
3. Novak Djokovic = 85.0% (102-18)

Federer and Sampras have built their grass-court resumes much more from the serving side, while Djokovic leads the duo when returning.

Grass: Service Points Won
No 5: Pete Sampras = 72.93%
No. 8: Roger Federer = 72.35%
No. 23: Novak Djokovic = 70.02%

Grass: Return Points Won
No. 19: Novak Djokovic = 39.60%
No. 47: Roger Federer = 38.24%
No. 81: Pete Sampras = 37.14%

Djokovic gets the opportunity to add to his already impressive grass-court legacy in the next couple of weeks at Wimbledon, hunting a seventh title, which would put him equal with Sampras and one behind Federer.

History once again beckons for the steadfast Serbian.