Alexander Zverev overcomes Belgium's Alexander Blockx in four sets to progress to the second round at Wimbledon 2026

Alexander Zverev began his push for back-to-back Grand Slam titles with a hard-fought four-set win over Alexander Blockx.

The French Open champion extended his head-to-head lead over the Belgian to 3-0 courtesy of a 6-4 6-7 7-6 7-6 success in two hours and 55 minutes on Centre Court.

Both players impressed on serve in the opening exchanges until a sudden collapse saw the world number 36 broken to love, allowing the second seed to serve out the opener in just 30 minutes.

The 21-year-old underdog stood firm throughout the second set and caused a stir in the tie-break as Zverev double faulted to drop it 10-8.

The pattern continued in the third stanza but this time it was Zverev who came out on top by a 7-5 scoreline in the tie-break.

The Roland-Garros champion secured just the second break of the match to take control at 3-2 in the fourth but completely fluffed his lines with a trio of double faults allowing Blockx to hit back.

The inevitability of a third breaker ensued and the German race through it 7-0 to avoid any further drama and book a second round clash with Valentin Royer.

Zverev pounds down his 21st ace of the match to convert on his first MP and take the fourth-set breaker by an emphatic 7-0 scoreline.

Blockx opens with a loose strike off the island to cough up a mini break and in the blink of an eye he’s 3-0 down.

The Belgian falls further behind as he bats into the net off a short-angled return and Zverev cannons down an ace to earn multiple match points heading to the change of ends.  

It’s the hat-trick.

We will have a third tie-break in this match as Zverev chalks up the hold to love.

Blockx will at the very least play a tie-break to try and force a fifth after he coasts through his latest clean hold.

Zverev returns to form on serve and saunters through his own love hold.

We had the sudden surprise of the two breaks but the match has resorted to type here.

That is mighty clean.

The 21-year-old marauds through another love hold to apply the scoreboard squeeze.

Zverev resists in a rare but fabulous all-court rally at 0-15 and then moves clear with his 19th ace ensuring he remains in the hunt to get this done in four.

Blockx hits freely after getting a reprieve he didn’t expect and marches through a clean hold to seize the scoreboard advantage heading into the business end of the set.

Zverev may have Grand Slam title now but that case of the jitters nearing finish lines remains.

The German can’ buy a first serve and coughs up three double faults to gift the break straight back.

We have a break!

There’s a rush of applause for Zverev from the Centre Court crowd as he zaps a backhand winner down the line to break on the second of two opportunities.

The buzz is one of appreciation but also of surprise as it's been so serve-dominated, no-one saw that coming.

It’s the first lull on the Zverev is quite some time but Blockx can’t press home any sort of pressure from 30-30 and the German navigates his way through to tie the set.

The serving procession continues.

Shouldn’t we just skip to the breaker? There’s an inevitable feel about it already with not much changing in the fledgling moments of the fourth.

Zverev gets a serve and volley routine all wrong and is pegged back from 30-0 up when the Belgian angles away smart volley of his own.

The German leans on the old faithful of the first serve to regain the initiative and a massive second delivery down the T eases him onto the board.

Blockx doesn’t let the disappointment of dropping that breaker to linger as he kicks off Set 4 with a confident game to 15.

This time it’s the second seed that comes up trumps in the breaker with the German taking it 7-5 on his third set point.

An error-strewn start to the TB sees both players double fault and it’s all square at the change of ends.

There’s no late twist as Blockx rolls through a game to love to take us into the second tie-break of the match.

Zverev powers down two aces to move on to a total of 15 so far and ease through another game to 15 that guarantees him the minimum of a breaker.

Blockx readjusts brilliantly to glide away a forehand winner after his move forward was impacted by a clip of the tape.

The Belgian coughs up a sixth double fault at 40-15 but makes amends with a wonderful, low jab down the line to redirect Zverev’s ferocious crosscourt backhand.