Novak Djokovic is still alive at Wimbledon.

But this was not the quiet first-round evening he might have hoped for.

The 39-year-old Serbian beat China’s Yibing Wu 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 on Centre Court, beginning his chase for a 25th Grand Slam singles title with a win that was more demanding than the scoreline suggests.

Wu, ranked No. 102 in the world, did not play like an outsider. He attacked Djokovic from the baseline, hit flat through the court and gave the seven-time Wimbledon champion long periods of discomfort.

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Wu brought the crowd into the match

According to ATP Tour’s match report by Sam Jacot, Wu played fearlessly and repeatedly hurt Djokovic with the weight and depth of his forehand.

That was the story of the match.

Wu did not simply wait for Djokovic to miss. He stepped into rallies, protected the lines well and struck several clean winners that brought a loud reaction from the Centre Court crowd.

Every time he produced another heavy forehand or sharp backhand, the crowd responded with long chants of “Wuuuuuu”. It gave the match an energy rarely seen in a routine first round.

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Djokovic later admitted that Wu had surprised him with the level of his game.

“He put me under a lot of pressure,” Djokovic said, according to ATP Tour.

The shots that changed the match

The best moments came when Wu forced Djokovic to defend at full stretch.

In the second set, Wu began to find his rhythm from the baseline. One backhand sent Djokovic wide into the corner and helped create another set point, before the Chinese player eventually levelled the match.

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According to The Guardian’s live coverage, Wu took the second set 7-5 after Djokovic sent a backhand long.

It was a deserved set.

Wu had been brave on return, quick to attack second serves and willing to take the ball early. On grass, that kind of timing can make even Djokovic look rushed.

But Djokovic also produced the kind of points that explain why he has won so much at Wimbledon.

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One of the key shots came in the third set, when Djokovic hit a flicked backhand passing-shot winner to bring up break point at 3-4. It was a classic Djokovic ball: defensive at first glance, but struck with enough control and angle to turn the rally completely.

Soon after, he broke for 5-3 and began to regain control.

Djokovic was forced to solve problems

This was not a match where Djokovic cruised through on serve and reputation.

The numbers show how difficult it became. According to Tennis.com’s match statistics, both players hit 15 aces, while Wu landed 73 percent of his first serves and won 69 percent of his second-serve points.

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Those are strong numbers against one of the best returners tennis has ever seen.

Djokovic still found a way.

He saved six break points in the fourth set, including three from 0-40 at 2-3. That game felt like one of the decisive passages of the match. Wu had the chance to take the fourth set by the throat, but Djokovic slowed the tempo, defended stubbornly and escaped.

Later in the set, at 4-4, Djokovic again made Wu play one more ball. He scrambled to stay alive in the rally, lifted a high defensive shot, and Wu overhit the overhead. It gave Djokovic the break, and from there the match was almost gone.

Roof changed the conditions

Djokovic also pointed to the changing conditions on Centre Court.

According to ATP Tour, Djokovic said it felt like “two different matches” because one part was played with the roof open and another with the roof closed.

The closed roof made the grass more slippery and the conditions heavier. That appeared to help Wu at times, because his flat hitting travelled quickly through the court and gave Djokovic less time to settle.

Djokovic did not look completely fresh, but he adjusted better in the pressure moments.

That was the difference.

Tsitsipas waits in round two

Djokovic now moves on to face Stefanos Tsitsipas in the second round.

According to Novak Djokovic’s official results page, Tsitsipas is his next opponent at Wimbledon, while Djokovic’s win over Wu was listed as 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4.

It is still early in the tournament, but Djokovic’s opener already offered both warning and reassurance.

The warning is that he had to work far harder than expected against a player outside the top 100.

The reassurance is that, even at 39, Djokovic still knows how to survive the moments that decide matches.

Wu had many of the night’s best balls.

Djokovic had the answers when they mattered most.