WIMBLEDON — Aryna Sabalenka, the reigning World No. 1, showcased her dominance on a record-breaking hot day at Wimbledon, dispatching qualifier Carson Branstine with a convincing 6-1, 7-5 victory.

The opening day of this year’s Wimbledon reached unprecedented heights, with temperatures soaring to 87 degrees Fahrenheit. However, on Court No. 1, Sabalenka remained cool under pressure, wrapping up the match in just 73 minutes. Up next for her is a clash against either Lulu Sun or Marie Bouzkova on Wednesday.

While Sabalenka has participated in only two of the last four Wimbledon tournaments, her track record speaks volumes—she reached the semifinals in both instances. Experts have placed her as the frontrunner, closely followed by Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina, and Coco Gauff.

Although all of Sabalenka’s major titles have been secured on hard courts, she came agonizingly close at the French Open, where she lost to Gauff in a thrilling three-set final. Determined to excel on grass, Sabalenka aims to leverage her evolving skills during this championship.

Speaking of her opponent, Sabalenka remarked, "I think if she continues working, she definitely has potential. Her serving was incredibly fast; especially in the second set, it was tough to read. I was fortunate to break her and take the set, but that second set was challenging."

In the first set, Sabalenka's experience shone through as she quickly dismantled Branstine, only allowing her to win one game. This marked the Canadian’s first main-draw match at a Grand Slam, where she was seeking just her second win on the Hologic WTA Tour. Branstine impressed during qualifying, defeating top seed Lois Boisson and former champion Bianca Andreescu.

Despite struggling early, Branstine gained momentum in the second set, even leading 5-4 at one point, igniting hopes of a potential upset.

"When it mattered, she showed up," Branstine acknowledged. "Those little things are what separate the top players. She came out with a killer instinct, and even though I’m ranked No. 194, she was in it to win. It was incredible to witness up close—she was performing to an entirely different level against me."

During the first set, Sabalenka rattled off six wins in just 24 minutes, with Branstine earning her only game through a stunning 120 mph ace. After a shaky moment on her first set point, Sabalenka closed it out with an unreturnable serve.

In the second set, Branstine found her rhythm and posed a challenge, matched serve for serve until Sabalenka broke through at 5-all. The Canadian finished with seven aces but faced difficulties, winning only 11 of her 24 second serves.

Final stats showed Sabalenka with an impressive 17 winners and 18 unforced errors, while Branstine recorded 17 winners but struggled with 26 unforced errors. Sabalenka continues to dominate first-round matches at Grand Slams, boasting a stunning 24-5 record and an unbeatable streak of 19-0 over the last five-and-a-half years against qualifiers, without even dropping a set.