Marketa Vondrousova is the first reigning Wimbledon women’s champion to be eliminated in the first round since 1994

Now she’s entering the history books in a different — and less desirable — way. The only other time in the sport’s Open era, which dates back to 1968, that a woman went from a Wimbledon championship to an immediate exit a year later was when Steffi Graf was defeated by Lori McNeil 30 years ago.

“I was happy to be back on Centre Court,” Vondrousova said. “It just didn’t go as planned today.”

Vondrousova was seeded sixth this time around, but the left-hander, who finished runner-up at the 2019 French Open and won silver at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, was never able to show her full game on Tuesday. She appeared to still be suffering from the after-effects of a fall during a grass practice tournament in Berlin last month in which she injured her hip.

“I was maybe a little bit slower. I was a little bit scared,” Vondrousova said. “But all credit to her. She played a good match too. I didn’t feel at my best, (but) she didn’t give me many free points.”

How big was this for Bouzas Maneiro?

She is making only her third Grand Slam appearance and entered the day with an 0-2 record at those events. Bouzas Maneiro also had never won a match at a tour-level grass-court tournament and had never defeated an opponent ranked in the top 10.

“This is one of the most important moments of my life, of my career, here in this sport. This is amazing,” said Bouzas Maneiro, a 21-year-old from Spain who is ranked 83rd this week, her highest score ever.

“I thought, ‘I don’t have any pressure. Just enjoy the moment, enjoy the tournament.’ I just tried to play freely, and I succeeded, so I’m happy about that,” she said.

Vondrousova joined a string of previous major title winners who crashed out of singles pools within the first 30 hours of this year’s Wimbledon, although others did so without playing a single point.

Earlier on Tuesday, Andy Murray withdrew from the singles event after deciding he could not compete, just over a week after undergoing surgery to remove a cyst from his spine. His final appearance at Wimbledon, which he won in 2013 and 2016, will be in the doubles event, partnering his older brother Jamie.

Two women who are both ranked No. 1 and have won two Australian Open championships each, No. 3 Aryna Sabalenka and No. 16 Victoria Azarenka, withdrew from their first-round matches Monday because of shoulder injuries. Sabalenka was the pre-tournament favorite to win the women’s title, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.

On and off rain delayed play on the outdoor courts more than once Tuesday, and the retractable roofs of Centre Court and No. 1 Court were closed to allow play in those stadiums. Sixth-seeded Andrey Rublev lost, while Day 2 winners included No. 1 Iga Swiatek, 2022 champion Elena Rybakina and No. 5 seed Jessica Pegula on the women’s side, and seven-time champion Novak Djokovic, No. 4 seed Alexander Zverev and No. 7 Hubert Hurkacz on the men’s side.

For Djokovic, his 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 victory over qualifier Vit Kopriva was his first match since undergoing surgery on June 5 for a torn meniscus in his right knee.

“I started off a bit more cautious, I would say. I maybe didn’t really go for certain shots 100% … (in) the first set,” said Djokovic, who wore a gray sleeve on his right knee. “I played, I think, just enough to win confidently in straight sets. I felt like I got better as the match went on.”

The first signs of trouble were immediately visible for Vondrousova on Tuesday: she made three double faults in the very first game and fell behind 1-0.

“My service wasn’t that good today,” Vondrousova said. “Overall I think I wasn’t at my best.”

She ultimately made seven double faults, part of her total of 28 unforced errors, twice as many as Bouzas Maneiro in a match that lasted just over an hour.

“I’m honestly surprised by myself. At first I was a little nervous, but then… the atmosphere was so nice,” Bouzas Maneiro said. “I felt comfortable here and I felt at home. I don’t know why.”

AP Tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis