Sinner overcomes foot injury to survive first match at Wimbledon

Jannik Sinner (ITA) reacts after winning the second set against Miomir Kecmanovic (SRB) (not pictured) on day one of The Championships Wimbledon 2026 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Jannik Sinner overcomes gnarly foot injury to survive first match at Wimbledon

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Jun 29, 2026 3:42 PM ET

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A gnarly right foot injury was just a flesh wound for Jannik Sinner in his first match at Wimbledon on Monday.

Sinner, the No. 1 tennis player in the world, slipped in a scary fall during his match against Miomir Kecmanovic at the All England Club in London. He lost his balance while pushing off his right leg. The Italian standout remained on the ground for several seconds before rebounding.

The injury bloodied his shoe. The stained footwear may remind MLB fans of former Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling's bloody sock in Game 6 of the 2004 American League Championship Series against the New York Yankees. In the 4-2 Boston win, Schilling pitched seven innings, despite battling a torn tendon in his right ankle. Sinner's injury isn't as severe.

Jannik Sinner discusses right foot injury

After winning 4-6, 6-3, 6-7(8), 6-2, 6-3, Sinner brushed off the injury during an on-court interview.

️ "I'm actually very surprised that they let me keep playing because my all white outfit turned a little red!"

Jannik Sinner was bleeding through his shoe… but he saw the funny side pic.twitter.com/vIdAYl3gYU
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) June 29, 2026

"No, no, I'm good. It just seems much worse than it is," Sinner said. "I'm actually very surprised they let me keep playing because ... all white, it turned into a little red. It's just a nail. I didn't want to disturb Miomir. I think we both had a good rhythm. It was a great match from both of us. I didn't want to take any time. It's all good. Thank you."

Sinner hit 31 aces and scored 157 points on Monday. He could've been even sharper if he were 100 percent.

Sinner, the defending Wimbledon champion, will have plenty of time to recover from the injury. He faces Nuno Borges in the second round on Wednesday.

Sinner should use plenty of stain removal on his shoes or switch pairs before that match. He doesn't want one of Wimbledon's supervisors to hassle him for violating the Grand Slam's all-white dress code.

Clark Dalton

Clark Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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