LONDON — Jannik Sinner escaped with a five-set win during his first-round match at Wimbledon, but not without some damage.
Sinner’s right shoe was stained with blood after several slips during his match against Miomir Kecmanovic on Monday. Many, including the ESPN broadcasters, speculated whether he had injured his foot.
The men’s world No. 1 downplayed the impact during his post-match interview, saying it was “just a nail.”
“I’m good,” Sinner said. “It just seems much worse than it is. I’m actually very surprised they let me keep playing because all white [shoe], it turned into a little red.”
But Sinner’s opening match incident spotlights the longstanding difficulty of grass surfaces in tennis, particularly Wimbledon, the lone grass court Grand Slam. Serena Williams, who is making her singles return to tennis at this year’s Wimbledon, was famously forced to retire during her first-round match in 2021 after slipping at Centre Court.
