World No. 1 Jannik Sinner endured a challenging start to his Wimbledon campaign on Tuesday, narrowly defeating Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic in a five-set thriller on Centre Court. The Italian top seed came back from a deficit of two sets to one, ultimately prevailing 4-6, 6-3, 6-7 (8-6), 6-2, 6-3.

Sinner’s encounter was marked by an unusual incident when TV cameras revealed blood seeping through his white tennis shoe late in the third set. Despite the injury, the 21-year-old remained in the contest and appeared unfazed by the sight of blood on his shoe, joking about Wimbledon’s stringent all-white dress code being compromised. He attributed the bleeding to a nail injury but insisted it was not serious enough to warrant medical attention or a break in play.

“No, no, I’m good, it just seems much worse than it is,” Sinner said on court after the match. “I’m surprised they let me keep playing. All white turned into a little red. It’s just a nail and I didn’t want to disturb Miomir. I think we both had good rhythm. I didn’t want to take any time [out].”

The match displayed a strong competitive spirit from both players, with a tightly contested third-set tiebreak won by Kecmanovic. However, Sinner regained momentum in the final two sets, showcasing his resilience and maintaining composure under physical discomfort. His ability to overcome the scare and close out the victory advances him into the next round, continuing his campaign as a favorite at the All England Club.