Wimbledon 2026 Opening Day Injury Report: Berrettini, Svitolina, and Raducanu Navigate Late Fitness Tests

The 2026 Wimbledon Championships open on Monday with a draw heavily influenced by the medical tent. While the pre-tournament narrative was dominated by the high-profile withdrawals of defending French Open champion Carlos Alcaraz and former world No. 4 Holger Rune, a secondary tier of contenders is quietly navigating a minefield of late-stage fitness tests.

For many of the tour's most dangerous unseeded threats, the abrupt transition from the European clay to the British grass has taken a severe physical toll. The slick, low-bouncing surface at the All England Club places unique biomechanical stress on the lower back, hips, and ankles, forcing several players into precautionary withdrawals during the final tune-up events in Eastbourne, Mallorca, and Bad Homburg.[1]

Chief among the "walking wounded" is Matteo Berrettini. The Italian, a former Wimbledon finalist whose career has been repeatedly derailed by physical setbacks, is entering his first competitive tournament since retiring from Roland Garros with a hip problem.

Berrettini has been spotted training intensely on the practice courts this weekend without apparent discomfort. However, the transition from controlled practice sessions to the grueling reality of best-of-five-set matches remains a significant hurdle as he prepares for a blockbuster first-round clash against veteran Stan Wawrinka.

The women's draw is similarly fraught with last-minute injury management. Elina Svitolina, a perennial threat on grass, was forced to withdraw from the Bad Homburg Open late last week due to a right hip issue. The Ukrainian star now faces a race against time to find her mobility ahead of her opening match against compatriot Daria Snigur.

Marta Kostyuk joins Svitolina on the WTA's critical watch list. Kostyuk was forced to pull out of the Queen's Club grass-court event due to a lingering ankle problem. She is scheduled to face Nadia Podoroska, but her lateral movement—a crucial component of her aggressive baseline game—will be heavily scrutinized.

The injury bug has also bitten several players who enjoyed deep runs earlier in the grass-court swing. Frances Tiafoe, who recently captured a historic title in Halle, withdrew from the Mallorca Championships before his opening match, citing a back issue.

Similarly, Francisco Cerundolo pulled out of Eastbourne with a hip problem shortly after a strong showing at Queen's Club. For both Tiafoe and Cerundolo, the withdrawals appear to be strategic load management, prioritizing rest over match rhythm ahead of the grueling fortnight in London.

The physical attrition extends to the tournament's qualifiers and rising stars. Alexander Blockx, who suffered a severe ankle injury at the French Open, is making his competitive return directly into the Wimbledon main draw. He faces a monumental opening test against second seed and recent Roland Garros champion Alexander Zverev.

Even former Grand Slam champions are not immune to the pre-tournament physical attrition. Naomi Osaka is managing a left foot injury that forced her to retire from the Bad Homburg final, while hometown favorite Emma Raducanu is dealing with a lower-leg niggle that severely limited her practice time over the weekend. Both are expected to take the court, but their physical ceilings remain highly uncertain.[1][3]

The cumulative effect of these injuries reshapes the tactical landscape for the tournament's top seeds. With dangerous floaters like Berrettini, Svitolina, and Kostyuk potentially compromised, the early-round pathways for defending champion Jannik Sinner and top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka could feature less resistance than initially anticipated.[2]

Ultimately, surviving the first week of a Grand Slam is often as much a medical triumph as a tactical one. As the gates open at the All England Club, this cohort of players will be battling their own biomechanics just as fiercely as the opponents across the net.