Sinner Modifies Practice Routine Amid Elbow Concerns

LONDON: World No. 1 Jannik Sinner adjusted his training schedule, opting for a shorter indoor session on hard courts instead of his usual practice, as he awaits the results of an MRI on his injured elbow before his Wimbledon quarter-final match against Ben Shelton.

Sinner sustained the injury when he fell heavily on his right elbow during his fourth-round match with Grigor Dimitrov and has since shown clear signs of discomfort, particularly when serving. Despite the injury, the Italian athlete persevered to earn his place in the quarter-finals.

On Tuesday morning, instead of his regular practice, Sinner engaged in a light 20–30-minute session indoors on hard courts. His coaches, Darren Cahill and Simone Vagnozzi, supported him during this brief session.

Following the practice, Cahill told international media that there was no update yet regarding the MRI scan but emphasized Sinner’s desire to remain active. “No news on the MRI just yet,” Cahill stated.

“He had it earlier today, and he can’t afford a day of inactivity, so he wanted to hit the ball. Simone and I simply fed him some balls from the basket.”

Cahill noted that practicing on hard courts is not unusual for Sinner and could be advantageous. “Sometimes, practicing on hard court isn’t a bad thing. The more you play on grass with its unpredictable bounces, the more your timing can be affected. Agassi frequently did this. We’ve incorporated this approach for a few years now, so it wasn’t out of the ordinary.”

Sinner is scheduled to compete against Shelton on Wednesday at Court One, contingent on confirmation of his fitness.