Jannik Sinner’s march to the Wimbledon quarter-finals came in an unexpected and somber manner on Monday, as Grigor Dimitrov was forced to retire from their fourth-round match due to an injury. The Bulgarian was leading 3-6, 5-7, 2-2 when he suffered a pectoral muscle injury during an ace serve on Centre Court.
The match was already an intense contest, with Sinner battling through a right elbow injury, and it seemed poised to be a dramatic turn of events when Dimitrov collapsed in pain. As he fell to the ground, holding his chest, Sinner quickly rushed to his opponent’s side to offer support. Dimitrov, visibly distressed, was treated by medical staff on the court, before walking off to eventually announce his withdrawal. A tearful Dimitrov embraced Sinner, who comforted his friend and opponent during the emotional moment.
“He’s been so unlucky in the past couple of years,” Sinner remarked. “I think we all saw this today. He’s an incredible player and a good friend of mine. We understand each other well off the court, and it’s tough to see him like this. I truly hope he has a speedy recovery.”
At 34, Dimitrov’s career has been plagued with injuries, and this marks another setback after his fourth-round exit to Daniil Medvedev last year. His retirement handed Sinner an unanticipated passage into the quarter-finals, where he will face American Ben Shelton, who is also dealing with his own injury concerns.
Sinner, who has never reached the Wimbledon final, had been hoping for a deep run this year after making it to the semi-finals in 2023. The 2025 season has seen him claim titles at both the US and Australian Opens, though he suffered a heart-wrenching defeat at the French Open to Carlos Alcaraz in June.
Despite the dramatic circumstances, Sinner’s focus now shifts to recovery, both for himself and his next opponent, Shelton, as they prepare for the highly anticipated quarter-final clash.
As for Dimitrov, the tennis world will continue to hope for his swift recovery, but the emotional weight of this latest setback will linger for both him and his supporters.
