Jannik Sinner’s progress to the Wimbledon quarter-finals came under somber circumstances after Grigor Dimitrov was forced to retire due to injury during their fourth-round match on July 7.
Sinner, ranked world No. 1, found himself in an unexpected battle after trailing Dimitrov two sets to love. However, the Bulgarian 19th seed's hopes were dashed when he suddenly collapsed in pain while leading 6-3, 7-5, 2-2.
Dimitrov, 34, who has endured a series of injury setbacks in recent Grand Slam appearances, clutched his right pectoral muscle and was unable to continue following a short medical timeout. His forced withdrawal marks his fifth retirement at a Grand Slam tournament in as many attempts.
Despite advancing to his seventh consecutive Grand Slam quarter-final, Sinner did not feel the victory could be celebrated.
The Italian, a three-time major champion, expressed deep sympathy for Dimitrov's injury, and paused to assist his friend off the court.
“I don’t take this as a win at all,” Sinner said after the match. “This is just an unfortunate moment for all of us to witness.”
The 23-year-old added that it was difficult to see Dimitrov, a player renowned for his work ethic, struggling with injuries again.
“He has struggled in the last Grand Slams with injuries a lot, so seeing him again with this injury is very tough,” Sinner said. “We all saw by his reaction how much he cares about the sport. He is one of the hardest-working players on tour, and it’s very unfortunate.”
Sinner later called on the crowd to join him in applauding Dimitrov and his team, showing support as the injured player was escorted off the court.
The match had been a tense encounter up until the retirement. Sinner, who had looked nearly flawless in his first three rounds, was on the back foot with an elbow issue of his own after an early fall.
His hopes of continuing his remarkable run appeared slim as Dimitrov, playing with intensity, seemed poised to claim a major upset.
Dimitrov, who had reached eight major quarter-finals, had been pushing Sinner to the limit, but just as the match appeared to reach its turning point, his injury ended the contest abruptly.
The Bulgarian’s emotional reaction underscored the deep frustration of his ongoing struggles with fitness.
Sinner, who will face American 10th seed Ben Shelton in the next round, expressed his solidarity with Dimitrov, describing him as both a friend and a player deserving of better fortune.
“If there was a chance for him to play in the next round, he would deserve it,” Sinner said. “Mostly, I hope he has a speedy recovery.”
In his post-match news conference, Sinner also mentioned that he would undergo an MRI scan on his elbow the following day to assess the injury and determine its severity.
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