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Grigor Dimitrov who was leading world No. 1 Jannik Sinner by two sets, was forced to retire due to an injury during the round of 16 of Wimbledon 2025. As a result, Sinner advanced to the quarterfinals of the tournament. The 34-year-old Bulgarian who was on the verge of a historic upset, registered fifth consecutive Grand Slam retirement.
Grigor Dimitrov's dominance against Jannik Sinner
Grigor Dimitrov, the 19th seed, entered the fourth-round match against Jannik Sinner with a challenging history of injuries but showed no signs of weakness as the game began.
The Bulgarian took the first set 6-3, becoming the first player to win a set against Sinner in the 2025 Wimbledon Championships. Dimitrov continued his dominance, clinching the second set 7-5, putting him one set away from a stunning victory over the top seed.
Grigor Dimitrov's heartbreaking exit
The turning point came at 2-2 in the third set. After serving a 96 mph ace to hold serve, Dimitrov suddenly collapsed, clutching his right pectoral area in agony.
Sinner, along with two trainers, rushed to his side, and the crowd fell silent as Dimitrov was helped to his chair, visibly emotional. Despite briefly leaving the court for treatment, Dimitrov returned only to shake Sinner’s hand and retire, unable to continue. The Centre Court crowd gave him a standing ovation as he exited, tears in his eyes, aware that his chance at a monumental upset had slipped away.
This retirement was particularly devastating given Dimitrov’s recent history. Over the past year, he had been forced to withdraw from four consecutive Grand Slams due to various injuries, including a leg issue at Roland Garros and a retirement against Daniil Medvedev at Wimbledon 2024. Despite arriving in London pain-free after extensive rehabilitation, this pectoral injury added to his string of bad luck.
Jannik Sinner’s advancement
Jannik Sinner, the 23-year-old Italian, advanced to the quarterfinals to face Ben Shelton. The win-by-retirement offers a chance for Sinner to regroup, but he will need to address his elbow issue before facing Shelton in the upcoming game.
Jannik Sinner on Dimitrov's retirement
Jannik Sinner was quick to express his sympathy for Dimitrov. In his post-match interview, Sinner said, “I don’t take this as a win at all. I don’t know what to say. He is an incredible player, we all saw this today. He's been so unlucky in the past couple of years."
“An incredible player and a good friend of mine off the court, seeing him in this way... If he could play in the next round, he would honestly deserve it. I hope he has a speedy recovery, very unlucky from his side and a very unfortunate moment for us to witness," he added.
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