Heartbreak at Wimbledon: Grigor Dimitrov’s body betrays him after masterclass against Jannik Sinner | Tennis News

Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov will get therapy after he went down with an damage which pressured him to retire injured from a fourth spherical males’s singles match against Italy’s Jannik Sinner at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Monday, July 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

New Delhi: “They haven’t seen the bad side of life in a way. Nothing against them, they’re the two greatest players at the moment by far, by far,” said Grigor Dimitrov on Saturday when asked about Jannik Sinner, his next opponent, and defending champion Carlos Alcaraz.“But if you look at it also a little bit from psychological points of view and the environment that they’re in and everything, with all due respect, they were playing the final [in Paris] and neither one of them had ever lost the final of a Slam. It’s kind of funny when you hear it. I was laughing. Actually, I was like, ‘yep, I get that’. Then why wouldn’t you be fearless?“But then with age, we all know that fear comes very differently. It creeps in. It’s not even about being fearless. It’s about exploring your opportunities. And they just go for those opportunities. But I think with time, let’s see how everything else would unfold.”At Wimbledon‘s Centre Court on Monday evening, things unfolded in the manner that no one had imagined. Dimitrov was leaving Sinner clueless, out of ideas and depth.
The 34-year-old served big and hit even bigger from both wings. During the first set, Sinner struggled to navigate the 34-year-old’s serve to his backhand, paving way for numerous one-two punches.The Bulgarian led 6-3, 7-5 and it was 2-2 in the third set with two hours and eight minutes played. The clock, the play and the intense shot-making would end right there.Instead of what could have been his first top-5 win since March last year and first-ever against a World No. 1, he clutched his chest with the left hand. He took a few steps, crouched and sat down on the grass. “My pec,” Dimitrov told Sinner, referring to his pectoral muscle, as the Italian made his way across the net.Dimitrov then made his way to the sidelines, sat in his chair, was checked on by a trainer and a doctor. After a few minutes, the 21st ranked player walked towards the locker room with the medics. Soon, he re-emerged, almost in tears, and said he couldn’t continue.For the fifth Slam running, the 34-year-old Dimitrov failed to complete a match. He also did it at the Australian Open in January and the French Open in May, plus last year’s Wimbledon and US Open.His words to the coaching team at Flushing Meadows feel poignant once again: “You gotta be kidding me… after all!”Incidentally, it was Dimitrov’s physical prowess during his 20s that was the most crucial factor to him even if the big titles never came. The chiseled body and positive outlook stood out even if the tennis went missing for the three-time major semifinalist including at 2014 Wimbledon.And here he was, betrayed by his own body. Again.Even before he stepped on court, fate’s cruelty was lurking in the shadows. “I really feel nice. After three matches to be the place I’m at bodily, actually provides me a superb, optimistic and upbeat approach to get on the market and play my sport,” the he had stated after the third spherical.“That’s all I want, is to put myself in those type of positions, to get out there and play against these guys right now. This is in a way the most important thing for me,” he added.How a lot of a task did closing of the roof after two units, due to fading daylight, make in the entire thing stays up for debate. But what can’t be challenged is the standard of tennis that Dimitrov produced.Top-seed Sinner had not dropped a set enroute the fourth spherical. He had conceded solely 17 video games by way of all of it. The head-to-head, too, was in Sinner’s favour (4-1).All that went out for a toss in a short time. Sinner took a tumble early on, was damaged in his very first sport and regarded as if he was rushed into pictures relatively than dictating factors.“I don’t take this as a win, at all,” stated Sinner who revealed he had damage issues of his personal. “This is just a very unfortunate moment to witness for all of us.”Once once more, it’s Dimitrov’s philosophical phrases earlier than the match that present essentially the most cruelty to his realty of virtually inflicting the most important upset this 12 months.“This particular match for me, with all due respect, I don’t rate it as ‘wow’ match. It’s just another day for me to perform. It’s been a difficult six, seven months for me. I put a lot of work. I’ve struggled a lot.“That match has meaning for myself more so than anything else. But do I want to put any bigger occasion to it? No. I think I’m very content with what it is.“The rest is having fun. This is important. We’re in the second week of Wimbledon. Let’s have fun.”Unfortunately, that enjoyable lasted for 2 hours and eight minutes earlier than being stopped quick by an episode we had seen earlier than.