In one of the most heartbreaking moments of Wimbledon 2025, Grigor Dimitrov was forced to retire from his fourth-round match against Jannik Sinner while leading by two sets. The Bulgarian star was dominating the match with a 6-3, 7-5 advantage, but disaster struck at 2-2 in the third set.
Dimitrov suffered a right pectoral muscle injury immediately after successfully serving out the fourth game of the set, bringing his dream run to an unfortunate end. This marked his fifth consecutive Grand Slam retirement, making him the first player in tennis history to create this unwanted record.
Grigor Dimitrov’s Unfortunate Injury Forced Him to Retire Against Jannik Sinner
Sinner suffered an early fall and injured his right elbow in the round of 16 match against Dimitrov. The World No. 1, who hadn’t dropped a set in the tournament, looked vulnerable as Dimitrov broke his serve immediately to take a 2-0 lead.
Sinner took a medical timeout while trailing 3-2 in the second set, receiving treatment for his elbow injury. Amid the Italian’s struggles, Dimitrov continued his brilliant form, taking the second set 7-5. The 34-year-old was serving exceptionally well, hitting 13 aces in the first two sets.
The match took a dramatic turn at 2-2 in the third set as, after holding serve, Dimitrov went down clutching his right pectoral muscle, saying, “Oh my pec.” He fell to the ground, laughing out of what appeared to be hysteria at his bad luck. Sinner immediately rushed to help his friend, kneeling beside him and staying with him during the medical assessment.
Worrying scenes in the Grigor Dimitrov & Jannik Sinner match at Wimbledon.
Grigor hurt his pectoral muscle while hitting a volley.
He’s laughing out of hysteria. pic.twitter.com/32MPh0OXjt
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 7, 2025
After a brief medical timeout, Dimitrov returned to the court but was unable to continue. He retired in tears, receiving a standing ovation from the Centre Court crowd. Sinner helped him pack his equipment, which highlighted the respect between the two players.
In his post-match interview, Sinner was clearly affected by the situation, as he said: “I don’t know what to say because he’s an incredible player. I think we all saw this today. He’s been so unlucky in the past couple of years.” He added, “I don’t take this as a win at all. This is just a very unfortunate moment to witness for all of us.”
“I don’t take this as a win at all.”
Jannik Sinner was full of respect for his friend Grigor Dimitrov after he was forced to retire.#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/bQTsxUM8Mu
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 7, 2025
Grigor Dimitrov’s Injury Nightmare and Support From Tennis Community
The Bulgarian became the first player in tennis history to retire from five consecutive Grand Slams. His streak began at Wimbledon 2024, where he retired in the fourth round against Daniil Medvedev. He then retired at the 2024 US Open quarterfinals against Frances Tiafoe.
The injuries continued at the 2025 Australian Open, where he retired in the second set of his first-round match against Francesco Passaro. Most recently, at the 2025 French Open, Dimitrov retired while leading Ethan Quinn 6-2, 6-3, 2-6. Overall, Dimitrov has retired from nine Grand Slam matches in his career, with seven of these coming in his last 17 major appearances.
Following this heartbreaking moment, the tennis community rallied behind Dimitrov and showed love for the Bulgarian star on social media. A fan wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “This is so genuinely heartbreaking. He’s one of the most lovable guys on the tour too 😞”
A fan had similar reaction to Sinner and wrote: “I feel so bad for him. I wanted sinner to win but not like this…. So sad for dimitrov, he’s retiring from his 5th consecutive slam”
I feel so bad for him. I wanted sinner to win but not like this…. So sad for dimitrov, he’s retiring from his 5th consecutive slam
— Gioppy (@gioppy37) July 7, 2025
Another fan wrote: “Truly heartbreaking,he was playing some of his best tennis. No one deserves that kind of luck. Respect always to Dimitrov for his grit and class.” A fan wished for Dimitrov’s speedy recovery: “Whatever happened is really tough to understand and even digest for us as a tennis fan. Wishing Grigor a speedy recovery 🙏”
Whatever happened is really tough to understand and even digest for us as a tennis fan. Wishing Grigor a speedy recovery 🙏
— Vikas Jha (@vjwrites02) July 7, 2025
Another fan prayed by writing: “These are the scenes that break your heart, seeing a hard worker leave in yet another Grand Slam. Speedy recovery to him.”
After Dimitrov’s unfortunate retirement, Jannik Sinner moves on to the quarterfinals of Wimbledon, where he faces Ben Shelton.
