What happened to Grigor Dimitrov at Wimbledon? Latest injury news
Fans, pundits and players were shocked after Monday night's incident on Centre Court.
Tennis can be a cruel game. Live sport doesn't care for sentimentality. Grigor Dimitrov knows this all too well.
Fans, pundits and Dimitrov's opponent, world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, were clearly distressed as the Bulgarian star was forced to retire from the fourth round on Centre Court through injury.
There's never a good time for injury to strike, but there can be few worse moments than last night's incident with Dimitrov as he was two sets up against Sinner, the tournament favourite, and level in the third set, with the quarter-finals in view.
RadioTimes.com brings you the details following a tough evening for Grigor Dimitrov at Wimbledon.
What happened to Grigor Dimitrov at Wimbledon?
Dimitrov was flying against Sinner, who suffered a blow to his elbow in the very first game of the match, during their match on Centre Court on Monday night.
The Bulgarian led 6-3 7-5 and was serving for the game when disaster struck. Dimitrov struck an ace to level the scores at 2-2 to rapturous applause, but immediately held his right pectoral muscle and sunk to his knees.
The atmosphere suddenly shifted inside the arena – and from the commentary box – as people became aware of Dimitrov's distress.
Sinner turned saint as he immediately proceeded around the net to attend to Dimitrov, who winced in pain as he explained what he felt had happened.
Dimitrov was whisked away from the court to receive medical attention and re-emerged to confirm his withdrawal from the match and the tournament.
Again, Sinner approached Dimitrov warmly and the pair embraced as they walked back to their chairs to collect belongings.
Dimitrov appeared tearful as he used his left arm to hold up his right arm to shake the umpire's hand, while Centre Court rose to roar their appreciation for the two players.
Sinner looked dejected as he was interviewed following the match, stating: "I don't take this as a win at all," and wished Dimitrov all the best in his recovery.
This is the fifth consecutive Grand Slam tournament that has ended in Dimitrov retiring through injury. He did not engage in a media conference after the match due to assessments from his medical team.
Minor Grade 1 strains can heal in a few weeks, while more severe Grade 2 or Grade 3 strains and tears could take several months to recover from. Exceptional injuries could even take up to a year, depending on whether surgery is required, to build the strength required to make a full return to elite tennis.
It remains to be seen how severe Dimitrov's injury is, but he is likely to be a major doubt to feature at the US Open in August.
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Authors
Michael Potts is the Sport Editor for Radio Times, covering all of the biggest sporting events across the globe with previews, features, interviews and more. He has worked for Radio Times since 2019 and previously worked on the sport desk at Express.co.uk after starting his career writing features for What Culture. He achieved a first-class degree in Sports Journalism in 2014.
