Bad luck strikes Dimitrov and he withdraws when he had Sinner against the ropes

Andrés Tomás Rico | 7 Jul 2025 | 22.08

Bad luck strikes Dimitrov and he withdraws when he had Sinner against the ropes. Photo: Getty Images

Streaming ATP Hamburg live tennis

🎾 Luciano Darderi vs Yannick Hanfmann

Sign up with Bet365 here
Make your first deposit of at least €5
Go to the “Live” section and watch every match

Watch the match on Bet365

The worst thing that could happen in a tennis match occurred. When Grigor Dimitrov was just a few games away from confirming the biggest surprise of this Wimbledon, his pectoral muscle gave out. Once again, bad luck and misfortune strike an exceptional player who has never been free from injuries. He was playing a perfect match, leading against Jannik Sinner 6-3, 7-5, 2-2, but life, sometimes, is that cruel. Thus, the world number one, who had been struggling with his elbow since a fall in the first game of the match, escapes from a situation where he was nearly out of the London Grand Slam. Sinner had nothing to celebrate and will need to recover quickly before his quarter-final duel against Ben Shelton.

In the last match of a thrilling day at the Tennis Cathedral, nobody was aware of what would happen a couple of hours later. But, towards the end of the evening, Sinner and Dimitrov took the stage. Two players with completely different styles. While the Italian is all about speed and frenzy without discretion, the Bulgarian is all about elegance and artistry, as if he were a player from another era that is now endangered.

Dimitrov arrived at Wimbledon after a very inconsistent 2025 season due to injuries. Forced to retire early in the Australian Open and Roland Garros, he had his first chance to enjoy himself, and where better than on the London grass courts. Moreover, with the opportunity to reach his second quarter-final.

Perhaps this is why he came out firing in his match against the world number one. The 34-year-old player had nothing to lose and surprised everyone by breaking Sinner's serve and going up 3-0. With a very effective serve and his touch of magic, he found a way to trouble the Italian, who for the first time in the tournament was under pressure.

That early break helped Dimitrov secure a very quick first set (6-3), which raised concerns for the world number one, aware that he had to take today's match very seriously.

Sinner's elbow was bruised, setting off alarms

But Sinner remained stunned and surprised by the Bulgarian's inspiration and once again lost his serve, this time to love, in the first game of the second set. The world number one did not react, and his game was off: the first serve was not going in, his footwork was heavier than usual, and he was not hitting the ball cleanly. However, everything had a reason: he requested a medical timeout for elbow discomfort resulting from a slip at the start of the match.

His expression while receiving treatment was not entirely hopeful; he was uncomfortable, and the situation of the match urged him to react because Dimitrov was not lowering his level, threatening to take the second set. The Bulgarian was a serving machine, but when he served to go up by two sets, doubts arose, and his serve deserted him. Sinner seized that opportunity to break back and level the score at 5-5. The Italian shouted like seldom seen before, but it was only a temporary mirage because Dimitrov was playing an excellent tennis match, and these opportunities only come once in a lifetime. Thus, he broke once again and clinched the second set (7-5), shattering all predictions and raising all alarms in the Centre Court: The world number one was on the brink of elimination.

Besides trying to raise his game and hoping for Dimitrov to drop his, there was another element the world number one could hold on to: the time limit. Before the start of the third set, there were two and a half effective hours of play left. If he could prolong the match, there was a high likelihood of having to finish it the next day, something that would benefit the Italian.

A painful shoulder injury ends Dimitrov's feat

The roof had closed, and the conditions had changed, but Dimitrov was still close to achieving his goal. However, suddenly, the worst happened. On a serve that put the score at 2-2, the Bulgarian injured his pectoral muscle, and the Centre Court fell into deafening silence. Luck once again targeted poor Grigor, who, amidst tears and with Sinner's support, was forced to retire in a match where he was on the brink of perfection to secure one of the victories of his life. Meanwhile, the world number one narrowly escapes a critical situation, though his elbow issues need close attention. He won't have much time to recover as another powerhouse, Ben Shelton, awaits in the quarter-finals. Meanwhile, the harshness of injuries once again takes its toll on Dimitrov at a time that could have been unforgettable, and it will be for that painful injury.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, La mala suerte se ceba con Dimitrov y se retira cuando tenía a Sinner contra las cuerdas