Wimbledon Shock: Injured Grigor Dimitrov Retires While Leading Jannik Sinner by Two Sets

In a heart-wrenching turn of events at Wimbledon 2025, Bulgarian tennis star Grigor Dimitrov was forced to retire due to a pectoral injury while holding a commanding two-set lead over World No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the Round of 16. The emotional Centre Court clash ended unexpectedly as Dimitrov, visibly in pain, brought his Wimbledon campaign to a tearful end.

The match had been a high-quality battle from the start, with Dimitrov playing inspired tennis, capturing the first two sets 6-3, 7-5. Just when it looked like a major upset was on the cards, disaster struck in the third set. At 2-2, Dimitrov knifed a backhand volley and immediately clutched his right pectoral muscle, collapsing in discomfort.

Despite attempting to carry on after receiving a medical evaluation, Dimitrov eventually made the difficult decision to retire, handing Sinner a bittersweet victory with the official score: 3-6, 5-7, 2-2 (retired).

Sinner: “I Don’t Take This as a Win”

In a touching show of sportsmanship, Sinner rushed to check on Dimitrov as he sat down holding his chest. Speaking after the match, the Italian top seed expressed his admiration and empathy:

“He is an incredible player. We all saw this today,” said Sinner. “He’s been so unlucky in the past couple of years. I don’t take this as a win at all. This is just a very unfortunate moment to witness for all of us.”

Ironically, Sinner himself had earlier suffered a scare, taking a hard fall that impacted his right elbow, requiring a medical timeout. Though he continued, Sinner admitted he would have to assess the injury ahead of his next match.

“I could feel it. So let’s see. Tomorrow we are going to check how it is, and then we see,” he told reporters.

A Cruel Fifth Retirement for Dimitrov

For Dimitrov, this marks a fifth retirement at a Grand Slam in his past five appearances — a cruel blow for the 34-year-old, who was playing some of his best tennis in recent years. As he walked off Centre Court in tears, he received a standing ovation from the Wimbledon crowd who recognized both his efforts and misfortune.

What’s Next for Sinner?

With the win, Jannik Sinner moves into the quarterfinals where he will face Ben Shelton. The Italian will hope his elbow holds up as the intensity of the tournament ramps up. Last year, Sinner beat Shelton in the Round of 16 before falling to Daniil Medvedev in an epic five-set encounter.

As fans continue to follow the Wimbledon 2025 live scores and updates, Dimitrov’s withdrawal becomes one of the most emotional storylines of the tournament so far — a reminder of how brutal and unpredictable Grand Slam tennis can be.