Jannik Sinner caught a break that may have helped him advance to the Wimbledon quarterfinals on Monday, but the world’s No. 1 player certainly did not celebrate it.
Sinner appeared to be in danger of being eliminated at Wimbledon after he dropped the first two sets of his match against Grigor Dimitrov, but Dimitrov was unable to make it past the third set. The Bulgarian was forced to retire from play due to an injured pectoral muscle, which allowed Sinner to automatically advance.
Sinner put his arm around Dimitrov and wished him well as the two exited the court.
A sight we never want to see.
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 7, 2025
Grigor Dimitrov is forced to retire while leading two sets to love. Everyone at #Wimbledon is wishing you a speedy recovery, Grigor 💚💜 pic.twitter.com/qBwiMbq3e2
After the match, Sinner called Dimitrov an “incredible player. Sinner said he does not feel like he beat his opponent.
“Seeing him in this position, honestly if there would be a chance that he would play the next round, he would deserve it. Mostly, I hope he has a speedy recovery,” Sinner said. “Very, very unlucky from his side. 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."
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 7, 2025
Jannik Sinner was full of respect for his friend Grigor Dimitrov after he was forced to retire.#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/bQTsxUM8Mu
Sinner also shared a photo on X that showed him arm-in-arm with Dimitrov.
“Get well soon, my friend. Wishing you all the best,” Sinner wrote.
Get well soon, my friend. Wishing you all the best ❤️🩹 @GrigorDimitrov pic.twitter.com/pKvd9hnDOB
— Jannik Sinner (@janniksin) July 7, 2025
It remains to be seen if Sinner can make a deep run at Wimbledon, as he is not fully healthy, either. He hurt his elbow after falling during the first game against Dimitrov and said he is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Tuesday.
Sinner is a month removed from a French Open final that is widely considered to be one of the greatest tennis matches of all time, though he is likely not happy with the way he lost to Carlos Alcaraz.
