LONDON — Jannik Sinner has surged into the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, overcoming a painful right elbow injury sustained during his very first game. Though he initially fell behind Grigor Dimitrov, losing the first two sets, the match ended abruptly when Dimitrov withdrew in the third set due to a troublesome pectoral muscle.
Sinner shared that he will undergo an MRI on Tuesday to investigate the extent of his elbow injury, expressing in Italian, “There is some concern.”
The top-seeded Sinner had previously swept through the tournament without dropping a set, but he found himself trailing the 19th seed, Dimitrov, 6-3, 7-5. However, at 2-all in the third set, Dimitrov halted the match.
This marks the fifth consecutive Grand Slam event where the 34-year-old Dimitrov has been unable to finish a match. He experienced similar outcomes at the Australian Open, the French Open, as well as at last year’s Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.
“He’s faced so much bad luck these past couple of years. An incredible talent and a close friend. We have a great understanding of each other, both on and off the court,” Sinner remarked. “I genuinely wish him a quick recovery.”
On the final point against Sinner, Dimitrov served but immediately grasped his chest with his left hand. He took a few cautious steps before bending over and sitting down on the grass. Sinner approached to check on him.
“My pec,” Dimitrov informed Sinner.
Dimitrov, a three-time Grand Slam semifinalist including a memorable run at Wimbledon in 2014, then moved to the sidelines where a trainer and doctor assessed him. Sinner knelt nearby, supporting his friend. After a brief delay, Dimitrov exited towards the locker room with medical staff.
He soon returned to announce that he could not continue.
“I don’t see this as a win at all,” Sinner stated. “It’s just an unfortunate situation for everyone to witness.”
Earlier in the match, Sinner himself had found trouble when he slipped on the seventh point, bracing himself with his right hand as he fell to the ground, gripping his racket all the while.
During a medical timeout while trailing 3-2 in the second set, tension hung in the air as a trainer tended to Sinner’s elbow. His coaches, Darren Cahill and Simone Vagnozzi, watched with concern from their box.
After taking a pill, Sinner resumed play, visibly shaking his right arm and rubbing his elbow between points.
Now at 23, the Italian three-time Grand Slam champion gears up to face the United States’ No. 10 seed, Ben Shelton, for a place in the semifinals. Sinner leads their head-to-head record 5-1, having claimed victories in their last five encounters, all in straight sets including at last year’s Wimbledon and the 2023 Australian Open.
Before facing Dimitrov, Sinner had only surrendered 17 games in total during this tournament, tying the Open era record for the fewest games lost by a male player at Wimbledon through three completed matches.
Shortly after falling behind two sets to Dimitrov, the match was paused as the stadium’s retractable roof was closed due to dwindling daylight.
Two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray voiced his disapproval of this decision, taking to social media to express, “So ridiculous to close the roof at this stage of the match. There’s at least an hour of light left… over a full set of tennis could still be played… it’s an outdoor tournament!”
About thirty minutes later, the match concluded.
