Things could have turned out so differently this year for Grigor Dimitrov, who has just been dealt another disappointing blow. The Bulgarian veteran was set to cause a huge shock at Wimbledon after winning the first two sets of his match with Jannik Sinner, before disaster struck.
The 34-year-old tore his pectoral muscle while serving at the start of the third. Immediately, he winced in pain before going down on the turf. In emotional scenes, Dimitrov was then seen by medical staff before confirming his tournament was over.
He was then forced to watch from afar as Sinner went on to win the Grand Slam, beating Carlos Alcaraz in the final. Dimitrov has now been forced to withdraw from next month’s US Open.
His manager, Georgi Stoimenov, confirmed the news. Not only is the world No.20 being forced to miss Flushing Meadows, where he made the semi-final in 2019, but his remarkable Grand Slam run is also over.
Dimitrov has made 58 consecutive appearances at majors, a record that dates back to the 2011 Australian Open. It’s a stat that no current player on the ATP Tour can match.
Dimitrov also now faces a race against time to play at the Shanghai Masters, which begins on September 25. The event in China gets underway the following week.
Sign up here to receive all the latest tennis and Wimbledon news straight to your inbox.
After his injury against Sinner, Dimitrov posted a photo on social media from his hospital bed, and vowed to come back. He wrote: “Having to withdraw from Wimbledon was one of the most heartbreaking moments of my career.
“Thank you for the overwhelming wave of love, your messages have genuinely lifted me through these hard times. Recovery starts now. I’ll see you all soon.”