'One of the most painful moments of my career': Grigor Dimitrov shares health update after Wimbledon retirement against Jannik Sinner

Grigor Dimitrov shared an update on his health status following his painful retirement in the middle of his match against Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon fourth round. The Bulgarian was on the verge of pulling off the upset of the tournament, leading two sets up against the World No. 1, but an injury prevented him from finishing the match.

The World No. 21 was having a great run at SW19, reaching the fourth round while dropping just one set throughout the tournament. In his match against Sinner, he took the first two sets (6-3, 7-5) and was serving at 2-2 in the third when he suffered discomfort in his right pectoral, which ultimately forced him out of the tournament.

Dimitrov has had particularly bad luck in his Grand Slam appearances recently, as he has now had five consecutive main draw withdrawals due to injury. He suffered them this year in the first rounds of the Australian Open and French Open, and last year he had similar issues in the Wimbledon fourth round and the US Open quarterfinals.

The former World No. 3 had to undergo surgery after the injury and announced that he will fight to return to the courts, in addition to updating on his health status. "Sometimes the heart wants to keep going… but the universe has a different plan for us," he posted on Instagram. "Having to withdraw from this match at Wimbledon was one of the most painful moments of my career."

"Thank you for the overwhelming wave of love — from family, friends, fans, colleagues, to the entire tennis community… your messages have genuinely lifted me through these hard times. Thank you all. Truly. Recovery starts now. I’ll see you all soon."

Dimitrov received support from several of his colleagues, including Diego Schwartzman, Sabine Lisicki, Jakub Mensik, and Denis Shapovalov, who gathered in the comments of the post to send their support and well wishes to the 34-year-old tennis player.