Jannik Sinner made a subdued impression on Monday evening despite reaching the Wimbledon quarter-finals. The Italian was 2-0 down in sets when his opponent and friend Grigor Dimitrov had to retire injured. Sinner was also injured and must undergo an MRI scan.
After a fine ace in the third set, the 34-year-old Dimitrov immediately grabbed his pectoral muscle. He collapsed from the pain and plopped down on the grass. Sinner was the first to help his Bulgarian friend, but continuing to play was no longer an option for Dimitrov.
“I absolutely don’t consider this a victory,” Sinner said after helping Dimitrov off the field. “This is a painful moment for all of us. It is very difficult to see him injured again.” Sinner was visibly shocked by his opponent’s injury.
Afterwards, the 23-year-old Sinner announced that he himself had to fear an injury. In the first game of the match, the world number one fell on his right elbow. After a medical time-out, he resumed the match, but playing without pain was no longer possible.
“It didn’t seem like a hard blow, but I felt it quite a bit. Especially with the serve and the forehand. It was an unfortunate fall,” Sinner said at the press conference in London. “We have to wait and see if it is serious. Tomorrow (Tuesday, July 8, ed.) I will have an MRI scan. Then we will know more, but I am worried.”
Sinner will face Ben Shelton in the quarter-finals, who won against Lorenzo Sonego. The 22-year-old American is in the quarter-finals of Wimbledon for the first time in his career.