By Harry Poole, BBC Sport at Wimbledon
Wimbledon 2025 – All England Club, London

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner advanced to the Wimbledon quarter-finals on Monday night, but his victory came under heartbreaking circumstances as Grigor Dimitrov was forced to retire due to injury.

Sinner was trailing by two sets and facing elimination when Dimitrov collapsed in pain, clutching his right pectoral muscle early in the third set. The 34-year-old Bulgarian, seeded 19th, attempted to continue after a brief medical timeout but was unable to carry on.

It marked a devastating repeat of misfortune for Dimitrov, who has now had to retire injured in five consecutive Grand Slam tournaments.

Despite the milestone of reaching his seventh consecutive Grand Slam quarter-final, Sinner was in no mood to celebrate. The three-time major champion immediately assisted Dimitrov off the court and later returned alone for the post-match interview, visibly affected by the situation.

“I don’t take this as a win at all,” said Sinner. “This is just an unfortunate moment for everyone to witness. He’s struggled so much in recent Slams with injuries, and seeing this happen again is incredibly tough.”

“You could see by his reaction just how much he cares about this sport. Grigor is one of the hardest-working guys on tour. It’s really sad.”

The 23-year-old Italian paused to lead the Centre Court crowd in applauding Dimitrov and his team, adding:

“This isn’t the way anyone wants a match to end. We all wish him a full and speedy recovery.”

Sinner’s progression keeps his title hopes alive at SW19, but the emotional weight of Monday’s match will linger, especially for two athletes who share deep mutual respect—and for a crowd that witnessed the fragile side of elite sport.