Grigor Dimitrov Recalls Terrifying Injury He Suffered During Jannik Sinner Wimbledon Clash: “I Thought I had a Heart Problem”

Grigor Dimitrov was pretty close to causing a massive upset in last year’s Wimbledon when he took the first two sets off eventual champion Jannik Sinner in the fourth round. And at 2-2 in the third set, Dimitrov injured his right pectoral muscle and left the court in tears.

The Bulgarian ace is in Dublin for a Challenger tournament. He will be facing Chris Rodesch in his opening round. During a recent interview, Dimitrov recalled the brutal injury he suffered and what exactly he felt at that time.

I was playing incredible tennis against Jannik Sinner when suddenly the nightmare began. I kept telling myself: ‘Everything is fine, I’m in great shape.’ I felt like I was outside my body. I decided to serve one last time, just to check that everything was okay. But I heard that sound, I clearly felt a crack, then I saw the muscle move under the skin.

Grigor Dimitrov said (H/T: Tennis World Italia)

After surgery and recovery, he returned to the tour at the Paris Masters but was forced to hand the walkover to Daniil Medvedev in his second match. Dimitrov hasn’t made deep runs in the tournaments he has played this season. The former World No.3, in fact, had to play in the qualifying rounds at the French Open (lost his first match).

As I served, I had the sensation that my arm was at the other end of the court. That’s when I started to worry, because the pain was located more or less in the middle of my chest. I even thought I had a heart problem.

Grigor Dimitrov added

After the walkover from Dimitrov, Sinner went on to reach the final and defeated two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz to win his first title in a grass-court Major. Alcaraz will skip this year’s Wimbledon because of a wrist injury.

Boris Becker explains why Jannik Sinner is no longer the heavy favorite to win Wimbledon

Because of Carlos Alcaraz‘s absence, Jannik Sinner is backed by many to defend his Wimbledon title. But according to Boris Becker, the four-time Grand Slam champion will not enter Wimbledon as the heavy favorite, backing compatriot Alexander Zverev to win his career’s first title on grass in the third Major of the season.

Is he suddenly the favorite at Wimbledon? For me, yes. Alcaraz is injured, and with Sinner, no one knows how or when he’ll return. Sascha has the serve for grass-court tennis; with that serve, you’re already in the semifinals. Of course, he has to adapt. If he’s as far back on the return at Wimbledon as he was in Paris, it won’t work. But he has what it takes to triumph at Wimbledon, too.

Boris Becker told Eurosport

Zverev beat Flavio Cobolli in five sets to win his career’s first Grand Slam title at the French Open. But at Wimbledon, Sascha has never reached the quarterfinals. He has so far played three finals on grass.

Sinner’s campaign in Paris ended in the second round. Cramps saw him lose to Juan Manuel Cerundolo in a dramatic fashion, despite needing just one win to reach the third round.

While the French Open was Zverev’s first title of the season, Sinner has already lifted five titles this season. He won the first five Masters 1000s of the season, becoming the first man to do so, with his win at the Italian Open making him the second man, after Novak Djokovic, to complete the Career Golden Masters. Had Sinner won the French Open title, he would have become the seventh man in the Open Era to complete the Career Grand Slam.

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