Grigor Dimitrov injury update: Tennis star 'learns potential return date' after retirement derailed Wimbledon upset against world No 1 Jannik Sinner
Dimitrov was two sets up against world No 1 Jannik Sinner in the last-16 stage when he was forced to retire with the scores level at 2-2 in the third.
He first held his pec after hitting a volley long on his serve in the fourth game of the set. And even though he then struck an ace to win the game, he clutched his pec and dropped to the floor, before the Bulgarian was sadly unable to continue.
Dimitrov left Centre Court in tears to the dismay of the crowd after Wimbledon became the fifth Grand Slam in succession that he had been forced to retire from due to injury.
And on Tuesday, his manager Georgi Stoimenov gave an update to Bulgarian outlet Tenniskafe on his fitness and revealed how long the 34-year-old is set to be out for.
Stoimenov confirmed that the Bulgarian has a partial tear of his pec, which was determined after examination and consultation with highly regarded doctors.
As a result of his issue, Dimitrov is set to miss three upcoming tournaments.
This includes a clay event in Bostad, Sweden, and two Masters tournaments in Toronto and Cincinnati.
The initial prognosis is that Dimitrov should be ready for the US Open, although with that tournament starting in just six weeks on August 24, Dimitrov will be hoping his recovery goes fully to plan to ensure he can enter the final Grand Slam of the year in good shape.
Meanwhile, after Dimitrov's retirement, he has been dubbed in some quarters as 'Wimbledon's unluckiest loser'.
And following the match, Dimitrovs actress partner Eiza Gonzalez sent him a touching message on social media.
Posting to her 8million followers on Instagram, Gonzalez, 35, wrote: 'Love of my life. I couldn't be more proud of you. You are BEYOND outstanding.
'This is just a moment that will pass and make you even stronger. But watching you today alongside the world was a reminder of who YOU are.
'You're a winner. We all saw it. And you'll do it again. I love you @grigordimitrov.'
Gomez, who is also a singer, has starred in the likes of Fountain of Youth, Ambulance, Godzilla vs Kong and Mr & Mrs Smith during her acting career.
The couple went public with their relationship in May, and Gonzalez has described the tennis star as 'the man of my dreams'. Dimitrov previously dated former tennis star Maria Sharapova between 2013 and 2015.
Elsewhere, Sinner was also magnanimous after his victory and expressed sympathy for his opponent when he spoke in his on-court interview.
'I don't know what to say,' admitted Sinner. 'He is an incredible player. We all saw this today.
'He is a good friend of mine. Seeing him in this position, if there was a chance he could play the next round, he would deserve it.
'I don't take this as a win at all. This is just a very unfortunate moment to witness for all of us.
'In the last Grand Slams he struggled with injuries and seeing him again with this injury is very tough.
'We all saw this with his reaction how much he cares about the sport. This is not the end we wanted to see. It is very sad. We wish him only the best.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald Scotland
38 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Story not done yet, says emotional Leah Williamson as England celebrate Euro win
The moment was not lost on Williamson as she held back tears among the revelry, less than 48 hours after the Lionesses retained their European Championship crown by beating Spain in the Basel final on penalties. The England captain said: 'I'm holding back tears. I've been crying all the way down the Mall. This is unbelievable and it's one of the best things we've ever been a part of so thanks for coming out. 'Everything we do, we do it for us and our team but we do it for the country and young girls. This job never existed 30 or 40 years ago and we're making history every single step. Stay with us, this story is not done yet.' England showed incredible defiance throughout the tournament, from bouncing back from their opening defeat to France and demonstrating their never-say-die attitude in the knockout stages. They trailed 2-0 in the quarters to Sweden and 1-0 to Italy in the semis as well as going behind in the showpiece against Spain only to battle back to make sure they kept the trophy they won three years ago. Williamson told the crowd: 'There's lots of ways to win a football match and we repeatedly did it the hard way. England players gathered on the steps of the Victoria Memorial during their homecoming victory parade (Yui Mok/PA) 'But you can see how much we care about playing for England and how much we love it – 2022 was a fairy tale but this feels really hard-earned and we're very proud of ourselves so thank you and we hope you are, too. 'The first game maybe rocked us a little bit but I just think we're special people and we love each other, we've got each others' back on and off the pitch. We had tough moments, nasty things to deal with and still we rise.' It was a third consecutive European Championship crown for England head coach Sarina Wiegman, who led the Netherlands to glory in 2017. She said: 'It was chaos. I hoped a little less chaos but they didn't keep their promise to finish things quicker! We just kept having hope and belief and they just showed up when it was really necessary and urgent. 'There is a huge talent pool in this team. In 2022 we had great bonding but I think that made the absolute difference now: everyone was ready to step up and support each other. It was amazing to be a part of.' Goalkeeper Hannah Hampton was so instrumental in keeping Spain at bay in a 1-1 draw as well as the 3-1 final shootout success. Asked what she was thinking ahead of penalties, she replied: 'Just do whatever I can for the team – they ran around for 120 minutes and I've got it easy just standing still in my own 18-yard box.' She added: 'Don't let people tell you what you can and can't do. If you've got a dream and you really believe it, go out and do it. I did it. 'I got told many times that I'm not good enough and I shouldn't be playing football from the start. Keep doing it and if it makes you happy, go follow that smile.' Teenager Michelle Agyemang was named best young player of the tournament after scoring late levellers in England's quarter-final against Sweden and then Italy in the semis. The 19-year-old said: 'I don't know what to say. It's surreal, it doesn't seem real seeing people down there. It's crazy to see what we've done and be here today.' The talismanic Lucy Bronze added: 'This moment is unbelievable. We did it three years ago but to do it again and to come back to this is just incredible.' Asked how this party compared to three years ago, Bronze replied: 'I don't remember.'
Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Eugenie Bouchard delays retirement with first win in two years as she prepares to quit tennis for different sport
Bouchard was previously involved in a lengthy lawsuit with one of tennis' biggest institutions UN-BOU-LIEVABLE Eugenie Bouchard delays retirement with first win in two years as she prepares to quit tennis for different sport Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) PIN-UP Eugenie Bouchard has delayed her retirement plans by at least one more match after making a winning return in her home city. The 2014 Wimbledon runner-up will lay down her tennis racquet and transfer her skills to pickleball after the conclusion of the National Bank Open in Montreal. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 Eugenie Bouchard delayed her retirement by beating Emiliana Arango last night Credit: AP 6 Bouchard, 31, was overwhelmed at the support she received Credit: AP Fans gathered on Monday night thinking they might get the chance to say goodbye to Bouchard, who was once one of the top players on the WTA circuit. More people have gotten to know her in recent years from stunning beach swimsuit photoshoots – the most famous was for Sports Illustrated – than from tennis appearances. Since her heyday, she has faded from the competitive arena and slumped to 1,062 in the world rankings due to inactivity. The 31-year-old chose this event as the best chance to say her proper farewells to the sport – she was given a wildcard by organisers – but she has managed to extend the party for a few more days. READ MORE TENNIS hot water Tennis star slapped with 12-YEAR ban and three suspended in corruption scandal The Montreal-born player won a gripping three-setter 6-4 2-6 6-2 over two hours and 14 minutes against Colombian world No82 Emiliana Arango at the IGA Stadium. The place was rocking as she marked her first WTA victory since 2023 – and first success in her home city since 2016. This was also her second singles match this year. And she will now prepare to face Switzerland's former Olympics champion Belinda Bencic in round two on Wednesday. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK 6 Bouchard has built a huge social media following Credit: Instagram / @geniebouchard 6 The former Wimbledon finalist is transitioning to pickleball Credit: Instagram / @geniebouchard Bouchard – named after the Duke of York, Prince Andrew's younger daughter Princess Eugenie – said: 'I didn't know what to expect. 'I woke up this morning just telling myself: 'Look, I can't control the result.' Former Wimbledon finalist makes shock comeback to tennis after unranked star turned pro in different sport 'I just want to have a good attitude, have good fight, and try to feel good with my shots, feel good with my game. 'No matter what happens, I wanted to walk off the court having enjoyed that kind of gritty battle, and it definitely turned into one of those battles. 'I enjoyed every second of it. 'There were definitely moments where I had to kind of almost block out the noise and just pretend it was a normal point that just happened. 'And just keep going because the crowd was very loud out there, and I really, really appreciated it.' HISTORY MAKER Eleven years ago, Bouchard became the first player to represent Canada to reach a Grand Slam singles final. She was crushed 6-3 6-0 by Czech player Petra Kvitova in the Wimbledon final on Centre Court. That same season she made the semi-finals of the Australian Open and French Open and reached the Last 16 of the US Open. Two years ago, she achieved a career high by helping Canada win the Billie Jean King Cup Final in Seville. Her career has been derailed by inconsistent play and injury, which included a serious shoulder surgery that kept her off the court for 17 months between 2021-2022. There was also a lengthy lawsuit against the United States Tennis Association (USTA) after she suffered a concussion when she slipped and fell in a US Open locker room in 2015. In February 2018, a jury decided Bouchard was partially at fault – it determined the USTA was 75 per cent to blame for the incident, with Bouchard 25 per cent to blame. 6 Bouchard was in great spirits after her win Credit: Getty
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
England Lionesses pair told they could earn as much as Emma Raducanu as stars bank £87k
After England Lionesses won the European Championship for the second time in a row, two players in the squad are expected to have many brands lining up to endorse them, similarly to Emma Raducanu England Lionesses' stars Hannah Hampton and Chloe Kelly have been told they could rake in as much cash from endorsements as British tennis ace Emma Raducanu. Hampton and Kelly were the two standout heroes in the European Championship final triumph against Spain for Sarina Wiegman's side, particularly in the penalty shootout. Hampton, 24, saved spot-kicks from Mariona Caldentey and Aitana Bonmati, while Kelly, 27, set up Alessia Russo's equaliser in the 90 minutes, before smashing home the decisive penalty to secure another trophy for the Lionesses. Kelly, who plays for Arsenal, already has a reported net worth of around £2.3million, courtesy of lucrative endorsement deals with big names like Calvin Klein, Nike and many more. The latter deal was inked after she celebrated her winning goal against Germany in 2022 by revealing a Nike sports bra. Meanwhile, Hampton, who stepped in to became England's No. 1 after Mary Earps retired from representing the Lionesses, is also expected to ride a similar wave of endorsement opportunities. All members of the victorious Lionesses squad will pocket £87,000 each as their share of the UEFA prize money. However, it's suggested that Hampton and Kelly could see their wealth skyrocket through endorsements, mirroring the financial success of Raducanu after her US Open triumph as a teenager in 2021. The tennis sensation banked £10.5m in 2024 - predominantly through brand partnerships and sponsorship agreements - and is understood to have a net worth of around £10m. Speaking to The i Paper, media analyst Alex DeGroote reckons Kelly and Hampton could have similar financial success. Salaries in the FA Women's Super League (FAWSL) remain considerably lower than Premier League wages, with Chelsea striker Sam Kerr topping the table in the women's game with her £417,000 annual earnings. In the division, players earning less than £100,000 a year is not unusual. Though DeGroote doesn't expect FAWSL wages to climb dramatically anytime soon, he anticipates a surge in commercial opportunities. After describing Raducanu's £10.5m endorsement haul as a "benchmark" for Hampton and Kelly alike, the media expert said: "Kelly will not find it easy to improve her sports salary. "But endorsements are a different story. I would imagine her agents will want to nail down her brand attributes and then find it easy to sell her to brand advertisers in areas like fashion, cosmetics and financial services." Beyond their tournament performances, both players' personal journeys are expected to strike a chord with fans. Hampton, who represents Chelsea women, underwent operations to fix severe childhood eye conditions and was repeatedly warned she'd never reach football's elite level. She's also reportedly lined up for an interview with fashion publication Elle, where she will likely open up about her journey. Professor Ellis Cashmore, author of Celebrity Culture, also reckons the relatability and down-to-earth nature of Kelly, Hampton and the rest of their colleagues, will make them a massive hit with fans. Cashmore said: "Fans want relatable celebrity athletes. Chloe, Hannah and co. could easily be standing next to you at the Lidl checkout and you feel you could just strike up a conversation and they'd be totally natural. "This makes them perfect for advertisers and large-scale corporations. This tournament has been an inflection moment for women's football. "The amount sponsors have invested in the sport and the individual players confirms that the sport has sped off on a new trajectory. McDonalds, Amazon, Samsung, all geared to the Gen Z market, were big advertisers during ITV games."
