Shocking scenes took over Center Court when former world number three Grigor Dimitrov suddenly slumped to the grass court holding his pectoral area in discomfort after holding serve with an ace in the third set.
The 9-time ATP titlist led top seed Jannik Sinner 6-3, 7-5, 2-2 at the moment he got injured, an unfortunate fate for the Bulgarian who showcased his A-game with brilliance throughout the match, battling for a place in the quarterfinals at the grass-court major.
Following a medical time-out, it became clear there was nothing the physio could do; his body had just failed him again, leaving no other option but to retire after two hours of play.
Sinner walked off the court by Dimitrov’s side, who tried to hold the tears in vain while receiving a standing ovation from the crowd, a classy gesture by the young Italian player.
Back on court for his interview, the world No. 1 commented: “I don’t know what to say. He is an incredible player, I think we all saw this today.
“He’s been so unlucky in the past couple of years. An incredible player and a good friend of mine, we understand each other very well off the court, too. Seeing him in this position, honestly, if there was a chance that he could play the next round, he would deserve it.”
Last season, the 34-year-old claimed his first title (Brisbane International) since 2017, cracking back in the Top 10 a couple of months later.
However, the physical struggles have prevented him from going even further - he withdrew from the last five majors and suffered early exits this season, falling in the Rankings to No.21.
Meanwhile, the No. 1 Italian progressed into the quarterfinals, but certainly not in the way he would have wanted.
“I don’t take this as a win at all,” the three-time Slam champion outlined. “This is just a very unfortunate moment to witness for all of us.
“I think already in the last Grand Slams he has struggled a lot with injuries, and seeing him now again having this kind of injury is very, very tough. We all saw this with his reaction, how much he cares about the sport. He’s one of the hardest-working players on tour, it’s very unfortunate.”
Sinner was made to work hard in a high-level matchup, conceding the first two sets to an opponent who came out firing, winning all the big points at the moment.
The San Candido native will next meet the 10th seed Ben Shelton.
The world No. 10 dug deep to overpower Lorenzo Sonego, recording a 3-6, 6-1, 7-6(1), 7-5 win in a dramatic three-hour clash, dropping his first set in the competition against the 30-year-old Italian.
The Roland-Garros finalist leads the American player 5-1 in their series; their most recent meeting took place at the Australian Open semifinal.