Dimitrov most recently retired from the first round of the French Open with a thigh injury while holding a 6-2, 6-3, 2-6 lead over American Ethan Quinn. He retired from Wimbledon in the fourth round in 2024 with an abductor tear. He trailed Daniil Medvedev, 5-3, in the first set at the time of that injury.

Dimitrov was playing fantastic tennis, running Sinner around the court and delivering booming serves. Dimitrov won the first set 6-3 and survived a hard-charging comeback attempt from the Italian in the second to take the set 7-5 and put the world No. 1 in a desperate position.

THE ALL ENGLAND CLUB, LONDON — World No. 1 Jannik Sinner was on the precipice of a fourth-round exit from Wimbledon when he ended up on the receiving end of the absolute worst kind of good luck in sports.