Remember that electric night in Paris when the Italian flag hovered just inches from glory, as Jannik Sinner nearly toppled Carlos Alcaraz? That 5-hour, 29-minute marathon drained every drop of grit from Sinner, ending not in injury, but heartbreak. Fast forward to Wimbledon, and fate’s cruel irony strikes: this time, it is an almost-injury. After boldly firing his physiotherapist and fitness trainer just before the tournament, the timing couldn’t have been worse. Though luck favored him as he reached the last eight via his opponent’s withdrawal, a storm named Ben Shelton now looms, a test that may demand more than fortune can offer.

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner found himself in a Wimbledon thriller that twisted not just the scoreboard, but his physical condition too. Trailing by two sets against a red-hot Grigor Dimitrov, Sinner appeared on the ropes before fate took an unexpected turn. The Bulgarian, seeded 19th, suddenly collapsed to the turf in visible pain, clutching his right pectoral muscle. It marked a heartbreaking fifth consecutive Grand Slam retirement for the 34-year-old, his own body again undid the warrior spirit. But as Dimitrov limped out, Sinner’s escape wasn’t without cost.

The Italian ace, whose racquet has roared louder than anyone’s this year, also left Centre Court nursing his own battle scars. In the very first game, Sinner took a nasty tumble and instinctively reached out with his right arm to brace the fall. The pain was instant. Later in the match, he called for a medical timeout to receive treatment on his elbow, an injury that now threatens to overshadow his quarterfinal run. With a crucial MRI scan scheduled, the gravity of the damage remains uncertain, but the alarms are already ringing.

In his post-match press conference, Sinner opened up with stark honesty about the fall that’s rattled more than just his rhythm. “I mean, it happened very early in the match, you know, the first game, and it was a quite unfortunate fall. I checked the videos a little bit, and it didn’t seem like a tough one, but you know, I still felt it quite a lot, especially the serving forehand, so I could feel it. So, um, let’s see. Tomorrow, we are going to check to see how it is, and then we will see,” he said, his voice marked by a blend of concern and composure.

With his trusted physio absent after a pre-tournament shake-up, Sinner’s resilience now leans on ATP’s medical support. When asked about navigating injury without his own team, he responded, “Here they have good ATP physios. In any case, the doctor is good and as I said, tomorrow we’re going to check with you know MRI and to see if there’s something serious. And then we try to adjust it.” 

However, Sinner addressed the move with maturity and gratitude. “Nothing big happened,” he clarified. “We’ve reached incredible results in the past with them, so obviously huge thanks to them. We made some great (results), but I decided to do something different,” he said, closing one chapter and stepping into another with quiet confidence.

Panichi and Badio were brought in last September, following Sinner’s US Open triumph, to work alongside his coaching duo, Simone Vagnozzi and Darren Cahill. Their hiring came after Sinner let go of Umberto Ferrara and Giacomo Naldi because of their connections to two positive Clostebol tests at the 2024 Indian Wells, a dark cloud the Italian swiftly cleared.

Though the status of his current on-court injury remains under assessment, Sinner’s spirit hasn’t wavered.

In a heartfelt gesture, he also paid respect to his opponent yesterday, who, despite leading by two sets, couldn’t finish the battle to rewrite history.

Jannik Sinner reacts to Grigor Dimitrov’s injury withdrawal

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner found himself staring down the barrel of a shock exit as he trailed Grigor Dimitrov by two sets on Centre Court. But in a cruel twist, it was the Bulgarian, seeded 19th, who collapsed in agony, clutching his right pectoral muscle after a brief medical timeout. Forced to retire, Dimitrov marked his 5th straight Grand Slam exit due to injury. Meanwhile, Sinner advanced, becoming only the ninth man in the Open Era to reach seven consecutive Grand Slam quarter-finals. But amid the triumph, there was no celebration, only sorrow.

Sinner’s post-match focus wasn’t on records or rankings. After helping a devastated Dimitrov off the court, the 23-year-old returned for his on-court interview with nothing but empathy. “I don’t take this as a win at all, this is just an unfortunate moment for all of us to witness. He has struggled in the last Grand Slams with injuries a lot, so seeing him again with this injury is very tough,” Sinner said, his voice heavy with emotion.

He continued, reflecting on Dimitrov’s dedication. “We all saw by his reaction how much he cares about the sport. He is one of the hardest-working players on tour and it is very unfortunate.” Sinner’s respectful composure matched the sadness in the crowd only.

Before leaving the court, the Italian rallied the Centre Court faithful in a powerful tribute. “This is not the end we wanted to see and it’s very sad. We all wish him only the best,” he said, calling on the crowd to rise and applaud Dimitrov and his team.

Now, as the emotional dust settles, Sinner prepares for a fierce quarter-final clash against American powerhouse Ben Shelton tomorrow. One question lingers: who walks away with a semifinal ticket?

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