French Open: Grand Slam Curse Haunts Ex-US Open Semifinalist as Injury Woes Cause Mayhem

After a strong start to last season, Grigor Dimitrov has hit a rough patch. He kicked off 2024 by winning the Brisbane International. Then, he reached the quarterfinals at both Roland Garros—his best result at this Grand Slam—and the US Open. It looked like a breakthrough year for the Bulgarian. With high hopes for more success this season, all eyes were on him! But a hip injury forced him to retire in the first round of the 2025 Australian Open. Early exits followed at other tournaments. Now, as he enters the French Open, his troubles seem far from over.

On Tuesday, Dimitrov was set to face American Ethan Quinn in the first round. He took the first two sets 6-2, 6-3 with ease. Then, trouble struck in the third set. He called for a medical timeout, clearly in pain. Ultimately, he couldn’t continue. Dimitrov lost the third set and retired from the match. As Olly Tennis highlighted on X, “NOOOOO 😢 🇧🇬 Grigor Dimitrov retires for a FOURTH consecutive Grand Slam, this time due to a thigh issue.”

This isn’t new. He retired in round one at the Australian Open against Francesco Passaro because of that hip injury. Last year, he also retired from the US Open quarterfinals against Frances Tiafoe. He was trailing 3-6, 7-6(5), 3-6, and 1-4 when he walked to the net. After the match, Dimitrov said, “I think it’s a combination of everything.” He had just won a grueling three-hour, 39-minute, five-set match against Andrey Rublev.

Before that, at Wimbledon, Dimitrov slipped at 2-3 in the first set. He took a medical timeout for a knee issue. Although he played three more games, he was unable to go on and stopped after 35 minutes. Now with this exit from the French Open, it’s hard to say what’s next for the Bulgarian.

He just can’t seem to catch a break. A Grand Slam title still eludes him after 16 years. It’s undoubtedly a tough pill to swallow. Will he come back with renewed energy for the grass courts? Only time will tell.

However, he’s been candid about his withdrawals and how he feels about them in the past. When he retired from the quarterfinals at the 2024 US Open, he noted he’s unable to pinpoint the true reason this happens.

Grigor Dimitrov opens up about his journey with walkovers

Last year, when he pulled out of his match against Frances, Grigor was refreshingly honest. In a post-match press conference, he said, “I can’t be precise. What I have to do is calm down a little bit and find out what’s going on, explore myself and everything else. I think in the moment I’m in, there’s no point in risking anything.” True to his word, he has always been a fighter but knows when to respect his limits.

Before that, Dimitrov showed some serious fire throughout 2024. He kicked off the year by winning the Brisbane International—his first title since 2017. He then made it to the finals of the Miami Open, beating top 10 players like Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev. His strong form carried into the clay season, where he reached his career-best French Open quarterfinal against Jannik Sinner.

Despite these highs, Dimitrov has struggled with injuries, retiring from several Grand Slam matches, including Wimbledon 2024. These setbacks highlight his ongoing battle with his body, even as his game shows signs of a strong comeback. “I’ve always pushed myself and my body to the limit, but there are moments when you have to make a decision and execute it like I did today,” he added.

In 2025, Grigor Dimitrov reached the Miami Open semifinals, thrilling fans with a tough win over Francisco Cerundolo before falling to Novak Djokovic. He kept up the momentum on clay with a quarterfinal run in Monte Carlo and a fourth-round appearance in Madrid. However, his streak ended early at the Italian Open with a second-round loss to Francesco Passaro.

Now, all eyes are on how he bounces back—could Wimbledon’s grass courts be the perfect stage for a fresh start? Share your thoughts in the comments below!