Grigor Dimitrov‘s injury struggles just don’t seem to end at this point. After recently deciding to return to the Challenger circuit, the Bulgarian received a wildcard to play in Porto. Due to this, he had even been training in Portugal for the last few days. But he eventually had to withdraw from the event at the last moment because of a fresh injury setback.

Dimitrov has suffered an injury to his left knee. This setback has also raised questions about his participation in the upcoming events. Currently ranked No. 127, the withdrawal won’t just affect Dimitrov but the tournament as a whole. This is because he was supposed to be the headline act of the event.

The veteran was scheduled to take on Daniel Rincon in the Round of 32. But that match has now been cancelled, and Rincon will be facing Fausto Tabacco. Dimitrov’s luck with injuries just keeps on getting worse. This is the second setback he has sustained in less than two months.

Previously, Dimitrov had sustained bursitis in July, right before the North American hard-court swing. This resulted in his withdrawal from the Mifel Tennis Open, where he was supposed to face Moise Kouame in the first round. Bad luck with injuries has played a major role in his underwhelming results.

Dimitrov has a win-loss record of 9-14 on the ATP Tour this season and has barely made deep runs in any tournament. The 35-year-old’s best result came at Wimbledon, where he reached the Round of 16 before eventually getting defeated by Arthur Fery. He has played frequently in Challenger events this year, desperately trying to regain his form.

But things haven’t quite worked out, as his North American swing also proved to be quite a disappointment. Dimitrov suffered a first-round exit against Sebastian Baez at the Cincinnati Masters. He then entered the qualifying rounds at the US Open and defied the odds to reach the main draw. But his campaign wouldn’t go any further as Alexei Popyrin defeated him 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.

Dimitrov decided to return to the Challenger circuit after this result. He played in the event in Saint-Tropez but suffered an exit in the Round of 32 to Edas Butvilas. Though his results may have deteriorated seriously this year, Dimitrov is far from done with tennis and feels that he still has a few years to give to the sport.

Grigor Dimitrov isn’t ready to hang up his boots just yet

Dimitrov had recently admitted that he is grateful to still have the opportunity to compete at the highest level.

“I am just super grateful about that, and I am trying to stay in the present moment, which is the most important thing for me right now,” he said, speaking to Bolavip. “Of course, I still have some years left in me to play, but for me being able to still do what I do and giving myself that chance is huge for me.”

Dimitrov also believes that he owes a debt of gratitude to his fans, who have supported him through thick and thin. With no points to defend for the rest of the season, the veteran appeared relaxed and happy to be able to pick his tournaments on his own terms.

“I cannot emphasize enough that I am running my own race now,” he said in the same interaction.

However, the latest injury setback in Portugal has halted all of Dimitrov’s plans. With not a lot of tournaments remaining on the season’s calendar, he will now have to focus on recovering as soon as possible. He will be hoping that there is nothing serious about his injury so that he can still feature in a few tournaments before the season ends.