Jannik Sinner said he could not accept his progress to the Wimbledon quarter-finals “as a win” after a tearful Grigor Dimitrov was forced to retire in an emotional end to their match.
World number one Sinner was staring at the prospect of a shock defeat as he trailed Dimitrov by two sets when the Bulgarian 19th seed dropped to the floor in pain.
The 34-year-old Dimitrov, who has now been forced to retire in each of his past five Grand Slam appearances, clenched his right pectoral muscle and could not continue following a short medical timeout.
Italy’s Sinner, a three-time major winner, has become only the ninth man in the Open era to reach seven consecutive Grand Slam quarter-finals.
But that was not an achievement he felt that he could celebrate on Centre Court on Monday night, instead concerned only with his friend’s wellbeing after a heartbreaking conclusion.
Sinner, who reappeared for his on-court interview after assisting a devastated Dimitrov off the court, said: “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.
“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.”
The 23-year-old added, before calling on the crowd to join him in applauding Dimitrov and his team: “This is not the end we wanted to see and it’s very sad. We all wish him only the best.”