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.”