Jannik Sinner made it to the Wimbledon quarter-finals, but there’s a pretty big question mark hanging over whether he’ll actually be able to play his next match.
The world No. 1 advanced in the most unusual way possible. He was getting beaten badly by Grigor Dimitrov – down 3-6, 5-7, 2-2 – when the Bulgarian suddenly got injured and had to quit the match.
It was heartbreaking to watch.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jannik Sinner | 24 | 15,405 | 33 - 3 |
Dimitrov was close to tears as he walked off the court. The 34-year-old was on the verge of one of the biggest wins of his career, and thousands of fans at Wimbledon felt his pain.
But here’s the thing – Sinner was dealing with his own injury problems during that same match.
The Fall That Changed Everything
Early in the first set, Sinner took a nasty tumble while chasing down a ball. He hit the ground hard and seemed to hurt his right elbow pretty badly.
You could tell something was wrong. He kept shaking his arm between points and even took a medical timeout.
After his win – which didn’t really feel like a win – Sinner admitted the injury was bothering him big time.
"It happened very early in the match. First game. It was quite an unfortunate fall," he explained. "I checked the videos a little bit, and it didn’t seem like a tough one, but I still felt it quite a lot, especially on the serve and forehand."
Now here’s where it gets concerning.
Sinner’s getting an MRI to figure out exactly what’s wrong with his elbow. When a top player needs imaging tests, that usually means the injury is more serious than just a bruise.
The timing couldn’t be worse either. Sinner recently split with his longtime physiotherapist Marco Panichi and fitness trainer Ulises Badio.
So he’s dealing with a potential injury without his usual support team. Talk about bad luck.
Trusting the Wimbledon Medical Team
The 23-year-old Italian isn’t panicking though. He’s putting his faith in Wimbledon’s medical staff for now.
"Here, they have good ATP physios, in any case. The doctor’s good," Sinner said. "Tomorrow we are going to check with an MRI to see if there’s something serious, and then we’ll try to adjust it."
Before the injury drama took center stage, Sinner was actually getting outplayed by Dimitrov. The Bulgarian was serving lights-out tennis.
Dimitrov smashed 14 aces compared to Sinner’s measly four. That’s a huge difference at the professional level.
"He served incredibly well. Very precise, also very fast," Sinner admitted. "Changed up the game very very good. It was a bit breezy. He used the wind in the best possible way."
The match was turning into a masterclass from Dimitrov before injury struck.
What’s Next: Ben Shelton Awaits
If Sinner’s elbow holds up, he’ll face Ben Shelton in the quarter-finals. And guess what? Another player with a monster serve.
Sinner knows exactly what he’s in for.
"Return of the serve, for sure, is the first thing," he said about preparing for Shelton. "Obviously, he’s improved a lot from the back of the court. He had a great match against Carlos [Alcaraz] in Paris, too."
The two played at Wimbledon last year, and Sinner remembers it being really tough.
"I faced him last year here. It was a very, very difficult match. Let’s see what’s coming. It’s gonna be a problem in two days, no? Now I have to focus on other stuff first and hopefully be 100%."
That last part says it all. Sinner’s trying to stay optimistic, but he knows his health comes first.
The MRI results will probably determine whether we see the world No. 1 continue his Wimbledon run or if this bizarre tournament takes another unexpected turn.
With Dimitrov already out due to injury, tennis fans are hoping Sinner can recover in time. Losing both players from what was shaping up to be an incredible match would be pretty devastating for the sport.
