Bulgaria’s top tennis player, Grigor Dimitrov, will miss the upcoming US Open due to a partial tear of his pectoralis major muscle, his manager Georgi Stoimenov confirmed. The Grand Slam tournament, scheduled from August 24 to September 7 in New York, will proceed without the World No. 20, ending his remarkable streak of 58 consecutive Grand Slam appearances.
Injury Sustained at Wimbledon Ends Grand Slam Streak
Dimitrov’s injury occurred on July 7 during his fourth-round match against world No. 1 Jannik Sinner at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships. Despite leading Sinner two sets to love (6-3, 7-5) and being tied 2-2 in the third set, Dimitrov was forced to retire after suffering the tear during a service game. This marked his fifth consecutive withdrawal from a Grand Slam tournament due to injury, a concerning pattern for the veteran player.
A History of Grand Slam Withdrawals
The Wimbledon incident is the latest in a series of unfortunate retirements for Dimitrov at major tournaments. He also retired from his first-round match at Roland Garros in late May, despite holding a two-set lead. Earlier in 2025, he was forced to retire from his first-round match at the Australian Open. Looking back to 2024, Dimitrov retired from his US Open quarter-final match against Frances Tiafoe while up two sets to one, and also withdrew from his Round of 16 match against Daniil Medvedev at Wimbledon 2024. This consistent bad luck with injuries has been a source of frustration for the player and his fans.
Recovery and Future Outlook
Initial reports from Bulgarian outlet Tennis Kafe, citing Dimitrov’s manager, Georgi Stoimenov, indicated that the injury was a partial tear rather than a full one, sparking optimism for a return in just over a month. While this prognosis initially suggested he might be ready for the US Open with rehabilitation, recent confirmations from Stoimenov on TennisKafe.com state that a full recovery in time for the tournament is unfeasible.
Dimitrov has already missed Masters 1000 events in Toronto and Cincinnati as part of his recovery. The focus now shifts to his rehabilitation, with hopes that Dimitrov will be able to return for tournaments in China in late September and early October, as his condition is being actively monitored. His coach, Jamie Delgado, has expressed concern that the mental recovery from these repeated setbacks might be more challenging than the physical healing process.
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