Grigor Dimitrov provides fitness update ahead of Wimbledon match vs Jannik Sinner after admitting he ‘lives with’ injury

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Grigor Dimitrov, at least, is enjoying a solid run of form and fitness at Wimbledon after the latter has been so sparse for him in recent months.

The 34-year-old’s body has routinely failed him at crucial moments across the last year, forcing a player of his prodigious talent to regularly retire from matches.

His pre-Wimbledon preparation at Queen’s was cancelled, just after he was forced to quit midway through his Roland Garros opener whilst two sets to one up.

In Monte Carlo, a hampered Dimitrov lost 6-0, 6-0 to Alex De Minaur, just over a month after he had retired in Dubai after losing the first set of that match 6-0.

These are just a handful of recent examples, with the affable tennis star having exited the first two Grand Slams of the year early due to injury.

Naturally, it was the overwhelming topic of conversation as he confirmed his spot in the second week at Wimbledon.

Grigor Dimitrov makes honest admission about his injury

First, speaking about his next opponent Jannik Sinner, the Bulgarian claimed: ‘I’m here to play. As I’ve said, I feel great, and after three matches to be where I’m at physically, really gives me a good, yeah, positive and I can’t wait to get out there and play my game. 

‘That’s all I want, is to put myself in those types of positions, to, yeah, to get out there and play against, I mean, these guys right now. This is the most, in a way, the most important thing for me. I’ve put a lot of work in prior to the tournament. I had to make some decisions that, you know, it put me in a very good spot, I think.

‘I mean, he’s been the best player in the world. Especially over the course of the past year and a half, too, you can appreciate his consistency, I would say the most on the court and being able to execute without a single doubt in his game.

‘So I think that’s enough [laughs].’

Then asked about his fitness, Dimitrov claimed: ’I don’t want to put a number to, you know, vary. Like I don’t want to be saying, okay, this is I’m at that level, at the moment, I feel great.

‘I’m pain-free. I’ve done quite a sufficient amount of work before the tournament began. So as I said overall, every day, it’s been positive, and I feel like I’m building all that, which makes me, I think, not only happy but excited for what’s to come.’

Grigor Dimitrov’s last five retirements

He finished by stating: ’It’s a very fine line, to be honest with you. Some days it’s inevitable just because you wake up and you feel something, but this is also a place where I’m entering in my career that I have to accept the fact that there’s going to be something every single day.

‘So I live with it, and I’m okay with it. And as long as I’ve gone to work, match, tennis tournament or whatever it is, and I’ve given 100% of myself, then I’ve done my duty.’

Can Grigor Dimitrov trouble Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon?

Dimitrov is a player inundated with quality and, on his day, can trouble anyone on the tour.

Sadly, his day has been far less frequent of late, mainly due to those recurring physical issues.

There have fortunately been no signs of that this week though, breezing through his first three matches to set up a clash with Jannik Sinner, the world number one.

Dimitrov certainly has the guile and talent to trouble the Italian, and if he can summon the match of his life, there’s no reason why he can’t complete the ultimate upset.

That being said, he has lost his last four meetings against the 23-year-old, with his only win coming over five years ago. It’s fair to say that he has only regressed since then, too, whilst Sinner has been practicing with Aryna Sabalenka, which should have only aided his preparation.

It will take something miraculous for Dimitrov to upset Sinner, but stranger things have happened. When you have the skillset that this iconic veteran does, you always have a chance.