John McEnroe has revealed that he kept in regular contact with Grigor Dimitrov after the Bulgarian suffered a devastating pectoral tear during his fourth-round Wimbledon match against Jannik Sinner last year. The injury required surgery and forced Dimitrov to retire from the match despite holding a two-set lead over the eventual champion.
McEnroe's Supportive Messages
Speaking during Dimitrov's fourth-round match against Britain's Arthur Fery on Monday, McEnroe disclosed his ongoing communication with the former world No. 3. "I texted him a couple of times throughout the year to ask, 'How're you doing?'" McEnroe said. "He ended up coming back too soon and that led to a lack of confidence. He started so poorly the year. It's been so tough these past 11 months. He's finally starting to see some results."
The 67-year-old McEnroe, known for his fiery temperament and racket-smashing during his playing career, rarely admits to contacting current players. His fondness for Dimitrov was evident as he shared details of their exchanges.
Dimitrov's Struggles and Comeback
Dimitrov, 35, has battled form and fitness since his return, dropping to No. 146 in the world rankings. He received a wildcard to enter this year's Wimbledon and showed signs of his old self by reaching the fourth round, including a victory over No. 15 seed Jakub Mensik.
McEnroe's Early Departure
McEnroe did not stay for the entire five-set thriller, leaving after the second set. BBC commentator Andrew Cotter told viewers: "I think we're going to have to bid farewell at this point. John McEnroe to take a break, never to return." McEnroe replied: "Well, hopefully I'll return, but I've got contractual obligations to do the lone American in the draw, Taylor Fritz. He's maybe the slight favourite to get to the final on this half. I'm sure Bublik, Zverev and others may have a say about that. You guys call a great rest of the match."
Match Outcome
Dimitrov eventually fell to a five-set loss against Fery, with the Brit taking the final set 10-7 on a tie-breaker to set up a quarter-final clash against Flavio Cobolli.
