[Trending News] Misery Worsens for 33YO ATP Pro as Injury Concerns Force 3rd Consecutive Withdrawal in Dubai

Grigor Dimitrov‘s 2025 season continues to get messy. The Bulgarian kickstarted at the Brisbane International, where he was the defending champion, but a hip and groin injury during the semifinal against Jiri Lehecka forced him to retire mid-match, setting a concerning tone for the year. Dimitrov’s woes continued at the Australian Open, where he retired from his first-round match against Francesco Passaro, citing a hip injury that left him unable to compete. It was his third consecutive Grand Slam retirement, a streak that began at Wimbledon 2024. However, it seems he’s caught between a rock and a hard place, struggling to regain his footing.

Dimitrov’s fortunes didn’t change at the ongoing Qatar Open either. He faced Be there legs again and was eliminated in the first round. The ATP tour moved to the Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championships and guess what? Dimitrov faced a setback there as well. He faced Christopher O’Connell, against whom he had a 3-0 head-to-head lead. However, injury struck again, forcing him to retire after losing the first set 6-0. “😰 Grigor Dimitrov retires after losing the first set 6-0 vs O’Connell in Dubai ❌ Grigor has now retired mid-match in 3 of his last 4 matches…,” a fan account posted on X, This raises alarm bells for the former world No. 3.

Back in 2017 when Dimitrov achieved a career-high ranking of 3, he won four titles at Brisbane, Sofia, Cincinnati, and the ATP Finals. His long title drought after that could be attributed to recurring injuries, including shoulder, back, and leg issues, which have impacted his performance and consistency. Not to mention that the ATP Tour’s increasing competitiveness has also posed a challenge.

Despite these hurdles, Dimitrov ended his title drought in 2024 by winning the Brisbane International. But his recent withdrawal streak concerns many who support the Bulgarian. The 33-year-old, however, keeps his fans regularly updated about his injury situations.

Grigor Dimitrov had a decent last season despite injuries

At Wimbledon,  Grigor Dimitrov faced Daniil Medvedev in the fourth round, but the match took an unfortunate turn when he slipped at 2-3 in the first set. After receiving a medical timeout for a knee issue, he continued for three more games before eventually stopping, allowing Medvedev to advance. Later, he revealed on social media that he had suffered an abductor tear in his left leg, necessitating a few weeks off.

In an Instagram update, Dimitrov wrote, “Hi Everyone-I wanted to give a little update on my end. After some tests and scans my doctor informed me that I have an abductor tear in my left leg I am going to need to take a little time off, but am already starting the rehab. Can’t thank you all enough for the nice notes of support over the past weeks. Looking forward to getting back out there!”

This injury was a blow to what had been a resurgent year for Dimitrov, who had returned to the top 10 in the ATP rankings for the first time in over five years. But setbacks aside, the Bulgarian had some notable successes in 2024. He won the Brisbane International, defeating Holger Rune in the final, and reached his third career ATP Masters 1000 final in Miami, though he lost to Jannik Sinner there. Additionally, he completed the career set of Grand Slam quarterfinals by reaching the last eight at the French Open. His momentum continued at the US Open, where he reached the quarterfinals, however, only to face another setback.

His match against Frances Tiafoe ended in an injury-stricken retirement due to a leg issue, with the scoreline at 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-3, 4-1 in Tiafoe’s favor. After the match, Dimitrov remained optimistic, saying, “I mean, for sure I take it and I hurt with it, yeah, you have to. I don’t want to just, like, brush it off, like, ‘That’s fine, no, I put it aside,’ Of course you want to be here and fight for the trophy, but, you know, there’s always a brighter future in that sense. So will I hurt? Yeah, for sure. Of course. And it should. But I just don’t want to just put it aside. I just want to also reassess myself and everything that I’ve been going through.”

This year, Dimitrov’s struggles with injuries continue. After his withdrawal from Dubai, will he snap back into shape anytime soon? What do you think?