Grigor Dimitrov tackled Jakub Menšík in his second-round clash at Wimbledon to clinch a remarkable win. After dropping the second set, the 35-year-old responded strongly and sealed the win by taking the next two in a row. But the win on Court 1 was overshadowed by his tense exchange with the umpire, which triggered memories of his heartbreaking loss to Jannik Sinner last year.

“We knew that we’re not going to finish the match. Just a question: why didn’t we start closing the roof during the set?” Dimitrov asked the chair umpire during the third set yesterday, as the retractable roof on Court 1 had to be closed due to darkness. “Now it’s like a similar issue to last year. My point is that if you see that you know it’s not going to finish, it doesn’t harm both of the players to start closing the roof, right?” Dimitrov explained.

“It’s like déjà vu. From last year it was the same thing. When I was on Center, we knew it was not going to finish, and we kept on having the court open. I don’t think it’s fair for both players. I just feel you’re warm; everything is good. Now in 10 minutes we need to come back and hit some balls and start serving again at 124 mph,” the 35-year-old added.

It took 10 minutes for the roof to close. But that was enough to trigger the former world No. 3’s concern, which was rooted in what happened last year during his SW19 fourth-round meeting against Jannik Sinner. Then the match was stopped for 13 minutes at the Centre Court so the roof could be closed, even though both players had already settled into the contest.

The sudden pause ended up becoming a major turning point in that match, as Dimitrov, who had been in control and was leading by two sets. He lost his momentum after the stoppage, and things got even worse for him soon after. The nine-time ATP Tour-level title winner suffered a serious pectoral muscle injury and was forced to retire from the match despite being in a commanding position.

It was a brutal end to what had looked like one of his biggest SW19 chances. The Italian top seed, who had been close to defeat against Dimitrov, eventually went on to win the SW19 title.

His injury has often been linked to that interruption til now, as his coach has shared similar concerns over the issue.

Jamie Delgado opens up on Grigor Dimitrov’s injury incident

For the 35-year-old, though, the damage did not stop with that retirement last year. The injury kept him away from the court for a significant period, and it badly disrupted his season as well.

Since then, the Bulgarian has been trying to work his way back. The former SW19 semi-finalist is slowly regaining form now, but the scars from that Wimbledon setback clearly remain with him.

Even his coach, Jamie Delgado, who recently rejoined his team after their split in September 2025, opened up about how the player had viewed that injury incident. “Grigor actually – after the match – was [saying he was] liking when the roof went on, because he actually felt it got a little bit warmer in there, and his body loosened up a little bit more, even more than it was,” the 49-year-old Brit said last year in an interview with the BBC.

His remarks were also a response to a tweet posted by former world No. 1 Andy Murray before Dimitrov picked up the injury. The Scot strongly questioned the decision to close the roof at that point in the match.

“So ridiculous to close the roof at this stage of the match. At least an hour of light left….well over a set of tennis can still be played. It’s an outdoor tournament!” Murray wrote on his X.

However, Dimitrov has now made a solid start to his All-England Club campaign this year after receiving a wildcard into the main draw. Next up, the 35-year-old is set to face former world No. 6 Matteo Berrettini in the third round. Their head-to-head currently stands level at 1-1, which makes the clash look even more interesting.