Fact-check: Did Jannik Sinner smile while Grigor Dimitrov broke down in tears after brutal Wimbledon injury? Looking into the viral claim

A viral claim about Jannik Sinner smiling while Grigor Dimitrov broke down in tears due to injury during their Wimbledon clash has left the tennis world shocked. Let's take a deeper look at the claim and find out if there is any truth to it.

On Monday, July 7, Dimitrov took on the World No. 1 in a Wimbledon fourth-round clash on Center Court. The Bulgarian looked in phenomenal touch, winning the first two sets. He was on his way to earning a famous win before disaster struck.

In the third set, the Bulgarian showed signs of a muscle issue in his right arm during the fourth game. He served an ace to level the set 2-2 but fell to the ground holding his right pectoral muscle in pain. The 19th seed left the court for treatment but returned in tears, unable to continue.

A shocking claim on X alleged that Jannik Sinner was seen smiling while Grigor Dimitrov was receiving medical treatment on court. An edited image accompanying the post quickly went viral, garnering over 100,000 views. However, the claim is entirely false.

The image in question was digitally altered. Several users shared the original, unedited version in the comments, calling out the misinformation and urging the poster to refrain from spreading false news.

Sinner was spotted consoling the 34-year-old after the latter teared up due to his injury. This marked the fifth consecutive time Dimitrov has retired mid-match from a Grand Slam event.

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Jannik Sinner had kind words for Grigor Dimitrov after Bulgarian's Wimbledon heartbreak

Jannik Sinner and Grigor Dimitrov at The Championships - Wimbledon 2025 - Source: Getty

Jannik Sinner was on the verge of losing his fourth-round Wimbledon match against Grigor Dimitrov 3-6, 5-7, 2-2 before the Bulgarian retired mid-match due to a right pectoral muscle issue.

The Italian lauded his opponent during his post-match interview and claimed that the Bulgarian would have deserved to play the next round.

"Honestly I don't know what to say... He is an incredible player, I think we all saw this today. He's been so unlucky in the past couple of years. An incredible player, a good friend of mine also, we understand each other very well off the court too," Jannik Sinner said.

"Seeing him in this position, honestly, if there would be a chance that he could play the next round, he would deserve it," he added.

Up next, for the World No. 1, is a potential high-octane clash against Ben Shelton in the quarterfinal at SW19. Shelton, ranked No. 10, carved his path through the draw with a clinical win over Lorenzo Sonego, becoming the youngest American in a Wimbledon quarter-final since Andy Roddick in 2004.

The pair hold a lopsided head-to-head of 5-1 in Sinner’s favor, including a 6-2, 6-4, 7-6(9) victory in their only grass-court encounter during the 2024 Wimbledon Championships. Their Australian Open semifinal in January saw Sinner win in straight sets as well, further underlining the Italian’s upper hand.