Grigor Dimitrov‘s 2025 season continues to get rocky. The Bulgarian kickstarted at the Brisbane International, where he was the defending champion, due to a hip and groin injury during his semifinal against Jiri Lehecka. This forced him to retire mid-match, setting a concerning tone for the year. Dimitrov’s woes continued at the Australian Open. He retired from his first-round match against Francesco Passaro, citing a hip injury that left him unable to compete. This was his third consecutive Grand Slam retirement, a streak that began at Wimbledon 2024. However, it seems like he’s caught between a rock and a hard place, struggling to regain his footing.
Despite a brief chance to rebound at the Qatar Open, Dimitrov’s fortunes didn’t improve. He faced Jiri Lehecka again and was eliminated in the first round. The ATP tour moved to the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, but Dimitrov’s luck didn’t change. 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. As Olly Tennis noted on X, “ 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…” This raises alarm bells for the former world No. 3.
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…
@quindicizero pic.twitter.com/J0ZF6cRLit
— Olly Tennis (@Olly_Tennis_) February 25, 2025
That year he won four titles at Brisbane, Sofia, Cincinnati and the ATP Finals. But Dimitrov’s title drought since 2017 can 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 broke his drought in 2024 by winning the Brisbane International. But looking at his recent withdrawal streak, it seems to concern many who support the Bulgarian. In the meantime, fans will have to wait for his thoughts on how these injuries are affecting his game.
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