Twelve months after he left Centre Court in tears, Grigor Dimitrov returned to Wimbledon and rewrote the ending — outplaying 15th seed Jakub Mensik in four sets to reach the third round, even as a closing roof threatened to drag him back into the past.
Key takeaways
- Dimitrov beat Czech 15th seed Jakub Mensik 7-6 (7-5) 4-6 7-5 6-3 to reach the Wimbledon third round.
- The win comes almost a year to the day after his tearful, injury-forced exit against Jannik Sinner.
- Now ranked 146th, the 35-year-old wildcard next faces Italy's Matteo Berrettini.
- Elsewhere, French Open champion Alexander Zverev cruised through and rates his title chances highly.
As Dimitrov closed in on another landmark victory on his return to Wimbledon, an unsettling sense of deja vu crept over him. Almost exactly a year after he was denied the chance to finish a stunning upset of world number one Jannik Sinner — leaving Centre Court in tears with a torn pectoral muscle — the roof began to edge shut, this time over Court One.
Back in 2025, before a 10-minute pause to close the Centre Court roof, the Bulgarian — long ago nicknamed "baby Fed" for the elegant echoes of Roger Federer in his game — had been producing his best tennis in years. On Thursday, as the wildcard bore down on Mensik, his mind flashed straight back to that defining night.
"I looked up four or five times, hoping I was going to finish the match before they decided to close the roof. It was almost like deja vu, but all you can do is smile. What happened in the past stays there, and I have to embrace what comes next — whether it is good or bad."
— Grigor Dimitrov
This time, there was no heartbreak. Roared on by a captivated crowd, the 35-year-old sealed a 7-6 (7-5) 4-6 7-5 6-3 win and a third-round meeting with Italy's Matteo Berrettini — then, as after his opening-round victory, became emotional addressing the fans.
"It's about conquering myself"
"I'm very emotional and a little overwhelmed. All I wanted to do was come out and fight — I didn't even think about winning or losing. The atmosphere was spectacular, as always. Coming to Wimbledon is extra special for me. The path here has been so difficult; it is all about conquering myself and playing tennis like I did today, regardless of the outcome."
— Grigor Dimitrov
Dimitrov has been candid about the physical and mental toll of the injury that ended his hopes against Sinner. The tear to his right pectoral muscle left him doubting whether he would ever fully recover, and because he initially struggled to process what had happened, the true weight of it only landed months later.
It was the fifth consecutive Grand Slam from which he had retired hurt, and he did not return to the tour until October. Missing last year's US Open ended a remarkable run of 58 straight Grand Slam appearances. Since then the former world number three — now down at 146th — lost in the first round of the Australian Open and fell in the opening round of French Open qualifying. Against that backdrop, beating a French Open semi-finalist like Mensik meant everything.
"It's really not about winning or losing for me — I am happy. This week has been the best week of the past 12 months, without a doubt. I was pushing myself on a daily basis; only I know what I've gone through these past months. I just try to stay in the moment as much as I can, embrace it, cherish it."
— Grigor Dimitrov
Zverev: a big Wimbledon run is "definitely possible"
Alexander Zverev believes a "big result" at Wimbledon is well within reach this year after storming into the third round with a commanding win over Valentin Royer. Having lost his first three major finals, the German finally broke through last month, beating Flavio Cobolli to claim the French Open — his first Grand Slam title — and he arrives at the All England Club with fresh belief, despite never having gone beyond the fourth round here.
"It builds confidence when you win in straight sets, especially at Wimbledon, where I am still waiting for a big result. If I continue playing like this, I think it is definitely possible this year."
— Alexander Zverev
After Royer held serve in the opening game, the second seed reeled off the next nine and offered nothing until a wobble — a double fault at 4-3 in the third — handed the 75th-ranked Frenchman a break. Royer forced a tie-break, but Zverev steadied himself to close out a 6-1 6-3 7-6 (7-3) win in just over two hours, setting up a third-round tie with America's Marcos Giron.
Elsewhere on Thursday, Taylor Fritz — who beat Zverev in last month's Halle Open final — arrived in his tailored pre-match suit before dispatching fellow American Patrick Kypson 6-2 6-2 7-5, while Australian fifth seed Alex de Minaur breezed past French veteran Adrian Mannarino 6-3 6-2 6-2.
