Grigor Dimitrov’s return to the Tour has been cut short after the Bulgarian was forced to pull out of his clash against Daniil Medvedev at the Paris Masters.
The former world No.3 returned to competitive tennis earlier this week for the first time since suffering a devastating injury at Wimbledon. At the grass-court major, Dimitrov was leading Jannik Sinner 6-3, 7-5, 2-2, before suffering a tear in his pectoral area, which forced him to retire from the match and sidelined him for weeks.
On the comeback trail in Paris, Dimitrov returned to winning ways with a convincing 7-6(5), 6-1 win over home favourite Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard on Monday. He also featured in the doubles tournament yesterday, where he played alongside Nicola Mahut, who was playing the last tournament of his career.
“It never happened to me, so I think I’m still trying to wrap my head around the whole time away from the court,” the 34-year-old said after beating Perricard. “It was never easy. I knew that coming to competition is just going to be a difficult task. I just wanted to come out and test myself, give myself a chance. I think winning or losing tonight, I still would have felt like I’ve given all I had. Of course, it’s very difficult to adjust, especially playing against a player like him. You have to be aware throughout the whole time and stay focused.
“It doesn’t matter how much experience you have. There’s always that added stress, especially after so many months away. But listen, it’s a good night. I’m taking it in and just going one day at a time at the moment.”
Despite his successful return, Dimitrov has now pulled out of the tournament. According to the ATP, his withdrawal is due to a shoulder injury, but no further details have been given. He is currently ranked 38th in the world.
As for the 11th seed, Medvedev, his next match will be against either Lorenzo Sonego or Lorenzo Musetti.
