Home
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner remains alive in the 2025 Wimbledon Championships, but not without a scare. The Italian sensation, who had cruised through his first three rounds with record-setting dominance, found himself in real trouble during his fourth-round clash against Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov.
Dimitrov, a seasoned campaigner and former Wimbledon semi-finalist, stormed through the first two sets, leaving Sinner looking unusually unsettled on Centre Court. Just when it appeared the Italian might be on the brink of a shock exit, fate intervened. Dimitrov suffered a painful injury during the third set and was forced to retire, allowing Sinner to progress to the quarterfinals—albeit under dramatic and controversial circumstances.
"Jannik Sinner is going to get a stern talking to"
Reacting to the tense fourth-round encounter, former American tennis star and Wimbledon semifinalist Sam Querrey didn’t hold back in his analysis. Speaking on the latest episode of Nothing Major, Querrey offered an insider’s perspective on what might have happened behind closed doors following Sinner’s shaky performance.
“Jannik Sinner is going to get a stern talking to in the locker room tonight,” Querrey said.
“He is going to get in trouble from coach [Darren] Cahill and then just come out firing.”
The sharp critique highlights how far Sinner fell below his usual standards. Querrey suggested the Italian’s camp, led by veteran coach Darren Cahill, would be quick to address the lack of intensity and focus that nearly cost Sinner a place in the final eight.
Eyes on Shelton clash
With a quarterfinal showdown against big-serving American Ben Shelton looming, all eyes are now on how Sinner responds. Querrey believes that the scare against Dimitrov could actually work in Sinner’s favor, jolting him back into form.
“It is a tough one because Sinner can just get Ben’s serve back in play and just pepper Ben’s backhand on both sides,” he noted.
Querrey’s co-host, fellow American Steve Johnson, echoed the confidence in Jannik Sinner, but also expressed sympathy for Shelton, who has faced top-seeded opponents in every Grand Slam quarterfinal he’s reached so far.
“This is his fifth quarter-final, and he has played the number one or two ranked guy every time,” Johnson said.
While both former pros agree Sinner had an off day, they predict a much sharper and more aggressive version of the Italian will show up for the next round.
“Sinner obviously not escaping this one by his own means, but he has got a couple of tough sets out of his system,” Johnson added.
“You feel for Grigor [Dimitrov], but you are not going to see that slow of a start from Sinner in the next round.”
Can Sinner deliver when it matters most?
As Jannik Sinner prepares for his quarterfinal clash, the pressure is squarely on his shoulders to prove that his near-collapse was a blip—not a trend. With pundits calling for a locker-room reckoning and fans expecting a championship-worthy response, the next match could define Sinner’s Wimbledon campaign.
ADVERTISEMENT
