Wimbledon star who retired in tears with horror injury wins in 68 minutes on return

Grigor Dimitrov made a winning return to competition at the Brisbane International on Tuesday, needing just 68 minutes to dispatch fellow former top-10 star Pablo Carreno Busta 6-3 6-2. Dimitrov suffered a heartbreaking injury at Wimbledon last summer while leading eventual champion Jannik Sinner by two sets to love, and retired in tears.

It was Dimitrov’s fifth successive retirement at a Grand Slam tournament, and the former world No. 3 did not compete again until the Paris Masters in October. But he played and won just one match before withdrawing from the tournament, citing an injury.

After cutting his comeback short, Dimitrov looked back to his brilliant best as he started his season in Brisbane, where he is a two-time former champion. The Bulgarian fired down seven aces and dropped just 11 points on his serve as he advanced to the second round in a little over an hour.

“[It’s] wonderful. Honestly, it is so good to see you guys. Starting the year here is always so special for me. I think it has been a bit of a rough goal but I am just grateful, that’s about it,” Dimitrov beamed as he addressed the crowd inside the Pat Rafter Arena.

“These months have been very, very difficult in terms of preparation, mentality. My body, just so much that I had to go through, but just to be able to compete again today, it is already a success, and of course winning is just an added bonus right now. Again, I am feeling good, I was feeling well on the court, so, little by little, let’s see how we go.”

Dimitrov won the Brisbane International in 2017 and 2024, and is making his 10th appearance at the tournament. And the 34-year-old was delighted to be back in a place that meant so much to him.

“It’s all worth it. I’m telling you, whatever it is, it’s all worth it. Even coming into the stadium, let alone coming to play in front of you guys. I think, with each year that is passing by, I feel more and more humbled with the support that I get all around the world,” he added.

“Starting here every year has proven to be a very good omen for me. I always feel fantastic, even if I’m not feeling too well, I feel fantastic regardless, coming out onto the court. So you guys are helping me a lot and really, just playing again in front of you, it means everything to me, so hopefully I can keep on going and produce some more tennis for you all. Thank you for the support.”

Dimitrov will now face tricky Belgian star Raphael Collignon as he continues his comeback. “Right now, I’m just running my own race at my own pace as well, so I’m doing a lot of things very different. After so many years on tour, I have to adjust,” the former world No. 3 said after advancing to the second round.

“Everything is evolving, the sport is evolving, the players are evolving, I’m getting older, so there’s too many components! But I feel that is also part of the beauty in what we do and I think, as an athlete, you always have to overcome challenges on a daily basis. I think that’s what makes it so much more special, and then being able to play in front of the crowd, to the true fans of the game, it kind of multiplies for me.”