Paris — Grigor Dimitrov’s campaign at the 2025 French Open came to a premature and painful conclusion on Monday, as the 16th-seeded Bulgarian was forced to retire during his opening-round match against American qualifier Ethan Quinn.
The 33-year-old veteran cited an apparent thigh injury, marking his fourth consecutive withdrawal or absence from a Grand Slam tournament. Dimitrov, making his 15th appearance at Roland Garros and his 57th at a major, showed early promise against the 20-year-old Quinn, ranked 106th in the world.
After securing an early break in a marathon 14-minute game with a blistering forehand winner, Dimitrov surged to a 4-1 lead and eventually claimed the first set 6-2, closing it out after a netted return from his opponent.
However, the tide shifted in the second set. After fending off an early break point with a precise backhand down the line, Dimitrov called for a medical timeout due to pain in the back of his left thigh.
The break, coinciding with a short rain delay, lasted around ten minutes. Though he returned to the court and continued to compete, signs of discomfort were evident in his movement.
Despite the injury, Dimitrov remained resilient, breaking Quinn for a 3-1 lead with a powerful overhead smash. Limping between points, the Bulgarian managed to hold his serve and clinch the second set 6-3, appearing to regain momentum.
The third set, however, saw Dimitrov’s condition worsen. His serve lacked power and consistency, and his lateral movement was visibly hampered.
Still, he fought valiantly, saving multiple break points and leveling the set at 2-2. But the determined Quinn seized the opportunity, breaking Dimitrov in the sixth game and again two games later.
Trailing 2-6, 3-6, 2-5, Dimitrov approached the net after the changeover and signaled his retirement, drawing an empathetic round of applause from the Paris crowd.
“I gave everything I could,” Dimitrov later said in a brief statement. “Unfortunately, my body couldn’t hold up today.”
This marks another heartbreaking chapter in Dimitrov’s recent Grand Slam history. He missed both Wimbledon and the US Open in 2024 due to injury and withdrew from the Australian Open earlier this year.
Once ranked as high as World No. 3, Dimitrov has been battling persistent physical setbacks that have curtailed his attempts to reclaim top form.
For Ethan Quinn, the victory represents the biggest moment of his young career. The former NCAA champion, who entered the tournament through the qualifiers, will now face a second-round opponent with renewed confidence after outlasting one of the sport’s seasoned competitors.
As for Dimitrov, the hope remains that he will recover in time for the grass-court season and possibly make a long-awaited return at Wimbledon — if his body allows.
“I’ll keep working, keep fighting,” he added. “That’s all I can do right now.
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