Dimitrov beats Berrettini in five sets, reaches Wimbledon fourth round
Synopsis
Ranked 146th and playing as a wild card, Grigor Dimitrov returned to the Centre Court stage where a pectoral injury ended his 2025 campaign — and this time left a winner. His five-set defeat of Matteo Berrettini sets up a rare all-wild-card fourth-round clash with Arthur Fery, only the fourth such occurrence in Grand Slam history.
Key Takeaways
Grigor Dimitrov defeated Matteo Berrettini 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 5-7, 6-3 in 3 hours 32 minutes to reach the Wimbledon fourth round on 5 July .
Dimitrov was returning to Centre Court for the first time since retiring injured against Jannik Sinner in the 2025 fourth round .
146 , Dimitrov is competing as a wild card at SW19.
He will next face fellow wild card Arthur Fery , making it only the fourth time two wild cards have reached a Grand Slam Round of 16.
The last such occurrence was Roland Garros 2002 , featuring Arnaud Di Pasquale and Paul-Henri Mathieu .
Grigor Dimitrov turned last year's heartbreak at Wimbledon into a statement of resilience on 5 July, outlasting 2021 finalist Matteo Berrettini of Italy in a gruelling five-set contest to advance to the fourth round at the All England Club in London. The Bulgarian prevailed 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 5-7, 6-3 in a match lasting three hours and 32 minutes.
A Redemption Story on Centre Court
The win carried particular weight for Dimitrov, who was returning to Centre Court for the first time since he was forced to retire in last year's fourth round against Jannik Sinner — leading by two sets — after suffering a devastating pectoral injury. This time, he sealed the victory and raised his arms in disbelief as the crowd responded.
'After last year, the way I exited, I would have never known what would have happened,' Dimitrov said in his on-court interview. 'But guess what? I am back here and able to rewrite everything... I am just trying. It is not [only] about winning or losing, it is about overcoming every obstacle that I have in front of me,' he said, according to the ATP Tour.
A Rocky Road Back to the Tour
Dimitrov's comeback since the injury has been far from smooth. He did not return to the ATP Tour until late October in Paris, where he withdrew before his second-round match. The 35-year-old managed only two tour-level wins through mid-June 2026. In the lead-up to Wimbledon, he picked up two wins at the ATP Challenger in Dublin and reached the quarterfinals at the ATP 250 event in Mallorca — modest form that he has elevated sharply on grass.
Ranked No. 146 in the ATP Rankings and competing as a wild card, Dimitrov has now secured back-to-back wins at SW19, defying his seeding status at every step.
How the Match Unfolded
Dimitrov came out aggressively on Saturday, dictating rallies with sharp serving and clean ball-striking to build a two-set lead. Berrettini, a proven grass-court performer, fought back to level the match and force a fifth set. Dimitrov broke the Italian's serve once in the decider to close out the contest, extending his ATP head-to-head lead over Berrettini to 2-1.
Two Wild Cards in the Round of 16
Dimitrov will next face fellow wild card Arthur Fery, who also advanced through a five-set marathon on the same day, defeating Zizou Bergs 2-6, 7-5, 2-6, 7-6(3), 7-6(10-5) in four hours and 39 minutes — reaching the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time.
Notably, this marks only the fourth occasion in Grand Slam history that two wild cards have reached the Round of 16, and the first since Roland Garros 2002, when Arnaud Di Pasquale and Paul-Henri Mathieu achieved the same feat. The Dimitrov–Fery fourth-round clash promises to be one of the more unusual — and compelling — matches of the fortnight.
Point of View
But the bigger tennis narrative is structural: wild cards are increasingly competitive at majors, a sign that the ATP's ranking system and injury-replacement pathways are creating more volatility at the top of draws. Berrettini, himself a former finalist at SW19, losing to a 146-ranked opponent underscores how unpredictable grass-court tennis remains. The Dimitrov–Fery fourth-round match — two wild cards, neither expected to be here — will be a genuine test of whether either man has the depth to go further, or whether the draw's chaos ends there.
NationPress
5 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the score in Dimitrov vs Berrettini at Wimbledon 2026?
Grigor Dimitrov defeated Matteo Berrettini 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 5-7, 6-3 in their third-round match at Wimbledon on 5 July 2026. The match lasted three hours and 32 minutes.
Why is Dimitrov's Wimbledon 2026 run significant?
Dimitrov is competing as a wild card ranked No. 146, having spent much of the past year recovering from a pectoral injury that forced him to retire mid-match at Wimbledon 2025. His run to the fourth round is considered one of the comeback stories of the tournament.
Who does Dimitrov play in the Wimbledon fourth round?
Dimitrov will face fellow wild card Arthur Fery in the fourth round. Fery advanced by defeating Zizou Bergs 2-6, 7-5, 2-6, 7-6(3), 7-6(10-5) in four hours and 39 minutes on the same day.
How rare is it for two wild cards to reach the Grand Slam Round of 16?
It is extremely rare — this is only the fourth time in Grand Slam history that two wild cards have reached the Round of 16. The last instance was Roland Garros 2002, when Arnaud Di Pasquale and Paul-Henri Mathieu both advanced to the fourth round.
What was Dimitrov's form like heading into Wimbledon 2026?
Dimitrov had managed only two tour-level wins through mid-June 2026 following his injury comeback. He improved his form at the ATP Challenger in Dublin and reached the quarterfinals at the ATP 250 in Mallorca before carrying that momentum into Wimbledon.
