Twelve months ago, Grigor Dimitrov suffered one of the most devastating nights of his career at Wimbledon.
The 35-year-old Bulgarian left Centre Court in tears after he was forced to retire because of a pectoral injury when leading world number one Jannik Sinner by two sets last year.
From being on the verge of a spectacular victory, Dimitrov instead retired from a match at a fifth consecutive Grand Slam as physical issues continued to plague him.
The nature of the injury also left him doubting if he would ever fully recover.
This year, the emotions were very different.
Now back to full health, Dimitrov claimed a 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 7-5 win over Australia’s Dane Sweeny on a day the former Wimbledon semi-finalist said he would never forget.
Dimitrov, who remained on court signing autographs and posing for photos long after his win, told BBC Sport: “I just wanted to take it all in. I’m incredibly appreciative of the support I’ve had.
“I’m very grateful to Wimbledon for trusting me with a wildcard. That shows appreciation, and I felt a lot of love out there.
“At the same time, I don’t want to let people down. There are so many reasons why I play this sport, and that connection with the fans is a big one.
“Over a career, there are certain moments you always remember, and this will definitely be one of them.”
