John McEnroe has shown his true colours by revealing that he regularly kept in contact with Grigor Dimitrov. The BBC pundit disclosed his support for the Bulgarian during commentary at this year's Wimbledon Championships.
Dimitrov's Devastating Injury
Dimitrov endured a devastating pectoral tear during his fourth-round Wimbledon encounter with Jannik Sinner last year. The Bulgarian held a two-set advantage over the eventual champion when the injury forced him to retire from the match. He went directly to hospital and underwent surgery within days.
The 35-year-old's comeback from the injury has seen him battle with form and fitness throughout the past year. He has tumbled to No. 146 in the world rankings. Dimitrov was awarded a wildcard to participate in this year's Championships and at last began to resemble his former self as he advanced to the fourth round, defeating No. 15 seed Jakub Mensik along the way.
McEnroe's Text Messages Revealed
Speaking on BBC commentary during Dimitrov's match against British wildcard Arthur Fery on Monday evening, McEnroe explained: "I texted him a couple of times throughout the year to ask, 'How're you doing?' He ended up coming back too soon, and that led to a lack of confidence. He started so poorly the year. It's been so tough these past 11 months. He's finally starting to see some results."
McEnroe was not afraid to show his emotions during his playing career, leading to him frequently destroying his rackets. But he has now demonstrated his softer side. The 67-year-old seldom admits to communicating with the current generation of stars, but his fondness for Dimitrov is evident.
McEnroe's Departure from Commentary
McEnroe's remarks arrived early in the opening set, though he was unable to remain for the entirety of the five-set epic as he had to leave partway through. "I think we're going to have to bid farewell at this point," BBC commentator Andrew Cotter informed viewers following the second set. "John McEnroe to take a break, never to return."
McEnroe responded: "Well, hopefully I'll return, but I've got contractual obligations to do the lone American in the draw, Taylor Fritz. He's maybe the slight favourite to get to the final on this half. I'm sure Bublik, Zverev and others may have a say about that. You guys call a great rest of the match."
Fery's Victory
The five-set thriller on centre court saw Fery come out on top with a 10-7 tie-breaker victory in the fifth set, much to the delight of the majority of the crowd. The win sets up a quarter-final match vs Italian Flavio Cobolli, who Fery beat in the Australian Open earlier this year.
