👋 Welcome back to The Daily Theory, our morning rundown to help you stay on top of your favorite sport. I’m Allen McDuffee, your guide to all things tennis.

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Let’s tennis!

Four Points

🎾 The cruelty: Grigor Dimitrov was up two sets to love on Jannik Sinner and just hit an ace to hold and even the third set at 2-all when he fell to the grass holding his pectoral muscle. In an instant, he knew that his brilliant Wimbledon run was over. He left the court briefly for a medical timeout, hoping there was some kind of miracle that would allow him to continue, but he returned in tears only to retire. Heartbreaking doesn’t even begin to describe these events.

  • What he said: “I don’t take this as a win at all. This is just a very unfortunate moment to witness for all of us. I think already in the last Grand Slams he has struggled a lot with injuries, and seeing him now again having this kind of injury is very, very tough,” said Sinner. “We all saw this with his reaction, how much he cares about the sport. He’s one of the most hardworking players on tour, and it’s very unfortunate.”
  • Silence: No word from Grigor Dimitrov. But that’s not entirely surprising. He rarely speaks directly to his fans on matters like these.
  • Yes, but: Things weren’t so great on the other side of the net on the health front. Sinner was also struggling with his elbow after awkwardly falling in the first set. The world number one said it affected his serve and his forehand. He’s set to receive an MRI on Tuesday.

🎾 Still settling in: Mirra Andreeva may be number seven in the world, but her round of 16 win over Emma Navarro on Monday showed just how much she’s still a teenager and new to this world — a reminder of the lightness our sport has in it.

  • On playing in front of Roger Federer: “I really tried my best not to look over there. I knew as soon I would look there, I would completely lose my focus. So I did, at 4-1,” she told the crowd. “I saw Roger and Mirka. Honestly, it means a lot to me that you came and watched my match. It’s been one of my dreams to see you in real life...Just wanted to say real quick Mirka, you look very pretty. I really like your outfit.”
  • On not realizing she won the match: “Honestly, I just kept telling myself that I’m facing break points. I tried to tell myself that I’m not the one who is up on the score, I’m the one who is down,” Andreeva said after the match. “In the end, I completely forgot the score. I’m happy that I did it because I think that [otherwise] I would be three times more nervous on the match point.”
  • Next: Andreeva faces Belinda Bencic in the quarterfinals.
  • On Monday: When the next rankings come out, Andreeva will likely reach the top five. The only thing that could keep her from it is the most outstanding performance from Amanda Anisimova.

🎾 Bitter, party of one? Bitter?: Marin Cilic wasn’t too happy with Wimbledon organizers for scheduling his fourth-round match against Flavio Cobolli at 11:00 on Monday.

  • The beef: Cilic complained he had to warm up indoors because Wimbledon practice courts weren’t available until 9:30 and the court for his match was still soft from the rain overnight.
  • What he said: “I don’t like to speak about the conditions. Okay, I lost and everything. I have to accept it,” Cilic said. “But I feel bitter because why is there a need to play at 11?” He added: “It’s raining overnight, and the court was quite soft. It was really difficult to play on. You just push the ball in the middle of the court, and the ball just stays super low. It was just a struggle.”
  • Yes, but: Isn’t that low bounce a super advantage to the type of ball Cilic hits? Or does he just not like the taste of his own medicine?
  • Final takeaway: “I have great encouragement, happiness, positive attitude and positive outcomes out of the tournament,” he said of his form over the two weeks. “I found great form, played some fantastic tennis. Even today was quite close.”

🎾 Coaching change: Jasmine Paolini has fired her coach, Marc Lopez, after her early-round exit at Wimbledon, costing the Italian to drop from inside the top five to barely inside the top 10 after not defending her Wimbledon finalist points from last year.

  • What she said: “We had some great results together. Especially in Rome and Paris,” Paolini posted on social media on Monday. “I appreciate all the hard work and energy Marc gave every day. She added: “Now that this part of the season is over, I’ve decided to make a change.”
  • Previously: Paolini added Lopez to the team in April after ending her decade-long relationship with Renzo Furlan.
  • Next: It’s unclear. Paolini said she’s “taking the time to reflect on what the next step will be.” Might it be the return of the old and familiar?