Grigor Dimitrov was awarded one of the eight wildcards for the Wimbledon singles draw this year.
Dimitrov is a former Wimbledon semi-finalist and looked on track for his best run at the grass court major since 2014 last year.
However, when leading eventual champion Jannik Sinner by two sets to love, Dimitrov partially tore his right pectoral muscle and was forced to retire.
Dimitrov has struggled to find form since then and therefore required a wildcard to get into the main draw of Wimbledon this year.
Grigor Dimitrov suggests if he will be thinking about the injury he suffered at Wimbledon last year
Dimitrov was confirmed to be receiving a Wimbledon wildcard earlier this week, while former British number one Dan Evans did not receive one, and he was asked about this while competing at a lower-level Challenger tournament in Dublin.
Prior to competing in the Irish capital, Dimitrov was on a seven-match losing streak, before winning back-to-back matches for the first time since Wimbledon last year.
While in Dublin, Dimitrov was asked about his wildcard and if he was thinking about the injury he suffered at Wimbledon last year.
“Honestly, I’m very grateful [to receive a wildcard]. That’s all,” Dimitrov told Punto de Break. “What happened in the past is in the past; I’m not thinking about looking back at all.
“I really appreciate Wimbledon giving me this invitation; it means a lot and it’s an honour. It’s an honour to be at Wimbledon, imagine doing it from the main draw.
“Right now, I’m here. I’m focused on everything I have to do, and I’m really looking forward to competing. That’s it. I have no expectations for Wimbledon.”
Dimitrov’s run in Dublin came to an end in the quarter-finals, as he was beaten by world number 145 Kyrian Jacquet.
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Grigor Dimitrov calls ranking structure ‘unfair’ after recent drop
As a result of his lack of both form and fitness over the past year, Dimitrov has dropped down to world number 169, having fallen to his lowest ranking since 2010 this year.
When asked about both his ranking and his season so far, Dimitrov suggested that the current ranking structure is ‘unfair’.
“If you think about it, I feel like I haven’t really had a season. Let’s be honest,” answered Dimitrov. “I’ve played around 12 matches this year and lost about 10. To me, that’s not a season.
“There’s no point in talking about the rankings either. The way our rankings are structured is so unfair that it’s pointless to even discuss it.
“Some things are simple: if you win, you have a high ranking. You lose, you drop and drop in the rankings. There’s no secret to it. This sport doesn’t give you the opportunity to take shortcuts; it’s a cutthroat business.”
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Dimitrov will play one more tournament before Wimbledon this year after receiving a wildcard for the Mallorca Championships.
Then Dimitrov will make his return to Wimbledon, where he is defending 200 ranking points and risks dropping outside the top 300.
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