Grigor Dimitrov advanced to the third round of the Wimbledon 2026 Championships after defeating 15th-seeded Czech player Jakub Mensik 7-6, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 in four sets in London. The 35-year-old Bulgarian secured his place in the next round after a closely contested match.
Rain interrupted play during the match, prompting organisers to close the retractable roof on Centre Court. The match was temporarily suspended before resuming under the closed roof.
Following the resumption, Dimitrov maintained his focus and completed the victory to progress in the tournament.
After the match, Dimitrov said the rain delay and the closing of the Centre Court roof reminded him of the injury he suffered during a match on the same court last year. He said the memory briefly returned while he looked toward the roof but added that this time everything went well and he was able to secure the win.
Dimitrov said the previous incident is now behind him and that his full focus is on the upcoming matches.
Dimitrov also expressed his appreciation for Wimbledon, saying the support and affection from the spectators make the tournament especially meaningful for him. He said Wimbledon is not only a Grand Slam event but also a stage where players experience some of the most memorable moments of their careers. He thanked the fans for their encouragement.
Although Mensik was eliminated, he won the second set to level the match and remained competitive through the third set before Dimitrov prevailed in four sets.
In the women's doubles competition, Britain's Katie Boulter and Heather Watson extended their first-round match to a deciding set after saving four match points in the second-set tie-break. However, Poland's Katarzyna Piter and the Czech Republic's Anna Siskova won the match 6-4, 6-7, 6-3 to advance to the next round.
All six British women's doubles pairs, including Olivia Nicholls, Jodie Burrage and Harriet Dart, were eliminated in the opening round of the tournament.
Britain continues to have representation in the men's doubles event, with Henry Patten and Neal Skupski winning their matches to advance to the second round.
