Clare Balding said on the that Jannik Sinner should have given Grigor Dimitrov a percentage of his Wimbledon prize money after Dimitrov’s match on Thursday evening. The remark landed after Dimitrov, back on a wildcard after months out injured, beat Jakub Mensik 7-6 4-6 7-5 6-3 to reach the third round.
Sinner's £3m Wimbledon prize
£3m is what Sinner pocketed for winning Wimbledon last year, after beating Carlos Alcaraz in the final for his first title there. Balding’s line, “Sinner should have given him a percentage,” turned that payday into the story’s sharpest number and tied the winner’s reward to the path that got him there.
22 per cent is the share players are now demanding from income generated across the Grand Slam events, with 14.4 per cent already the figure for 2026. That gives Balding’s comment a wider edge: it was not only about one match in one summer, but about how the money from the majors is split when the draw is shaped by injury and retirement.
Grigor Dimitrov in the last 16
Last year, Sinner was two sets down against Dimitrov in the last 16 before Dimitrov retired injured at 2-2 in the third set after popping his pectoral muscle. The result left Sinner on the path to the title, while Dimitrov later faced a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
On Thursday evening, Dimitrov’s return changed the tone again. He is 35, he was out for months, and he now has Matteo Berrettini next; the Wimbledon run is no longer just about the old injury, but about whether he can keep turning a comeback into results.
and the Wimbledon draw
used the match to underline a simple irritation in the sport’s money debate: the player who exits early can still shape who gets paid at the end. Balding’s point puts Sinner in the awkward position of being the champion who benefited from Dimitrov’s retirement, while Dimitrov has returned and won on the same stage.
Tennis coverage also kept the focus on how quickly the story moved from one match to the next. Whether Sinner has responded to Balding’s remark is not answered in the source, and the next practical checkpoint is Dimitrov’s meeting with Berrettini, which will show whether his wildcard return keeps carrying weight.
