BBC Wimbledon presenter Clare Balding sparked controversy on Thursday evening when she declared that defending champion Jannik Sinner ought to have shared a portion of his £3 million prize money with Grigor Dimitrov.
The remark came during coverage of Dimitrov’s emotional third-round victory, nearly a year after the Bulgarian’s devastating injury retirement handed Sinner a path to his maiden SW19 title.
“Sinner should have given him a percentage,” Balding stated on the BBC broadcast following Dimitrov’s match.
The Italian claimed the top prize of £3 million after defeating Carlos Alcaraz in last year’s final, avenging his crushing French Open loss to the Spaniard.
Clare Balding told Jannik Sinner to return his prize money this week
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Sinner’s route to the final, however, owed much to fortune in the fourth round. The world number one found himself trailing Dimitrov by two sets to nil, with the Bulgarian playing superbly and seemingly destined to cause a major upset.
At 2-2 in the third set, disaster struck for Dimitrov. He collapsed to the court clutching his pectoral muscle and was unable to continue.
The 35-year-old departed SW19 in tears, with medical assessments later confirming he had torn his pectoral muscle.
The injury required an extended period of rehabilitation, keeping him off the tour for months.
Dimitrov’s return to the All England Club on Thursday proved triumphant and deeply moving. Granted a wildcard following his lengthy spell on the sidelines, he overcame 15th seed Jakub Mensik 7-6(5) 4-6 7-5 6-3 on Court 1.
Jannik Sinner is looking to reclaim his Wimbledon crown
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The crowd, clearly recalling the heartbreak of twelve months prior, cheered every winning shot with tremendous enthusiasm. When the veteran secured the final point, the noise was deafening.
The occasion proved overwhelming for Dimitrov himself, who needed to step away from his on-court interview to regain his composure. He now faces Matteo Berrettini in the next round.
The suggestion comes amid broader discussions about player compensation at Grand Slam tournaments. Sinner himself is at the forefront of efforts to secure better financial terms for competitors.
A group of players, with the Italian leading negotiations, are pushing for 22 per cent of revenue generated across the four major championships. Currently, the share allocated to players stands at 14.4 per cent following an increase implemented in 2026.
Even a modest percentage of Sinner’s £3 million winner’s cheque would represent a substantial sum, though whether such prize-sharing arrangements between competitors have any precedent in professional tennis remains unclear.
