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“It got significantly worse today. I’ve played a lot of tennis on a body that shouldn’t have been [put through that], and it just took its toll,” he said.
“I had strapping on both legs [to] keep it warm, and give it a bit of support. But that lob [in the fourth game] didn’t help. I went to jump, and something didn’t go right. After that, I was really hurting, and I wasn’t moving to anything. I felt like I couldn’t push off any more.”
It is the fourth time in 11 tournaments this year, including at Queen’s Club a fortnight ago, that Thompson has retired mid-match or handed his opponent a walkover due to injury.
All the focus was on Thompson’s back issue across the first three rounds – including back-to-back five-set wins to start – but the fact that he played with strapping on both legs in the Fritz clash was evidence that he was dealing with more.
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Alex de Minaur, who faces seven-time champion Novak Djokovic on Monday, is the last Australian left in the singles draw.
“I was pretty sore, and I was sore every day, and was waiting for [this] to happen … so I’m glad it happened today, and not in the first round, because, honestly, I was thinking of not playing this tournament,” Thompson said.
“I’m taking the positives. It’s my best result here, so it’s still a great tournament. [I was] down two sets to love in the first round, down two sets to one in the second round, and then played a good match the other day to make it through the second week.
“Today doesn’t feel too valiant at all, but I guess looking back on it, it’s a pretty good effort. It’s behind me now, so I’m not really too worried about it. Honestly, I feel like a bit of a pussy [for] pulling out.”
Watching Thompson grimace and grab his right hamstring every time he attempted to retrieve a low volley illustrated what he put himself through across the past week.
His list of ailments in 2025 includes a ruptured plantar fascia in his right foot – which sidelined him for two months after the Australian Open – a groin tear, an oblique tear and a herniated disc.
Thompson felt his injury most when he had to hit low volleys.Credit: Getty Images
His team, including physiotherapist Luke Fuller, previously diagnosed this latest problem as an injury to the sacroiliac joint (a connection point between the spine and pelvis), but he will undergo an MRI scan to determine whether it is actually the herniated disc flaring up.
Thompson has not ruled out continuing his Wimbledon doubles campaign with France’s Pierre-Hugues Herbert, but the strong likelihood is they will withdraw from their third-round clash against defending champions Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten.
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“I told my partner if, by some miracle, I wake up tomorrow morning and feel like I had been in the previous matches that I’ll play – but I’d say [I am] a 95 per cent chance of not playing,” he said.
“If I can’t play singles, I’d say doubles is a lot more reactive as well. You’re at the net, fast volleys, you’ve got to return every second point, and it’s nearly worse when you’re up at the net and trying to fight off a reflex because they’re the movements that [hurt most].”
Thompson expects to spend the period after Wimbledon “living in the gym”, completing core exercises in the hope of returning for a couple of tournaments before the US Open, which starts on August 24.
The first of the two Masters 1000 events ahead of Flushing Meadows is in Toronto on July 27, but the second in Cincinnati on August 7 might be a more realistic target.
Elsewhere, dual defending champion Carlos Alcaraz went a set down before advancing to the quarter-finals with a 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Andrey Rublev.
Alcaraz moves on to face the last remaining Brit, Cameron Norrie, who outlasted Chilean qualifier Nico Jarry and his 103 winners over five sets. Fritz’s next opponent is Karen Khachanov, after the Russian beat Kamil Majchrzak in straight sets.
On the women’s side, world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka’s pursuit of a maiden Wimbledon title continues after edging out her former doubles partner Elise Mertens 6-4, 7-6 (7-4).
Germany’s Laura Siegemund booked her second career major quarter-final and a showdown with Sabalenka when she downed lucky loser Solana Sierra.
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova overcame a Hawk-Eye controversy to eliminate the final Brit left in the women’s draw, Sonny Kartal. The unseeded Russian will meet American star Amanda Anisimova, who rallied from 3-1 down in the final set to defeat Linda Noskova 6-2, 5-7, 6-4.
Marc McGowan travelled to Wimbledon with the support of Tennis Australia.
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