Grigor Dimitrov is enjoying his time in Miami as he reaches the semi-finals for the second year running.
Hampered by injury, Dimitrov struggled to find form during the early months of the 2025 season, losing his first-round matches at the Australian Open, Qatar Open, and Dubai Tennis Championships.
The Bulgarian took a step forward in California, reaching the last 16 at Indian Wells, where he fell to a convincing 1-6, 1-6 defeat against Carlos Alcaraz.
Stepping into another gear at the Miami Open, Dimitrov scored wins over Federico Cina, Karen Khachanov, and Brandon Nakashima to advance to the quarter-finals.
There, Dimitrov beat Francisco Cerundolo, booking his place in a 12th career Masters 1000 semi-final.
It was the Bulgarian’s reaction after the match that worried fans, however, as one ATP Tour legend now shares his thoughts.
Boris Becker sent encouragement to Grigor Dimitrov after he struggled off the court in Miami
Dimitrov was seen struggling after his quarter-final win in Miami and was helped off the court by a tournament doctor.
Taking to X, former world number one Boris Becker sent encouragement to the 33-year-old.
“Come on G [Grigor Dimitrov],” he said.
“We need you alive and kicking for the semi-finals man.”
Dimitrov saved a match point in a three-set thriller with Miami specialist Cerundolo, eventually coming through to win, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6.
The conditions were tough in Miami on Wednesday, as several big names struggled in the heat.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Dimitrov was unable to conduct his post-match press conference, as concerns over his fitness grow.
WTA star Emma Raducanu was another to feel the effects of the conditions as she had her vitals checked after feeling faint in the second set of her quarter-final defeat to Jessica Pegula, saying she felt ‘dizzy.’
Dimitrov will have time to recover from his tough win over Cerundolo as he takes on the winner of Novak Djokovic and Sebastian Korda on Friday, March 27.
Djokovic and Korda’s match was postponed on Wednesday, as the players will return to the court on Thursday, giving them one less day to rest than their semi-final opponent.
Grigor Dimitrov saves his ranking with run at the 2025 Miami Open
In 2024, Dimitrov lost to Jannik Sinner in the final of the Miami Open, achieving his career-best result in Florida.
Heading into the 2025 tournament, few expected Dimitrov to repeat the feat, as many predicted the Bulgarian would drop the points he earned last year.
Proving the doubters wrong, Dimitrov surged into the last four, guaranteeing himself a place in the world’s top 20 when the next set of rankings are released.
| Live ranking | Name | Points | Miami Open result | Potential ranking with title |
| 15 | Arthur Fils | 2,670 | QF* | 8th |
| 16 | Lorenzo Musetti | 2,650 | Lost in 4R | – |
| 17 | Frances Tiafoe | 2,525 | Lost in 3R | – |
| 18 | Grigor Dimitrov | 2,495 | SF* | 13th |
| 19 | Felix Auger-Aliassime | 2,415 | Lost in 3R | – |
| 20 | Ugo Humbert | 2,335 | Lost in 2R | – |
| 21 | Tomas Machac | 2,210 | Lost in 4R | – |
| 22 | Hubert Hurkacz | 2,105 | – | – |
| 23 | Francisco Cerundolo | 2,075 | Lost in QF | – |
| 24 | Sebastian Korda | 2,010 | QF* | 15th |
If Dimitrov were to win the title in Miami, he would return to 13th in the rankings, jumping ahead of Ben Shelton and Tommy Paul.
He won’t want to get too far ahead of himself, however, as he first prepares for a tough semi-final clash with either Djokovic or Korda on Friday.
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