Grigor Dimitrov is set to make his return to the ATP Tour at the Paris Masters.
The Bulgarian hasn’t played a professional match since July, when he suffered an injury at Wimbledon.
Leading Jannik Sinner by two sets to love, Dimitrov injured his pectoral muscle and was forced to retire from his fourth-round match.
110 days later, Dimitrov is finally back, fit and ready to play his opening match at the Paris Masters.
But who will Dimitrov play in his first match since Wimbledon?
Grigor Dimitrov will play Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in Paris
Dimitrov will take on home favorite Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in his Paris opener.
The pair have yet to meet on the ATP Tour, although Dimitrov has won the majority of his matches against French players throughout his career (69-37).
Dimitrov will take to the court in Paris as the higher-ranked player, following Mpetshi Perricard’s failure to defend his points in Basel this week.
Live ATP Rankings
- 37th – Grigor Dimitrov (1,330 points)
- 56th – Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (965 points)
It’s tough to predict how Dimitrov will perform on his return from injury, although footage from ‘Tennis TV’ looked promising.
The 34-year-old could be seen moving well from side to side, hitting heavy forehands from the baseline.
Whether he can produce a level worthy of beating Mpetshi Perricard in Paris remains to be seen…
He will, however, have two chances to perform at the Paris Masters, having also entered the doubles draw.
Dimitrov will partner 43-year-old Nicolas Mahut against Edouard Roger-Vasselin and Hugo Nys in the first round.
Grigor Dimitrov’s Paris Masters record
The Bulgarian star has played some of his best tennis at the Paris Masters over the years, winning 68% of his matches at the event.
| Tournament | Surface | Best performance | Win/Loss record | Win % |
| Indian Wells | Hard | SF – 2021 | 16-12 | 57% |
| Miami Open | Hard | F – 2024 | 20-14 | 59% |
| Monte-Carlo Masters | Clay | SF – 2018, 2022 | 26-12 | 68% |
| Madrid Open | Clay | QF – 2015 | 14-12 | 54% |
| Italian Open | Clay | SF – 2014 | 13-13 | 50% |
| Canadian Open | Hard | SF – 2014 | 12-10 | 55% |
| Cincinnati Open | Hard | Winner – 2017 | 18-12 | 60% |
| Shanghai Masters | Hard | SF – 2023 | 12-8 | 60% |
| Paris Masters | Hard (Indoor) | F – 2023 | 24-12 | 67% |
He came closest to winning the title two years ago, reaching his maiden Paris Masters final, winning four three-set matches along the way.
Grigor Dimitrov at the 2023 Paris Masters
- 2023 Paris Master 1R – Grigor Dimitrov defeated Lorenzo Musetti, 6-2, 6-7, 6-3
- 2023 Paris Masters 2R – Grigor Dimitrov defeated Daniil Medvedev, 6-3, 6-7, 7-6
- 2023 Paris Masters 3R – Grigor Dimitrov defeated Alexander Bublik, 6-2, 6-2
- 2023 Paris Masters QF – Grigor Dimitrov defeated Hubert Hurkacz, 6-1, 4-6, 6-4
- 2023 Paris Masters SF – Grigor Dimitrov defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas, 6-3, 6-7, 7-6
Advancing to the final, Dimitrov took on Novak Djokovic, whom he hadn’t beaten since 2013.
Suffering his tenth straight defeat against the Serb, Dimitrov lost to Djokovic 6-4, 6-3.
Returning in 2024, Dimitrov lost in the quarterfinals to Karen Khachanov in straight sets.
He’ll be hoping for a better showing this time around, but will have to do so without his former coach alongside him.
Jamie Delgado and Grigor Dimitrov split recently
After the US Open, Dimitrov announced his split with Jamie Delgado.
Delgado joined Dimitrov’s team in 2022 and helped him break his seven-year ATP title drought at the 2024 Brisbane International.
It is unknown whether Dimitrov has hired a replacement for Delgado, as fans wait to see who sits in the Bulgarian’s box at the Paris Masters.
Plenty of questions will be answered when Dimitrov makes his long-awaited return to tennis in Paris.
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