What happened with Grigor Dimitrov? Why was Bulgarian escorted out of Miami Open court by physios after refusing interview

Grigor Dimitrov has pulled off an astonishing victory in the quarterfinals of the 2025 Miami Open. He beat Francisco Cerundolo in three sets, returning from the brink of defeat as he saved a match point in the deciding set, and won in a tiebreaker.

The triumph came at a cost, as at the end of the match in the scorching heat of Miami, the Bulgarian required medical attention due to dizziness. The play lasted two hours and forty-eight minutes, causing him extreme physical exertion.

After the match, Dimitrov didn’t even celebrate his victory. He went directly to the bench and called for the physiotherapist. The treatment took a long time and included checking his blood pressure readings. His on-court interview and other formalities were cancelled. Later, he walked off the court with the help of some medical officials.

Emma Raducanu faced something similar in her quarterfinal against Jessica Pegula, showing that playing for long durations in the heat of Miami has been difficult for the players.

Dimitrov displayed his skills to secure a spot in the semifinals, eyeing a consecutive final appearance in Miami. His first serve caused serious trouble for the Argentine opponent, as he won 80% of points off it. He complemented this with a strong net attack, winning 78% of points at the net. The serve-and-volley tactic put off Cerundolo, who heavily relied on his baseline game.

The 34-year-old will face Novak Djokovic or Sebastian Korda in the semifinals. Their match has been postponed to Thursday, which was scheduled for Wednesday, due to the ATP’s 11 PM match rule. This offers the 14th seed a gap day in between as the semifinal is on Friday, allowing him to recover.

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Grigor Dimitrov’s injury concerns this season

Grigor Dimitrov faced severe exhaustion after his close Miami Open quarterfinal win | Photo via Getty Images

Grigor Dimitrov has had an injury-led season until now. He retired midway through three out of five tournaments. In Miami, his sixth, his participation in the semifinals remains uncertain.

Dimitrov retired mid-match against Jiri Lehecka in the semifinals due to an apparent groin injury. It also caused problems for him at the Australian Open, forcing him to retire in the second set of the first round against Francesco Passaro of Italy. Again at the Dubai Tennis Championships, he retired after losing the first set 6-0 against Christopher O’Connell due to an injury.