Grigor Dimitrov facing biggest drop in rankings for more than a decade

Grigor Dimitrov’s Miami Open journey ended early this year after a three-set loss to Belgian qualifier Raphael Collignon in the opening round.

Dimitrov’s 6-7, 6-4, 6-7 defeat marked his worst result at the ATP Masters 1000 event since way back in 2011.

The Bulgarian has managed just two wins so far this season, with six defeats on his record and multiple early exits across the tour.

He strung together three straight losses in Melbourne, Dallas and Acapulco before finally picking up a win at Indian Wells.

This latest exit means Dimitrov is likely to drop to his lowest ranking position in over ten years.

Grigor Dimitrov to slip outside top 80 following Miami Open exit

Dimitrov will drop 390 ATP points after his first-round exit in Miami, having reached the semi-finals there just last year.

The points loss has pushed him down to 86th in the live rankings, a drop of 42 places from where he stood before the tournament.

The last time Dimitrov was ranked outside the top 80 was back in 2012.

He climbed as high as world number three in 2017, a year when he won both the Cincinnati Open and ATP Finals.

Since then, injuries and inconsistent form have seen him fall out of the top ten, with a pectoral injury at Wimbledon last season speeding up his decline down the rankings.

Raphael Collignon speaks out after Miami win over Grigor Dimitrov

Collignon, reflecting on his first-ever Masters 1000 main-draw victory in his post-match interview, expressed: “It’s only my second time playing in a main draw of a Masters 1,000. I played Indian Wells, and now it’s my second, so I’m very happy because it’s a very famous tournament here.

“I watched this tournament when I was a kid, so it’s good for me to win here, and I’m very proud of it.”

Collignon highlighted the challenges he faced returning against Dimitrov: “It was tough for me in the return because Grigor is an unbelievable server, I couldn’t find much of a solution,” he said.

“But I knew at 5-4 with such a tough match that it’s going to be very difficult for him to close because it’s nervy. So, I tried to stay there, and I got the break.

“A bit lucky. And then I don’t know how I saved this match point.”

He also credited his defensive skills for helping him secure the victory: “I know I’m very good in defence,” he said.

“But when you’re not feeling your best physically or whatever, try just to put the ball in the court and try not to make too many mistakes.”

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