You can’t wipe the smile off Grigor Dimitrov’s face these days.
After three long months on the sidelines due to a chest injury, the 34-year-old Bulgarian is finally back in action this week at the Rolex Paris Masters – and you can feel his relief radiating from the La Défense Arena.
“There are a lot of good and mixed feelings in the most positive way, but it’s nice to be with the guys again and challenge each other again,” Dimitrov told ATPtour.com. “It’s been a good week for me so far, trying to get as many hours on track as possible because this is what I’ve been craving. At the same time, I’m trying to keep things to the most basic things.
“Of course my goal is to get back to full strength next year, but it is a big challenge for me at the moment to see how the body will react.”
He is BAAAACK!!!#RolexParisMasters | #Dimitrov pic.twitter.com/elSuGLjKpK
— ATP tour (@atptour) October 24, 2025
Dimitrov’s last appearance was at Wimbledon, where he produced some of his most inspired tennis talent, building a two-set lead at love in the fourth round against then world No. 1 Jannik Sinner. He seemed destined for the quarter-finals but it was heartbreak again, with the Bulgarian bowing out of a fifth consecutive major due to retirement.
The sight of his tears said more than any press conference could. But when he returns to the bright lights of Paris, where he reached the final in 2023, Dimitrov is back to his cheerful self.
The former No. 3 player in the PIF ATP Rankings practiced with good friend Andrey Rublev on Friday evening and returned less than twelve hours later to train with Francisco Cerundolo.
“I’ve always enjoyed these last tournaments of the year,” said Dimitrov, the 2017 Nitto ATP Finals champion. “Generally I’m not trying to think about anything at the moment, I’m just trying to be as kind as possible to me and my body, and test myself to really see what else I need to work on, especially in the next season.”
Whether it’s physical or not, Dimitrov hopes for a pain-free week. But emotions will run high either way. He will enter the doubles alongside five-time major winner Nicolas Mahut, who is playing the last tournament of his career.
It promises to be a moving chapter for both men. One makes an expected return to ATP Tour action, the other takes his final bow.
“We always wanted to do some double sessions together over the years, but I could never really commit, to be honest,” Dimitrov said of Mahut. “It was the right time. It was the last tournament for him and it made sense. I have a very sentimental relationship with him.”
“We have played against each other for so many years. We have participated in such a big occasion more than once. So it is safe to say that this is a good ending for him.”
In his singles bid, Dimitrov faces a stern opening test against big-serving Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. However, the Bulgarian boasts a tournament record of 24-12, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, which also includes the tough 2023 run.
Whatever the outcome, one thing is certain: Grigor Dimitrov is back where he belongs: smiling, competing and writing a new chapter in his story.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]
#Dimitrov #boys #longawaited #return #Paris #injury