Grigor Dimitrov is set to meet Gabriele Diallo in the round of 16 of the Madrid Open, in Madrid, Spain. Dimitrov, the 15th seed, received a first-round bye and then defeated Nicolas Jarry in straight sets in the second round. In the third round, he overcame Jacob Fearnley in straight sets as well, although the Brit put up a strong fight in the second set, pushing it to a tiebreak.
Diallo, entering the main draw as a lucky loser, began his run by defeating Zizou Bergs in straight sets. He then battled past Kamil Majchrzak and Cameron Norrie in three sets in the second and third rounds, respectively. This marks the deepest run of Diallo’s career at a Masters 1000 event.
Grigor Dimitrov and Gabriel Diallo do not have a head-to-head record yet. The Madrid Open will be their first meeting ever.
Dimitrov beats Jacob Fearnley 6-4 7-6 in MadridGrigor reaches the 4th round in Madrid for the first time since 2022. He is absolutely a better player since he was here 3 years ago.✅6th Madrid R16✅Won 9 of last 11 matchesAlways improving, always working.
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) April 29, 2025
Grigor DimitrovCategoryGabriel Diallo16Ranking78471-298Career W-L17-2312-7YTD W-L6-89Career Titles00Grand Slams00YTD Titles0
And Gabriel Diallo goes through to the next round! 🤩The Canadian continues his fine form in Madrid with a three-set victory over Cameron Norrie. 💪
Next challenge: Grigor Dimitrov in the round of 16 🙌@nationalbank pic.twitter.com/ZaFGCZIkzo
— Tennis Canada (@TennisCanada) April 29, 2025
Dimitrov’s season has been a mix of highs and lows. He started strong with a semifinal run in Brisbane, losing to Jiri Lehecka, but followed with an early exit at the Australian Open and failed to progress past the round of 16 in following events. He found form in Miami, reaching the semifinals with wins over Karen Khachanov, Brandon Nakashima, and Francisco Cerundolo before falling to Novak Djokovic. In Monte Carlo, he reached the quarterfinals but was handed a double bagel by Alex de Minaur.
Diallo, who turned pro in 2023, is in the best form of his career. Ranked No. 78 in the world and No. 3 in Canada, he’s made the most of opportunities as a lucky loser, entering three Masters 1000 events this season, including Madrid. He scored notable wins over world No. 54 Zhizhen Zhang at Indian Wells and No. 51 Tomas Etcheverry in Miami.
While Diallo looks sharper based on recent form, his lack of experience gives Dimitrov the edge. The Bulgarian, a pro since 2007, has nine ATP singles titles and sits at No. 16 in the rankings. Diallo, meanwhile, is still chasing his first title, with the Madrid Open marking his first Masters 1000 round of 16 appearance.
Prediction: Grigor Dimitrov in straight sets
Grigor Dimitrov: 4/9
Gabriel Diallo: 7/4
