Grigor Dimitrov beats Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in first match since injury at Wimbledon ATP Tour
match report
Dimitrov helps PSG win in first match since injury at Wimbledon
Rublev wins first since U.S. Open
October 27, 2025
Colleen Dubreuil/ATP Tour
Grigor Dimitrov earned his 25th victory at the Rolex Paris Masters.
Written by ATP Staff
Grigor Dimitrov turned from grief to joy as he recovered from a heartbreaking chest injury at Wimbledon with a fine victory at the Rolex Paris Masters on Monday.
The last time the Bulgarian competed, he produced a superb performance on the London lawn to lead eventual Jannik Sinner in two sets before an injury forced him to retire in tears in the fourth round. Returning to the indoor hard courts in Paris, the 34-year-old kept going, defeating home favorite Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 7-6(5), 6-1.
“It’s never happened to me, so I guess I’m still trying to concentrate away from the court,” said a grateful Dimitrov after the game. “It’s never easy. I knew going into the game it was going to be a tough task. I just wanted to come out and test myself and give myself a chance. I think tonight whether I win or lose, I’m still going to feel like I gave it my all. Of course, it’s very difficult to adjust, especially playing against a player like him. You have to always be on your toes and stay focused.”
“It doesn’t matter how much experience you have. There’s always extra pressure, especially after being away for so many months. But listen, it was a good night. I’m taking it and just taking it one day at a time now.”
The Paris 2023 finalist saved all three break points he faced and broke the Frenchman’s big serve three times in the second set, according to Infosys ATP Statistics. Dimitrov currently has a record of 25-12 in ATP Masters 1000 events, trailing only Novak Djokovic (50), Boris Becker (29) and Tomas Berdych (27) in terms of tournament wins.
He will next face either No. 11 seed Daniil Medvedev or Jaime Munar.
Back, it’s like he never left! 💪@grigordimitrov Returned to ATP Tour and defeated Mpetshi Perricard in straight sets#rolexparismasters pic.twitter.com/Y2q19sd2Dp
— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 27, 2025
Andrei Rublev also scored a big win in Paris on Monday, beating Jacob Fearnley 6-1, 6-4 for his first match win since reaching the fourth round of the U.S. Open. After a 1-5 start, the No. 12 seed improved to 8-8 at the ATP Masters 1000 level this season, recently reaching the quarterfinals in Toronto and Cincinnati.
After leading 6-1, 2-0 with the help of four breaks of serve, Rublev found himself locked in a second-set battle when British qualifier Fearnley tied the score at 2-2. Rublev missed three break points at 3-2 and the atmosphere became tense, but he seized the next break opportunity, which was also double match point.
“I have a very good [opponent] today. He can play very well and he won very good matches this year,” Rublev said after the match. “I was able to step up and play consistent tennis. I’ve been working towards victory for a while. It feels good to win games like this in midfield. “
According to Infosys ATP statistics, Rublev converted five of his 10 break points in the match, helped by his opponent’s 11 double faults in the pair’s first Lexus ATP meeting. He will next face Learner Tien, who defeated Nuno Borges 6-2, 7-6(7) earlier on Monday.
Alexander Bublik also made the cut on the opening day in Paris, retaining a slim chance of making the top eight at the PIF ATP Live event in Turin. Playing against Alexey Popyrin for the second time this season at the ATP Masters 1000, the Kazakhstani repeated the result of the Madrid clash with a 6-4, 6-3 victory, tying both Lexus ATP encounters at 2-2.
Two French players with the same name advanced with the same score, Arthur Rinderknech defeated Fabian Marozsan, and Arthur Cazaux defeated Luciano Darderi 7-6(5), 7-6(4). The drama continued in the tie-break as Miomir Kecmanovic beat Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(2).
