Grigor Dimitrov qualifies for US Open main draw

Bulgarian tennis player Grigor Dimitrov has qualified for the main draw of the US Open after a successful qualifying campaign. Following victories over Lorenzo Giustino and Timofey Skatov, Dimitrov advanced to the main tournament after Ott Virtanen withdrew from their scheduled third-round qualifying match due to a back injury.

Dimitrov, 35, expressed significant enthusiasm regarding his return to the main draw, stating in an interview with Tennis Channel that the feeling is “as if it is for the first time.” He noted a shift in his mental approach, aiming to be kinder to himself and more focused on enjoying the game rather than being overly self-critical.

In the first round of the US Open, Dimitrov is scheduled to face Australian Alexei Popyrin. The matchup is evenly contested, with both players holding two wins each in their previous encounters. A victory would advance Dimitrov to a second-round match against the winner of the contest between Jannik Hanfmann and Alejandro Tabilo, with a potential third-round matchup against Alexander Zverev on the horizon.