Dimitrov delivers to set Alcaraz showdown at Indian Wells
Grigor Dimitrov seized revenge and a blockbuster opportunity in one stroke on Thursday at the BNP Paribas Open, where he overcame Terence Atmane 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 to line up a heavyweight Indian Wells clash with top seed Carlos Alcaraz.
The 34-year-old Bulgarian avenged a defeat to Atmane from just eight days ago in Acapulco, rallying from a frustrating end to the second set to close out the match in three. With his victory, Dimitrov set a meeting with two-time Indian Wells champion Alcaraz, who beat him in the fourth round at the tournament last year — their most recent Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting.
Hard fought but secured ⛓️@GrigorDimitrov navigates a tricky opening round test against Atmane and will face Alcaraz in the second round.@BNPPARIBASOPEN | #TennisParadise pic.twitter.com/RTJE2QClvA
— ATP Tour (@atptour) March 5, 2026
“I think I started the match really well but it was just difficult to maintain a solid level,” said Dimitrov, who reached the Indian Wells semi-finals in 2021. “I knew that I would get a few chances at some point, so I was just holding onto those moments. It could have gone either way, but I was able to stay very strong in the most important moments.”
In the second set, Dimitrov held seven break points at 5-5, according to Infosys ATP Stats, but was unable to convert any before dropping serve in the following game, allowing Atmane into a decider. The former World No. 3 responded clinically, however, to earn another shot at Alcaraz, the No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings who is on a 12-match winning streak to begin 2026.
“I’m always looking on my side of the net,” Dimitrov said when asked about the clash with Alcaraz. “At this point in my career, I’m almost always going to look at my side of the net and what I want to do. If I win, great. If I lose, great again. This is the mindset that I want to adopt a lot more.”
In other action on Thursday in Indian Wells, Kamil Majchrzak defeated Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 6-3, 1-6, 7-5 to set up a second-round meeting with third seed Novak Djokovic. The 38-year-old Serbian will be playing his first match since reaching the Australian Open final in January, when he lost to Alcaraz in four sets.
Alexander Shevchenko and Jacob Fearnley also advanced. Shevchenko beat qualifier Sho Shimabukuro 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 to earn a second-round matchup with 13th seed Casper Ruud, while Fearnley downed Damir Dzumhur 6-3, 6-3 and will next meet 2022 champion Taylor Fritz.
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