Grigor Dimitrov reached a landmark moment in his career this Sunday at Roland Garros. By defeating Hubert Hurkacz 7-6(5), 6-4, 7-6(3) in a battle of Top 10 seeds, the Bulgarian secured his first quarterfinal appearance at a clay-court Major. This victory means the 33-year-old has now reached the quarterfinals of all four Grand Slams. Despite a previous 0-2 record in Paris fourth-round matches, Dimitrov broke through during his 14th appearance at the tournament. He now prepares for a quarterfinal showdown against No. 2 seed Jannik Sinner, having already reached the semifinals at the other three majors.
Grigor Dimitrov achieved a Grand Slam milestone on Sunday evening at Roland Garros. The Bulgarian defeated Hubert Hurkacz in an all-Top 10 match 7-6(5), 6-4, 7-6(3) to reach his first clay-court major quarterfinal. The 33-year-old has now advanced to the final eight in each of the four Grand Slam tournaments. Dimitrov entered the day 0-2 in fourth-rounders in Paris but advanced to the final eight in his 14th appearance at the French Open. Dimitrov, who will face No.2 Jannik Sinner in tomorrow’s (May 4) quarterfinals, has reached the semifinals of the US Open, Australian Open, and Wimbledon.
The match on Court Suzanne-Lenglen lasted two hours and 51 minutes, during which Dimitrov overcame a scary moment in the third set when a deep dive for a ball left him needing medical attention for his hand. His victory further cements his psychological edge over his close friend Hurkacz; the Bulgarian remains undefeated against the Pole, extending their professional head-to-head record to 6-0.
As the 10th seed, Dimitrov showed incredible resilience in the opening set, saving every single one of the five break points he faced—most notably fighting off three straight break points while trailing 0/40 at 5-5. After clinching the first set in a tie-break, the Bulgarian maintained a steadier rhythm throughout the following sets, appearing to have the match under control while leading 3-1 in the third.
Hubert Hurkacz, who was also chasing his first Roland Garros quarterfinal, fought back valiantly to force a deciding tie-break. However, he couldn't sustain the pressure. Dimitrov dominated the start of the tie-break by taking the first four points, sealing the win despite Hurkacz firing 20 aces throughout the match.
This win places Dimitrov in an elite group of active players—including Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, Daniil Medvedev, and Marin Cilic—who have reached the quarterfinals of every Grand Slam and ATP Masters 1000. This success caps off a comeback year for Dimitrov, who won the Brisbane International in January (his first title since 2017), made the Miami Open final in March, and climbed back into the world's top 10 for the first time since 2018.
Reflecting on the win, Dimitrov admitted, \"For a long time, the French Open was the one Slam where I felt I just couldn't take that final step forward. Now, 15 years later, I've finally done it, and that feels great.\" He noted that success on clay requires a mix of finesse and an ability to read the game, adding that the unpredictable nature of clay courts always makes them challenging.