site.btaGrigor Dimitrov Qualifies for Second Round of Tennis Tournament in Brisbane

Two-time tennis champion Grigor Dimitrov started the new season on Tuesday with a victory, qualifying for the second round of the Brisbane ATP 250 hard court tennis tournament in Australia, which has a prize fund of USD 800,045.

The top-ranked Bulgarian player, who won the title in Brisbane in 2017 and 2024, defeated Spanish qualifier Pablo Carreno Busta 6-3, 6-2 in 68 minutes. This was his fifth victory in eight matches against the Spaniard.

Dimitrov controlled the match from start to finish, not allowing any serious fluctuations in his game. The 34-year-old Bulgarian achieved one break in the first set and was even more dominant in the second, winning with ease.

"It's great to see you all again. It's a real pleasure for me to start here next year — it's incredible; I feel at home here. I've been through a lot of difficult things in recent months, but right now I'm just grateful," said Dimitrov in his on-court interview.

This is the tenth time the Bulgarian has played in Brisbane, having reached the semifinals last year. He hopes to play more matches in the tournament.

Dimitrov earned 25 world ranking points, taking him to 47th in the rankings, as well as USD 12,885. In the next round, he will play another qualifier: Raphael Collignon of Belgium, who is currently ranked 84th in the world. The two players have never played each other before.

Grigor Dimitrov missed almost half of last season due to treatment for a chest muscle injury sustained at Wimbledon in July. He returned to the tour with a victory at the Masters tournament in Paris at the end of October but subsequently withdrew from his second match in the French capital due to shoulder pain. He then ended his season.