Novak Djokovic and Grigor Dimitrov will be squaring off for the 14th time in their careers when they meet again in the semifinals of the Miami Open on Friday afternoon.
Djokovic is dominating the head-to-head series 12-1 and has won 11 times in a row since losing to Dimitrov 7-6(6), 6-7(8), 6-3 at the 2013 Madrid Masters. The 37-year-old is 8-0 on hard courts, including 5-0 outdoors. They have not faced each other since 2023, when Djokovic prevailed in straight sets at the Australian Open and the Paris Masters and in three sets at the Rome Masters.
Although the 24-time Grand Slam champion may be past his prime by just a bit, he has to be considered a massive favorite in Friday’s matchup–and not just because of his dominance in this rivalry. Djokovic exited Indian Wells right away at the hands of Botic van de Zandschulp, but he is well rested and looking much better in Miami. Bidding for a seventh title in the 305, the Serb has advanced this fortnight with straight-set victories over Rinky Hijikata, Camilo Ugo Carabelli, Lorenzo Musetti, and Sebastian Korda.
Dimitrov is one win away from defending all of his runner-up points from last year’s run in Miami. The 15th-ranked Bulgarian was a mere 5-5 this season prior to arriving at this tournament, but it has proven to be just what the doctor ordered. Dimitrov has made a return trip to the semis by defeating Federico Cina, Karen Khachanov, Brandon Nakashima, and Francisco Cerundolo.
A day off certainly helps, but the 33-year-old may still be feeling what was an absolute battle with Cerundolo on Wednesday night–a 6-7(6), 6-4, 7-6(3) thriller that lasted two hours and 48 minutes. That only stacks the deck against Dimitrov to an even greater extent.
Pick: Djokovic in 2
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