The Cincinnati Open remains the only Masters 1000 that Grigor Dimitrov has won in his career. That was nearly a decade ago in 2017, but as much of a fan favorite as he is, if he were to get his second Cincy title in 2026, few would complain.
But first, he needed to get past Sebastian Baez in the first round, and the Argentinian was in no mood to make the Bulgarian's life easy. This was the case even though Dimitrov appeared ready to take the match easily, as he took the first set 6-1.
Unfortunately, as skilled as Dimitrov is, many matches don't come easily for him anymore. He sometimes tires, and like every player, dips in form, so when Baez mounted a comeback on the hard courts of Cincinnati, few were likely surprised.
Sebastian Baez defeats Grigor Dimitrov in the first round of the Cincinnati Open
With an uptick in his first-serve efficiency in first serve, Baez won 12 of 14 points in that aspect in set two. He only allowed himself eight chances in the opening set and won just four of those points. Dimitrov wasn't suddenly playing badly, but his opponent was playing much better.
A break of the Bulgarian in the fourth game of the set was all the Argentinian needed to take the set 6-3 and even the match. He had the momentum, but he would also have to continue to play much better.
Dimitrov had an easy hold in the first game of set three, and then got a break in the second game. He had seemingly switched the narrative, and quickly. After a tight hold of serve in the next game (one in which Baez had a break point), Dimitrov led 3-0.
That happiness wouldn't last, however. Baez began to hold serve again, and with Dimitrov serving at 4-2, he was broken, and the match was back on serve. Once again, Baez had the momentum.
Baez then got another break at 4-all, and Grigor Dimitrov appeared to be wilting in the Cincinnati heat. After such a great first set and a good start to the final one, he appeared on the verge of a tennis collapse. He pressured Baez to hold, but the Argentinian came through 6-4 in the final set.
Sebastian Baez will next face rising American star Learner Tien in the second round of the 2026 Cincinnati Open. Tien is beginning to find his footing on the ATP Tour and will be a difficult out for the majority of the players at the event.
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