It just wasn't meant to be for Grigor Dimitrov at the Mallorca Championships. The Bulgarian had battled through two matches, hoping his form would be perfected before Wimbledon begins next week, but Alejandro Davidovich Fokina had other ideas.
To be fair, the Spaniard was the higher seed and is a good player in his own right. Dimitrov potentially losing to Davidovich Fokina would have brought no shame. At best, at least Dimitrov, arguably the nicest player in tennis, got some work in before the next major.
One does wonder how well he would have done had he not suffered a horrible pec muscle in the fourth round of Wimbledon last year when he led Jannik Sinner, the eventual winner, two sets to love. That could have been the Bulgarian's best chance to potentially win a major.
Grigor Dimitrov loses to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina at the 2026 Mallorca Championships
Healthy again, he was simply bettered by Davidovich Fokina, a player who is better on clay courts but is showing his grass-court prowess in Mallorca. Dimitrov was simply no match for the Spaniard as Davidovich Fokina took it 6-3, 6-3.
Dimitrov didn't play poorly; he just ran into a player doing everything a tick better. The Spaniard didn't beat himself, made minimal mistakes, played exceedingly clean tennis, and would have beaten most players on the ATP tour in the quarterfinals.
Should he keep his same form, he will be a surprising but real threat at Wimbledon. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has never won a grass-court tournament, but no one should dismiss the idea that he can't win in London when the final is played in three weeks.
Still, many might hope that Grigor Dimitrov gets the chance that his body wouldn't allow him last year. He was playing brilliantly, and might have taken the third set against Sinner on his way to taking the title at Wimbledon.
Maybe this will be the year he stays healthy enough to do so. Heck, maybe he even faces Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the final. Based on their performances in Mallorca, no one would be shocked by that.
Next for Davidovich Fokina at the Mallorca Championships will be Fabian Marozsan in the semifinals. No matter who the Spaniard faces in the final, he will be the favorite.
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