There was no real grand celebration or frustration in the semifinal match between Novak Djokovic and Grigor Dimitrov of the 2025 Miami Open. Any potential drama was set aside relatively early. Sure, the match began with a Dimitrov break of the Serb, but that only meant one game was all the real fun the crowd was going to see.
Djokovic immediately broke back and then held serve before eventually breaking the Bulgarian again. The first set was a quick one, and Djokovic won 6-2. He wasn't missing first serves (he did not miss one between the third game of the first set and the fourth game of the second set). Dimitrov had no answer for what his good friend was trying to do.
What did not help is that, at times, Dimitrov missed some relatively easy shots. Not that they might have become winners, but at least he would have kept points alive. He strained to do too much all the time because he had to. He likely had no confidence coming into the match against the 24-time Grand Slam champion, either.
Novak Djokovic reaches the final of the Miami Open after defeating Grigor Dimitrov 6-2 6-3
In the previous 13 meetings between the top-10 players, Djokovic had won 12 times to Dimitrov's one. In the last eight meetings since 2014, Djokovic had lost only three sets to the Bulgarian. As good as both players are, Dimitrov has never been a real challenge for Djokovic.
Plus, the Bulgarian played the Serb at his precision-best (the Serb landed 87 percent of his first serves). Djokovic did not miss many easy shots, landed his first serve, hit to the corners, and chased down most everything Dimitrov sent back his way.
Not only would a win have been difficult for Dimitrov in the form Djokovic was playing, but any player defeating the Serb would have been difficult in the semis of the Miami Open. The match took only an hour and nine minutes.
The storyline of the match almost became who was there instead of what was going on on the court. Lionel Messi came to watch, as did Serena Williams. Early in the match, one spectator who had been heckling Dimitrov was forced to leave. However, they had a better chance of defeating Djokovic than the Bulgarian did on Friday.
Djokovic will next play the winner of the other Miami Open men's semifinal, Taylor Fritz versus Jakub Mensik, in the final. That will take place on Sunday.