Currently ranked No. 169, Grigor Dimitrov has endured the toughest stretch of his comeback from injury, arriving at the Challenger 75 event in Dublin far from where he once belonged. The former World No. 3 even needed a wildcard to enter Wimbledon, where he had once reached the semis. Yet, now, as he prepares for the grass-court Slam, Dimitrov didn’t hold back, criticizing the ATP ranking system.

“The way our rankings are structured is so unfair that there’s no point in talking about it. There are things that are simple: if you win, you have a high ranking,” Grigor Dimitrov said in an exclusive interview with Punto De Break.

“You lose, you go down and down in the rankings. There’s no secret. This sport doesn’t give you the opportunity to take shortcuts: we’re in a cutthroat business,” he later added.

The Bulgarian suffered a partial tear of his right pectoral muscle against Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon last year. Although seemingly recovered, Dimitrov has yet to regain his form in 2026. The season has seen him slip to World No.169, marking his lowest ranking since 2010.

Get the Break Point Newsletter. Daily tennis news spanning the WTA, ATP, and Grand Slams — from on-court action to off-court storylines.

Due to the ATP Tour’s rolling 52-week ranking structure, injured but active players are susceptible to losing their points — especially if they don’t have a protected ranking.

The 35-year-old arrived in Dublin with a difficult seven-match losing streak. The Bulgarian finally managed to put together back-to-back victories for the first time since SW19 last year.

His encouraging run in the Challenger event eventually ended in the QF, where world No. 145 Kyrian Jacquet defeated him and brought his campaign to a close. Earlier this week, Dimitrov was awarded a wildcard into The Championships, while former British No. 1 Dan Evans did not receive one.

Later in the same interview, Dimitrov was also asked about receiving the Wimbledon wildcard. He was also questioned about whether last year’s injury at SW19 against Jannik Sinner was still on his mind. “Honestly, I’m very grateful [to receive a wildcard]. That’s all,” Dimitrov said. “What happened in the past is in the past; I’m not thinking about looking back at all.”

Following the Dublin Open, Dimitrov is now scheduled to play one more event before SW19 begins. He has also received a wildcard for the Mallorca Championships in Spain as he continues building momentum for the grass-court Slam.

After that, he will return to the All-England Club, where he is defending 200 ranking points. However, failing to protect those crucial points could see him drop outside the world’s top 300. And at 35, following an injury-riddled season, the climb to the upper echelons of ATP rankings could prove too much for Dimitrov.

While Dimitrov openly questioned how the ranking system treats injured athletes, he is far from the only player in recent times to raise similar concerns.

Daniil Medvedev urges a ranking overhaul for the tennis points system

Over the years, several ATP players, including players in the top 10, have expressed grievances with how ranking points are awarded.

Among them is Russia’s Daniil Medvedev. The former world No. 1 once urged tennis officials to rethink the system to address the demanding tournament schedule.

“I would say make four Grand Slams, I don’t know, 11 Masters, and that’s it. The other tournaments, maybe make them without points or something,” he added while playing at the Dubai Open this year. 

Roger Federer, the once poster boy of tennis, also voiced concerns about the ranking system several years earlier. The Swiss icon questioned the large gap in points awarded between champions and players who made deep runs.

After winning The Championships in 2017, Federer explained why he felt the distribution was unfair. He pointed to the points earned by Great Britain’s Andy Murray despite reaching the quarterfinals that year.

“What I feel is a bit wrong in the rankings system is, if you have a great run and play a quarters, like Andy did, for instance, fought, loses in five sets, walks away with 360 points. I walk away with 2,000 points. I feel the gap’s too big,” he said.

With Dimitrov now launching his own criticism, the debate regarding ranking points continues to grow. For now, though, Dimitrov’s main focus remains on finding his winning rhythm again in Spain, as he will hope to arrive at SW19 in top form to defend his ranking points this year.