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 ranking system he believes has unfairly hurt players.

“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.

Because he struggled with injuries in the recent past and inconsistent form over the 2026 season, Dimitrov has slipped to world No. 169, marking his lowest ranking since 2010.

Before arriving in Dublin, the 35-year-old was enduring a difficult 7-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 now, while Dimitrov openly questioned how the ranking system treats injured players, he is far from the only player in recent times to raise concerns about how the rankings work.

Daniil Medvedev urges a ranking overhaul for the tennis points system

Grigor Dimitrov is not the only player who has questioned the current ATP ranking system. Over the years, several ATP players, including players who were in the top 10, have raised similar concerns about how ranking points are awarded.

Among them is the 30-year-old Daniil Medvedev. The former world No. 1 once urged tennis officials to rethink the system in an effort to reduce 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 the Briton 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.”

With Dimitrov now adding his own criticism, the debate around 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.