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Grigor Dimitrov vs Raphael Collignon Tips, Prediction & Live Stream - Collignon set for second win over Dimitrov

andrew-hendrie
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Last updated: Wed 18 Mar 2026 04:18

Grigor Dimitrov starts his Miami Masters campaign with a challenging match against rising star Raphael Collignon. Dimitrov, a former finalist, is on a slow comeback from a pectoral injury, yet he has a rich history at the Miami tournament with past successes. Collignon, aiming to crack the top 50 during the clay season, has shown his ability to challenge big names, including a victory over Dimitrov earlier this year. The match is poised to be a close contest, with Collignon slightly favored to extend his mastery over Dimitrov, securing a potential first-ever Masters 1000 win.

Andrew Hendrie 18 Mar 2026
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  • Grigor Dimitrov vs Raphael Collignon predictions for Wednesday's ATP Miami R1
  • Collignon beat Dimitrov in their only previous clash to start 2026 in Brisbane
  • Close contest expected in Miami, with Collignon backed for a first Masters 1000 win
  • The match is scheduled to start around 4.30am AEDT on Thursday March 19
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Raphael Collignon Dimitrov
Collignon and Dimitrov clash on Wednesday in Miami (Photo by Getty Images)


Grigor Dimitrov vs Raphael Collignon Tips, Prediction & Live Stream


Former finalist Grigor Dimitrov begins his Miami Masters campaign with a tricky opening round contest against the rising Raphael Collignon on Monday.

Dimitrov has been a strong performer in Miami in recent appearances, making the final in 2024 and the semi-finals last year. However, the Bulgarian is currently in the midst of a slow comeback from a pectoral injury sustained at Wimbledon last year and has only won two matches so far in 2026.

Collignon meanwhile continues to impress and I'd say he should be cracking the top 50 at some stage during the clay swing. The Belgian beat Dimitrov to launch the year in Brisbane and also won the Pau Challenger. He is inexperienced on this stage and is yet to win a match at Masters 1000 level.

I think this will be a close contest. Dimitrov should be improving with each tournament, but he was unlucky to draw Carlos Alcaraz in the second round of Indian Wells. Collignon has proven he can lift when facing big names and is moving into the peak stage of his career. It's a tough one to call, but Collignon hasn't lost to anyone ranked as low as Dimitrov (No. 44) at tour-level so far this year and I give him the slight edge to repeat his Brisbane win in the 305.
  • Dimitrov has lost five of his seven matches this season
  • Dimitrov has seen Over 22.5 games in four of his last six matches
  • Collignon has seen Over 22.5 games in two of his last three best-of-three tour-level matches
  • The only previous meeting between the pair saw Over 22.5 games
  • Collignon is 7-7 vs top 50 players in his career

Dimitrov vs Collignon Head To Head

Collignon was a straight sets winner in their only previous clash in Brisbane to start 2026.

YearWinnerEventRoundSurfaceScore
2026Raphael CollignonBrisbaneRound of 16Outdoor Hard7–6(1), 6–3

Grigor Dimitrov Form Analysis

  • 2026 Record: 2-5
  • ATP Miami Record: 20-14
  • Current Ranking: No. 44
  • Career-High Ranking: No. 3 (2017)

You've got to feel for Dimitrov - he was on the verge of one of his best career victories last year at Wimbledon, where he lead Jannik Sinner by two sets in the R16. However, the Bulgarian suffered a serious pectoral injury, forcing him to retire and miss basically the rest of the year.

Dimitrov has returned and looks injury-free, but it's been a slow comeback, registering a 2-5 record and coming close to dropping out of the top 50.

After going down to Collignon in the second round of Brisbane, Dimitrov went on a three-match losing streak across the Australian Open, Dallas and Acapulco.

The 34-year-old got back to winning ways by beating Terence Atmane in his Indian Wells opener (avenging his loss to the Frenchman in Acapulco), but he was no match for Alcaraz in a 6-2 6-3 defeat in the following round.

Dimitrov will be hoping Miami can spark some resurgent form - he's won nine of his last 10 matches at the tournament, reaching the final in 2024 and the semis last year.

Raphael Collignon Form Analysis

  • 2026 Record: 4-3
  • ATP Miami Record: 0-0
  • Current Ranking: No. 72
  • Career-High Ranking: No. 59 (Feb 2026)

Collignon cracked the top 100 on the back of some strong results at the end of last year, including beating Casper Ruud at the US Open and Alex de Minaur in Australia during Davis Cup.

The 24-year-old is equipped with a powerful baseline game and booming serve. Collignon was impressive to start the year, making the Brisbane quarter-finals, but unfortunately he was forced to retire while in a strong position against Lorenzo Musetti at the Australian Open.

Collignon returned to win the Pau Challenger, but had a tough first round draw in Indian Wells, going down 7-6 6-4 to Joao Fonseca.

The Belgian opted to play the strong Cap Cana Challenger last week, making the quarter-finals before going down to Mattia Bellucci.

Dimitrov vs Collignon Live Stream

Watch and bet on Grigor Dimitrov vs Raphael Collignon live tennis from Miami.

You can watch and bet on the match live at Unibet > Tennis > ATP Miami with the action available to stream on desktop and mobile.

Geo-restrictions apply, you'll need a funded account or to have placed a bet in the last 24 hours to gain access. 18+ terms and conditions apply.

Verdict

A close contest is tipped for this Miami first round, with Collignon edging it for a first Masters 1000 victory.

Best Bet1: Over 22.5 Total Games $1.88 at Betfocus - 2 Units
Best Bet2: Collignon Win H2H $2.18 at Unibet Australia - 1 Unit
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Grigor Dimitrov v Raphael Collignon