Grigor Dimitrov has expanded his coaching team in a bid to regain the form that made him a fixture in the biggest matches. Working alongside Xavier Malisse, the Bulgarian added former world No. 3 David Nalbandian to his camp ahead of the Abierto Mexicano Telcel in Acapulco as his season turns toward the Sunshine Double.

Dimitrov confirmed the pairing after bringing Malisse on at the start of the year. “In a way, it happened so naturally. Right now we are still finding our footing, because it’s very new for all of us,” he told ATP Media ahead of his opening match. “But things are very clear of what needs to be done and how we want to tackle the game.”

The connection is rooted in history. Dimitrov faced both men early in his career: he lost his maiden ATP semifinal at 2012 London Queen’s to Nalbandian and won two of three meetings with Malisse. That shared experience helped the partnership form quickly. “It’s nice when you can relate to someone that you have played. At the beginning, when I got into the conversations with them, we really started to see things similarly,” he commented. “I could relate to them in terms of the timing of their careers, injuries, game plan, thoughts, and all of that.”

Currently ranked No. 44, Dimitrov opened his Acapulco campaign with a 6-3, 6-3 loss to Terence Atmane. He arrives at Indian Wells seeking to halt a four-match losing streak and to rebuild after the pectoral injury he suffered while leading Jannik Sinner by two sets in the fourth round of 2025 Wimbledon. “It’s still kind of early in the year, but I’m looking forward to put myself back there. Not only in the mix, but in the position to have those big and heavy matches,” Dimitrov said.

“I miss going through those types of matches. I’m trying to prepare, mostly physically, for them right now. I know my game will follow, but I just need to get myself in the same place again.”

Tournament officials confirmed the Abierto Mexicano Telcel will continue as planned despite a wave of violence affecting several Mexican states.

“The Abierto Mexicano Telcel reports that the rumors circling in the press and on social media about the tournament’s supposed cancelation due to the security issues in Jalisco are false,” organizers said in a statement shared to the tournament’s official social media pages.

“The tournament has not issued any cancellation notice. The event will go on as scheduled and tournament operations will proceed as normal.

“We remain in coordination and in constant communication with federal, state and municipal authorities, following the established security protocols.”

According to the Associated Press, the unrest followed the Mexican army’s killing of Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. The cartel reportedly has an estimated 19,000 members operating in 21 of Mexico’s 32 states and was designated a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. in 2025. Violence included burned vehicles and blocked roads at more than 250 points across 20 states, and videos on social media showed Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta under lockdown.

The State Department advised U.S. citizens and tourists to shelter in place and issued a security alert for Jalisco, Tamaulipas, Michoacan, Nuevo Leon and Guerrero. Security concerns also led to the cancellation of four soccer matches on Sunday, including two in Liga MX and Liga MX Femenil, and several Mexican and international airlines canceled flights.

In Acapulco, roughly 500 miles or about 10 hours by car from Guadalajara, tennis fans reported an increased security presence at the GNP Seguros Arena. Businesses near the venue closed early on Sunday, the final day of qualifying. Main draw play began on Monday, with matches scheduled to start at 4:00 p.m. local time. The tournament hosted Kid’s Day, and player activities such as Media Day and the traditional White Party proceeded without incident.

Top seeds in the draw include world No. 4 Alexander Zverev, two-time champion Alex de Minaur and Casper Ruud. American players Frances Tiafoe, Brandon Nakashima and Patrick Kypson also feature. The Acapulco event was voted Best ATP 500 Event in 2007, 2017 and 2019.

Alexander Zverev arrives in Acapulco preparing for his first match since the Australian Open semifinals, accompanied by his daughter Mayla. The world No. 4 comes off a lengthy break that combined recovery and training after an exhaustive outing at Melbourne Park.

The last time he competed he spent five hours and 27 minutes on court, falling short when attempting a two-set comeback against Carlos Alcaraz in the Australian Open semifinals. Reflecting on that match, Zverev was candid about the toll it took. “I felt like Australia, I played the right way. I lost the match because I got tired in the end, to be very honest. I had nothing left,” he told ATP Media in a pre-tournament interview.

Despite the result, he called the overall trip to Australia a positive step. “I still feel like Australia in a way was a success. I feel like my game was working and the plan that we had for this year seems to be working. I’m happy about that.”

That plan, he said, involves a deliberate shift away from relying on endurance to outlast opponents. Zverev described his past strength as often being superior fitness; now he wants to shorten points and take control earlier in rallies. “Just a lot more aggressive. Trying to hit the ball a lot harder. Also trying come in a bit more,” he said. “Just trying to take the racquet out of my opponents’ hands a bit more rather than rallying. Rather than winning just by being physically fitter sometimes. The adjustment has been made in the off-season, for this year. We’re trying to stick to that game plan.”

The three-time major finalist has spent a week in Mexico preparing for his third event of the season; he opened the year leading Germany’s bid at the United Cup. Mayla, now four, has travelled with him to a number of tournaments since last year. On balancing family life and the tour he said, “I try to keep her away from the spotlight. I want her to be a normal child, growing up with a normal life,” and “I try to keep her out of social media, all the Instagrammie stuff. It’s nice that she comes more and more.”