LONDON: Grigor Dimitrov left his first match at the ATP Finals in the same manor as he approached it. With a big smile and high sense of pride.
Relishing in a career-best season, the 26-year-old has already won three ATP finals out of the four he has participated in. At the Cincinnati Masters, he dropped serve only once on route to lifting the most prestigious title of his career. His reward for those achievements is a place in his first season-ending finale. A milestone that he has sought to achieve for many years.
“I’ve never been out here. Now I can say that that barrier is broken, I guess.” Said Dimitrov.
“It for me was just one of those new experiences that I think I’m going to remember for the rest of my life, I think appreciate for the rest of my life.”
Starting his London campaign with a marathon win over Dominic Thiem, Dimitrov isn’t just playing for himself. He has rewritten the history books as the first Bulgarian player to feature in the tournament. Underlining the legacy he is in the process of creating for his native country.
Dimitrov, who is preparing to build an academy in his home town of Haskovo, is under no illusion of the significance he is having on Bulgarian tennis. It is a daunting task, but he chooses to take things in his stride. He doesn’t want to rise to the top of the rankings for just himself. His dream is to inspire others to follow in his own footsteps.
“It’s not only big for me, I think it’s for my whole country, for Bulgaria. It’s great for me to show that everything is possible.” He explained.
“You push the boundaries, doesn’t matter where you’re from, it’s all up to you, everything is in your hands. Basically, whatever you put in is what you get.”
The future
Monday’s win over Thiem was Dimitrov’s fourth win over a top-10 player. A milestone he has only achieved once before in 2014. Reflecting on the surge in his form, the world No.6 is still eager to improve further and crack the top-5.
“I’ve done also a lot of work on and off the court. I think it finally is starting to kind of come together.” Dimitrov evaluated.
“I’m trying to fulfill the little gaps that I think I can do better on. From now on, I think only the little things will make a huge difference.” He later added.
With 45 wins under his belt so far this season, Dimitrov sees a positive future for him and his team. Part of his success is down to coach Dani Vallverdu, who has guided him since last year. In the past, there has been doubts raised about his mentality on the tour following a drop to 40th in the world in 2016. For Dimitrov, this is now all in the past for him.
“I think the best is yet to come. I’m super excited for what’s ahead. I’m already looking for the next season. Getting excited also a little bit for the off-season, which it’s not the most exciting time, but I’m getting excited. I think that’s a good sign, right?”
At the ATP Finals, the former Wimbledon semifinalist will play the winner of the match between Rafael Nadal and David Goffin. Against No.1 Nadal, he has only won one out of their 11 meetings on the tour. Nevertheless, Dimitrov remains fearless of what lies ahead for him.
“I have zero preference who I’m going to play. I’m here to compete. That’s all I’m going to look after to, the rest. Honestly doesn’t really matter to me right Now.” He concluded.
Should Dimitrov win any more matches this week, he will achieve five wins over a top-10 player within a single season for the first time in his career.
