“It was a love affair at first sight” – Dimitrov reflects on his tennis journey

In a moving video message, Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov reflected on his tennis journey that began when he was a toddler. Dimitrov shared his ‘Love Letter To Tennis’ while talking to the ATP Tour.

“Dear tennis, it’s a long love story that you and I have,” he said. “I got introduced to you when I was three years old with a very little racquet that I was given from my mum. My first interaction with you was when I was hitting against a very broken wall in my town.”

Dimitrov turned professional in the year 2008 and soon climbed his way up to the top echelons of tennis, notably earning the title of ‘Baby Federer‘. He lifted the ATP Finals trophy in 2017 to touch his career-high ranking of world No 3.

The Bulgarian’s career, however, went on a downward spiral as he dropped out of the top 50 in July 2019. However, he steadied his ship in the following years and eventually breached the top 10 in April this year — now ranked world No 10.

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“Our journey took a very different turn when I stepped on the court with my dad, who actually taught me how to play, for which I’m extremely grateful.” Dimitrov continued. “Our years together have been filled with lots of love, heartbreaks, excitement, outrageous moments. For you, I will forever be grateful for what you have brought not only to my life, but to my heart.

It was a love affair at first sight. I don’t think I fell in love with it more so as it was just given.”

Grigor Dimitrov

“I remember when I was 11 years old, it was the time that I won a tournament in France and I was at home looking at the trophy, and my parents came home, and I said, ‘This is what I’m going to be doing.’ And that’s the turning point I guess.

“Tennis, when you broke my heart more than once, I’m not sure if I should thank you for that but I do. It’s a moment I had to go through, and at the same time it’s a moment where you taught me how tennis uses the language of life.”

The Bulgarian notably didn’t win any silverware after his heroics at the year-end championships in 2017 until lifting the trophy at Brisbane International in January 2024.

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