Dimitrov rediscovers the joy and rebounds to end season in top 10
The Bulgarian was the only player with a single-handed backhand in the year-end top 10 rankings
Grigor Dimitrov, US Open 2024
Image Credit: Pamela Smith/AP/SIPA
For the first time in ATP Finals history, a player with a single-handed backhand wasn’t in the field, but Grigor Dimitrov at least saved the day for single-handers in the top 10.
The veteran from Bulgaria conjured up 46 wins this season, the fourth time in his career that he’s notched 40+ victories (he also did the same in 2014, 2017, 2023). Apart from his still-appealing athleticism and shot-making, which has been his trademark since the early Baby Fed days, to what do we give credit?
Firstly, he has far more experience, which now allows him to play more within himself and with greater tactical acumen. Secondly, as Dimitrov himself put it: “With each year that has gone by I’m more appreciative of anything that I get not only to do (on court) but (also) in life.”
Being wiser and playing with increased freedom goes a long way – the pressure is still there, but now the love for the game is at the forefront, and you can see that by just how much more consistent and persistent he is. Also, the Bulgarian has surrounded himself with people who know him really well in coaches Jamie Delgado and Dani Vallverdu.
Dimitrov’s sole 2024 title came in the first week of the season, when he won his first ATP title in seven years, beating Holger Rune 7-6 (5), 6-4 in the Brisbane International final. Having waited for so long, that victory was particularly emotional, but Dimitrov’s best run of the season came at the Miami Open.
In the first round, he was a set and 5-2 down in the second set tiebreak to Alejandro Tabilo before somehow managing to pull through. Having survived the first round, he went on to beat Yannick Hanfmann, Hubert Hurkacz, Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev, before finally running out of gas and losing to Jannik Sinner in the finals.
Dimitrov had additional runner-up finishes at the Open 13 in Marseille (losing to Ugo Humbert) and Stockholm Open (losing to Tommy Paul). He also reached the quarter-finals at Roland-Garros for the first time in his career, a testament to his versatility and variety as a player.
Greatest Win: Out of his six top 10 wins this season, the one that shines the brightest is the convincing 6-2, 6-4 victory over Carlos Alcaraz at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. After the match, the Spaniard said that Dimitrov “made him feel like a 13-year-old“. Proclaiming afterwards that “sometimes simplicity is genius”, Dimitrov fired 24 winners past Alcaraz, kept his nerve and kept trusting his shots to get the big win.
What If Moment: At Wimbledon and the US Open, Dimitrov was forced to retire. In the fourth round of Wimbledon, Dimitrov slipped and hurt his knee early on before having to retire at 5-3 down in the first set to Daniil Medvedev. In New York, the place of his resurrection in 2019, he was again close to making the semi-finals, but due to a leg issue he felt in the third set, Dimitrov retired 6-3, 6-(5)-7, 6-3, 4-1 down to Frances Tiafoe.
Look Ahead: He was three times “about to retire from tennis“, but now at the age of 33, Grigor Dimitrov looks to have some decent years ahead of him, providing that he stays injury-free. And as long as he is playing, the Bulgarian will continue chasing that elusive Grand Slam final.
