Renaissance man Dimitrov reveals secret behind his return to top form: “I want to win on my own terms”

Grigor Dimitrov has experienced more than his fair share of disappointments in his career; from the leg injury he suffered just as he was breaking through on Tour, to the near misses he’s had in Grand Slam semi-finals.

But through all the ups and downs, Dimitrov has never lost his belief and it seems that at the grand old age of 32, he now knows what he wants and how to get it.

“I think for me where I’m at right now, you know, things in a way, they’re going my way, but also I’m looking for them as well,” the Bulgarian said, after beating Stefanos Tsitsipas in Paris on Saturday to reach his first Masters 1000 final in six years.

“I’m not waiting for my opponent to do something with it or I’m not waiting for them to miss. I want to win or lose on my own terms.

“That brings me back again to another point, how everything has been happening on and off the court in my life is the same thing. I can control my attitude, and I don’t want to feel sorry for myself for the past years. I don’t want to feel like I have missed opportunities. Yes, have I? Yeah, of course, too many, if you ask me. Have I made mistakes? Yes, too many.”

Acceptance the key for Dimitrov

Dimitrov said reaching the Paris final was as good, if not better, than some of his biggest wins. That’s quite a statement, given that he won the ATP Finals in 2017, beat Andy Murray when he was defending champion at Wimbledon in 2014 and has won eight titles worldwide.

But in 2023, Dimitrov has found his feet again and no matter the opponent, be it Murray at the US Open or Tsitsipas in Paris, he has always believed he had the talent and ability to achieve big things. All those tough losses, like the one to Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals of the Australian Open, have been worth it to get to this point.

“The one thing I’m very happy and proud with myself is the fact that I give myself the chance,” he said. “I mean, I might hit a forehand inside out or inside in that is that far in or out. It’s such fine margins.

“There comes a point where it’s like, OK, I’m accepting all that had been thrown at me, what I had to face, and I continue. I get to have another chance. So when you get that chance, try to use it. So I’m trying to give myself a chance,” he said.

Dimitrov: “I felt like I never left”

Dimitrov leaped for joy when he ripped a backhand pass to seal victory over Tsitsipas and the Bulgarian said he’s having the time of his life.

“Honestly, it’s very humbling to be where I’m at in my career and of course in my age, which everybody keeps talking about it,” he said, with a smile.

“I don’t feel like that. You know, I felt like I’ve never left. In the same time, of course, did I have a very hard time? Yeah, I did. Have I been through a lot of ups and downs? Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I’m not shy to say it or to think any other way.

“I think just I’m enjoying every moment that I get out there to play tennis right now. I think as an athlete you never know when it might be your last time, injury or something happens, God forbid. So many other things, they don’t matter, but what matters when you get out there is the time that you have certain windows throughout the match to live that moment.”

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