Interview: Resurgent Dimitrov trying to embrace every moment

For most players, the fact that there’s a new tennis event somewhere in the world almost every week is an opportunity they relish. For those that go deep in tournaments, the quick turnaround presents a problem: there’s no real time to celebrate your achievements.

Grigor Dimitrov was back on court – and winning again – at the Monte-Carlo Masters on Monday, just over a week after reaching only his third Masters 1000 final in Miami. The 32-year-old Bulgarian didn’t have much time to celebrate, and headed straight home to Europe to begin the clay-court season.

In some ways it’s the price of success: “Sometimes you have to pay the price in one thing for the other,” he said, in an interview in Monte-Carlo on Monday. His stunning run to the final in Miami, where he beat Hubert Hurkacz, Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev before losing to an inspired Jannik Sinner, lifted him back into the top 10 for the first time since 2018, something he’s rightly proud of.

Dimitrov admitted he was tired after his 7-5, 6-2 first-round win over Valentin Vacherot of Monaco in the first round on Monday and revealed how quickly he’d been back on court after his efforts in Miami.

“If you think about it, that amazing tournament, how good it would have been to come back home and have five days of holiday in Italy,” he said. “Instead I came back home and less than 24 hours already back on the court. I mean, that messes with your head a little bit as well because you’re like, hold on, what am I doing here? You have achieved something very, very good but then all of a sudden, like I don’t even have time to embrace it, to enjoy it.”

Living in the moment

That realisation, Dimitrov says, means he is able now to take in more of what’s happening, as it’s happening. “I believe it’s possible to stay connected to what you do, but in the same time, I think enjoy it, appreciate it, and be grateful.

“It’s a great thing, honestly, it’s a good problem to have,” he said. “I just need to figure out how can I have maybe a quicker rehab? How can I turn that more into my advantage? In the past, I always had a bit of time to kind of prepare (for clay). This is one of the first times that I switch surfaces so quick in my life, I would say, I’m trying to remember if I ever had anything like that, but no.”

Ranked as high as No 3 in 2017, after he won the ATP Finals, Dimitrov has been playing at a high level, week in, week out, reaching finals in Brisbane and Marseille this year, in addition to Miami. Staying injury-free has helped him build momentum and he goes into the clay-court season full of confidence, buoyed by beating three top 10 players. The quick turnaround might be tough, but he’ll take it.

“These wins, the best thing I take out of it is that I was just very consistent throughout the months,” he said. “Obviously being able to put those types of wins back to back with such a game and energy and level definitely, let’s take pride in that.”

Dimitrov will at least have a day off to continue his recovery, with his second-round opponents, Matteo Berrettini and Miomir Kecmanovic due to square off in round one on Tuesday.

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