I’ve come an incredible way in the last 7 months – TennisKafe

In the last seven months, Grigor Dimitrov experienced one of the best periods of his career. Since October, the Bulgarian has recorded eight wins over Top 10 players, two of which were over current Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz. Dimitrov has also reached two Masters finals, and in January broke a trophy drought by beating Holger Rune in the ATP 250 final in Brisbane.

Before his first match in Madrid, the Bulgarian tennis player can make a rather interesting assessment. A year earlier, he arrived in the Spanish capital as #33 in the rankings. Now Dimitrov, who will turn 33 in May, is once again part of the top ten in the world.

Earlier in the week, the Haskovo-born player was announced as Payhawk’s global ambassador. The Bulgarian corporate expense management company is the latest addition to Dimitrov’s impressive portfolio of partners, which also includes French fashion giant Lacoste.

“What happens off the court is just as important as what happens on it. I mean relationships with people, family, friends. Even the people who have treated you badly, but you have learned from them so far. I think all of those things have a big impact. In terms of life outside of tennis, I’ve come an incredible way in the last seven months,” the three-time Grand Slam semi-finalist shared in an interview with Tennis Channel.

“Also, I’m now at the age where maturity, experience and love for the sport is growing. You try to understand more about yourself and your environment, you understand what kind of people you want around you, you see the positive and negative sides of some things and learn to deal with them,” added the former #3.

Outside of his successes on the court, Dimitrov has for many years been known as one of the friendliest and most likable people on the ATP Tour. Whether it’s the Big Four players, veterans like Stan Wawrinka and Gael Monfils or his contemporaries like Andrei Rublev and Hubert Hurkach, the Bulgarian invariably manages to establish friendly relationships with everyone. He says that he inherited this ability from his mother, Maria, who, in addition to being a volleyball player, was also a physical education teacher.

“My mother can relate to all types of people and we have often talked about this topic. She always knows what to say or do to motivate the children. He is constantly trying to connect with people and get them to step out of their comfort zone and be themselves without worrying about being judged. She always wants to see the personality behind the facade. To a certain extent, maybe that’s the most important quality she passed on to me,” revealed the semi-finalist from Wimbledon 2014.

“My father is completely opposite in character, which is very strange. You could say I got the best of both worlds. I feel equally comfortable when surrounded by fans, players, staff, etc., as well as when I’m all alone enjoying a walk in the desert. In both cases, I’m pleased.”

Over time, Dimitrov has learned to distance himself from what he calls “the impostors” — the ups and downs that accompany a professional tennis player’s nearly 11-month season.

“Things are never as good or as bad as they seem at first glance,” said the 2017 Finals champion.

This also applies to his career right now. The “retirement,” as Tennis Channel’s Matt Fitzgerald calls it, is not a magical period that the Bulgarian star takes for granted. Dimitrov is enjoying the freedom to pursue his own goals, as well as gradually discovering what fate has in store for this very important stage of his life and career.

One of the world’s oldest questions is what exactly it means to be a good person. The US Open 2019 semi-finalist also has his answer.

“Everyone has a good heart by nature, but it’s how you use it and how you express yourself that matters. For me, that part has always been very, very strong. I always stayed that way, even at the risk of ruining my relationship with some people. I don’t mind that as long as I’m true to myself, my heart and the people around me. I think that, in itself, is something that helps you move forward. It encourages you to be a good person and to strive for a high standard of living,” concludes Dimitrov.

Tomorrow our first racket will start its participation in the Masters tournament in Madrid. His opponent will be world No. 74 Jakub Menshik, a the match is fourth in the program on court #3.