Before his participation in the tournament in Stockholm Grigor Dimitrov gave an interview to Swedish television Tennisportalen.
– Prez In 2017, you won the ATP Finals title and became #3 in the world. However, the next two years were difficult for you. What happened?
– Yes, they were difficult times. However, as strange as it sounds, these were probably the best difficult times of my life. I’m not one to dwell in the past, but sometimes I think about these things. It is true that the 2017 season was great for me, but the following year my mental state was not good as I had a lot of problems off the court. I made some changes to my team and this was also the period when I started to face my first more serious injuries. When things go down that spiral, it’s very hard to bounce back, especially when you’re losing games and your confidence is low. Every time you go out on the court, you feel these gaps in your game and it makes things even more complicated. A tennis court can be one of the loneliest places in the world. There are times when you just want to disappear. I think most people don’t realize the emotional toll the life of a professional athlete can take on you in the long run. The most important thing I learned during this period was to start working on my mental and emotional resilience and finding ways to overcome the pain. From that point of view, it was one of the best periods of my career. The most important thing is that I never gave up, I kept believing and working hard. Also, I had people around me who believed in me even more than I believed in myself – my family, friends, other loved ones.
– Would it be correct to say that after all that you’ve been through, you now appreciate the situation you’re in even more?
– Yes, absolutely. There is no doubt about it. Compared to 5-6 years ago, I am now in a much different position both professionally and in life. When so many things happen to you, you realize what is really important. Everyone has their own reason for playing tennis. I have had many reasons over the course of my career. I realize I’m nearing the end of my career, but I’m still enjoying the game and not thinking about retiring. I think I’m going through the best period of my career right now and I’m trying to make the most of every opportunity. I also feel stronger than most players, which gives me another advantage. I am calm because the achievements on the court are not what make me the happiest or the unhappiest in the world.
– Will you also tell us about the “Laver” cup? We have seen that you have the qualities to be a very good coach.
– Do you think? The rest of the team didn’t seem to mind. However, I am 10 years older than them, so they have to listen to me. From the moment I arrived in Berlin, I told the others that I don’t want to hear any complaints – I just want joy and smiles.