Grigor Dimitrov is certainly a very talented player, who has been highly appreciated for his style of play by both fans and insiders. The Bulgarian player has performed well during his career, winning the 2017 Nitto ATP Finals and the Cincinnati Masters 1000.
When he was at the beginning of his career, many experts predicted that Grisha could become number 1 in the world and win several Grand Slam titles. Dimitrov never achieved these goals and today many think that he is an unfinished player, who did not express his full potential on the tennis court. The simultaneous presence of the Big 3 – Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic – certainly did not help him win the most important titles, but the Bulgarian has not always been impeccable in terms of mental and attitude.
Grigor Dimitrov and Frances Tiafoe© YouTube screenshot
Grigor never wanted to adopt a more aggressive style of play, which would allow him to shorten the duration of rallies and exploit his talent near the net. His best Grand Slam tournament was probably the 2017 Australian Open, where he reached the semi-finals losing to Rafa Nadal at the end of a truly epic battle.
Grisha played well this year
After some rather disappointing seasons, Dimitrov has shown a great level this year and achieved numerous prestigious results. The Bulgarian champion reached the quarterfinals in two Majors, at the French Open and the US Open. In Paris, he had to surrender to world number 1 Jannik Sinner, while in New York he was forced to retire against American ace Frances Tiafoe.
Grigor Dimitrov© YouTube screenshot
A conclusion that leaves the bitter in the mouth. Grigor Dimitrov’s run at the Us Open stopped in the quarterfinals, with the Bulgarian forced to retire against Frances Tiafoe in the fourth set due to a physical malaise. It’s a shame for the 33-year-old, who missed his fourth Grand Slam semifinal, the first since 2019 (also in New York).
The Bulgarian explained in a press conference the reasons for his retirement, declaring that now it is a priority for him to safeguard his body. The World number 10 explained why he decided to retire from the current match. “I think it’s a combination of everything. What is clear is that my rehabilitation process is slower than before, I heard a few things in the previous match. There’s no point in talking about it, this is the game and I have to keep my head up. I just need to reevaluate some things that I have to change so I can do a little better maybe and also physically. Given the circumstances in which I found myself in Montreal, I was not sure that I could do as well as I would have liked. So I take these quarterfinals anyway. I do not want to discredit Frances’ game, which also pushed me to work harder,” said the Bulgarian.
An unfortunate fate
Dimitrov himself has yet to understand the nature of the problem. “I cannot be precise. What I need to do is calm down a little and find out what’s going on, explore myself and everything else. I think that at the moment I am there is no point in risking anything. I have always pushed myself and my body to the limit, but there are times when you have to make a decision and execute it as I did today” he commented.
Dimitrov© Dimitrov X account/Fair Use
After Wimbledon, history repeats itself. “This is the second straight Grand Slam that I have and I think I have enough experience with myself to know that it doesn’t make sense to continue like this. Do I like doing it? No, but I like it. I mean, that’s what I’m saying. It is not an easy pill to swallow at this time, it is a day-long accumulation”.
The Bulgarian explained how difficult it is to make the decision to withdraw from such an important appointment. “It doesn’t get any easier, but when you’ve done some things in a certain way during your career, like outside of tennis, it makes you humble. That’s why when things like this happen to me, I accept them. It hurts, but you have to accept it. I don’t want to belittle it or put it aside, but I also have some very exciting things in front of me. I’m going home and I’m going to rest a little. I have a performance with Novak and then I will go to Asia to finish the year,” concluded Dimitrov.
The feeling is that Grisha has missed something both mentally and technically. With a little more determination, the palmarés of Dimitrov could have been even more prestigious.