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Grigor Dimitrov
Dimitrov WM18 (121) (42123368250).jpg
Dimitrov en Wimbledon 2018
País (deportes) Bulgaria
ResidenciaMontecarlo , Mónaco
Nació (1991-05-16) 16 de mayo de 1991 (29 años)
Haskovo , Bulgaria
Altura1,91 m (6 pies 3 pulgadas)
Convertido en profesional2008
Obras de teatroDiestro
(revés con una mano)
EntrenadorDante Bottini
Dinero del premioUS $ 19,511,778 [1]
Individual
Historial de carrera332-219 (60,3% en los partidos del cuadro principal del ATP Tour y Grand Slam , y en la Copa Davis )
Títulos de carrera8
Categoría más altaNo. 3 (20 de noviembre de 2017)
Clasificación actualNo. 17 (5 de abril de 2021) [3]
Resultados de Grand Slam Singles
abierto de AustraliaSF ( 2017 )
abierto Francés4R ( 2020 )
WimbledonSF ( 2014 )
Abierto de Estados UnidosSF ( 2019 )
Otros torneos
Finales del TourW ( 2017 )
Juegos olímpicos2R ( 2012 )
Dobles
Historial de carrera46-65 (41,4% en los partidos del cuadro principal del ATP Tour y Grand Slam , y en la Copa Davis )
Títulos de carrera0
Categoría más altaNo. 66 (26 de agosto de 2013)
Clasificación actualNo. 849 (10 de mayo de 2021)
Resultados de Grand Slam Dobles
abierto de Australia3R ( 2013 )
abierto Francés2R ( 2013 )
Wimbledon2R ( 2011 , 2013 )
Abierto de Estados Unidos1R ( 2011 )
Dobles mixtos
Historial de carrera3-1 (75,0%)
Resultados de Grand Slam Dobles Mixtos
abierto Francés1R ( 2011 )
Competiciones por equipos
Copa Davis20–4
Copa HopmanRR ( 2012 )
Última actualización: 10 de mayo de 2021.

Grigor Dimitrov ( búlgaro : Григор Димитров , pronunciado  [ɡriˈɡɔr dimiˈtrɔf] ; nacido el 16 de mayo de 1991) es un tenista profesional búlgaro . Su ranking de singles ATP más alto de su carrera es el No. 3 del mundo, que logró en noviembre de 2017 después de ganar las Finales ATP .

Dimitrov es el tenista búlgaro más exitoso hasta la fecha, tanto en términos de clasificación alcanzada (a partir de 2017 es el único tenista búlgaro en estar clasificado dentro de los diez mejores individuales ATP) como en premios en metálico, siendo el único búlgaro masculino jugador para alcanzar US $ 1 millón [4] y luego $ 19 millones. Ganó el premio al Deportista búlgaro del año en 2014 y 2017, la primera y segunda vez que un tenista gana el premio desde su creación en 1958.

Dimitrov es también el primer (y único) tenista masculino búlgaro en ganar un título ATP en individuales (después de que ganó en octubre de 2013 en Estocolmo ) y llegar a una final en dobles (en 2011), así como el único jugador masculino búlgaro en alcanzar la cuarta ronda o mejor en un torneo de Grand Slam . Dimitrov es también el primer búlgaro en clasificarse y luego ganar, las Finales ATP. [5] Ha ganado ocho títulos individuales ATP hasta la fecha.

Antes de su carrera profesional, Dimitrov disfrutó de una exitosa carrera juvenil, en la que ocupó el puesto número 1 del mundo y ganó títulos individuales de Grand Slam masculinos consecutivos en los Campeonatos de Wimbledon de 2008 y el US Open de 2008; en la primera derrotó a los futuros hombres. Dobles el jugador No. 1 Henri Kontinen en la final. Después de regresar de las lesiones, Dimitrov venció a Roger Federer por primera vez en su carrera en cinco sets en el US Open 2019 , antes de perder ante Daniil Medvedev en las semifinales. [6]

Vida temprana [ editar ]

Dimitrov nació en Haskovo , Bulgaria de Dimitar, un entrenador de tenis, y su madre María, profesora de deportes y ex jugadora de voleibol, en 1991. [7] Primero sostuvo una raqueta de tenis, que le dio su madre, a la edad de tres, [7] ya los cinco años empezó a jugar a diario. En sus primeros años su padre fue su entrenador, pero luego de que el joven búlgaro demostrara su talento en los torneos juveniles, dejó claro que tendría que desarrollarse en otras condiciones. A la edad de 16 años, Dimitrov se volvió profesional.

En 2007, Dimitrov se incorporó a la academia "Sánchez-Casal", donde se formó aún más bajo la dirección de Emilio Sánchez y Pato Álvarez. Desde marzo de 2009, Dimitrov se entrenó en París, Francia, donde se unió a la Academia de Tenis de Patrick Mouratoglou y pasó las siguientes cuatro temporadas allí y nombró a Patrick Moratoglou como entrenador para 2012. [8]

Vida personal [ editar ]

Dimitrov comenzó a salir con Maria Sharapova a fines de 2012. Él y Sharapova solo confirmaron su relación después del Abierto de Madrid 2013, donde el búlgaro logró su primera victoria contra un No. 1 del mundo, superando a Novak Djokovic . [9] Sharapova y Dimitrov se separaron en julio de 2015. [10] A finales de 2015, comenzó a salir discretamente con la cantante estadounidense Nicole Scherzinger , la vocalista principal de The Pussycat Dolls . [11]

Además de su búlgaro nativo, habla inglés y dice que sus principales intereses son los deportes, los automóviles, las computadoras y los relojes. [12] Al principio de su carrera, recibió el sobrenombre de "Baby Fed" por su estilo de juego y talento en la cancha similar al de Roger Federer . [13]

El 21 de junio de 2020, Dimitrov confirmó en las redes sociales que estaba infectado con COVID-19 . [14]

Carrera junior [ editar ]

Reclamó su primera copa juvenil importante, el título europeo U14, a la edad de 14 años. [15] En 2006, ganó los singles masculinos del Orange Bowl U16 [16] y más tarde fue nombrado Eddie Herr International 2007 Rising Star. [17]

En 2007, Dimitrov fue el finalista en los singles masculinos del Orange Bowl U18 perdiendo ante Ričardas Berankis de Lituania . Con Vasek Pospisil , llegó a la final de dobles del US Open cayendo ante Jonathan Eysseric y Jérôme Inzerillo .

Dimitrov como campeón junior de Wimbledon en 2008

Comenzó la temporada de Grand Slam 2008 con una actuación en cuartos de final en Roland Garros , perdiendo ante el polaco Jerzy Janowicz en tres sets. Sin embargo, ganó Wimbledon después de derrotar a Henri Kontinen de Finlandia en la final. Ganó el título sin perder un set a pesar de jugar con una lesión en el hombro durante todo el torneo. La victoria lo vio unirse a los ex campeones junior Roger Federer y Stefan Edberg y le garantizó una entrada comodín en el cuadro masculino de Wimbledon 2009. Su éxito continuó en el US Open , que ganó el 7 de septiembre, derrotando al clasificado estadounidense Devin Britton en dos sets.[18] En su camino hacia el título, también derrotó al máximo favorito Yang Tsung-hua de Taiwán en las semifinales. Después del torneo, Dimitrov anunció que estaba terminando su carrera juvenil y se enfocaba en mejorar su clasificación ATP . [19] El 8 de septiembre de 2008, se convirtió en el No. 1 del mundo junior superando a Yang Tsung-hua. [20] Cerró en el número 3 del ranking juvenil ese año. [21] Dimitrov compiló un récord de victorias / derrotas en individuales de 74-28 como junior (y 42-20 en dobles). [22]

Carrera profesional [ editar ]

2008 [ editar ]

En 2008, Dimitrov comenzó a participar frecuentemente en eventos masculinos. Su primer título llegó en tierra batida en un torneo de futuros en Barcelona. Su primer partido de nivel ATP fue en el Ordina Open, donde perdió ante Igor Andreev en dos sets. Después de su título juvenil del US Open, ganó torneos de futuros consecutivos en Madrid en cancha dura y subió 300 lugares hasta la clasificación más alta de su carrera de 477. El logro atrajo la atención suficiente como para ganarle un comodín en el sorteo de clasificación del Mutua Madrileña Madrid Open donde perdió. al entonces No. 64, Florent Serra de Francia. Después de recibir otro comodín para el cuadro de clasificación de Davidoff Swiss Indoors y derrotar al No. 122, Jiří Vaněk, en tres sets en la primera ronda para su primera victoria de nivel ATP, antes de perder ante Julian Reister .

2009 [ editar ]

En 2009, se le concedió un comodín para el cuadro principal del Torneo Mundial de Tenis ABN AMRO y anotó una sorpresa sobre el entonces No. 23 del mundo, Tomáš Berdych , obteniendo su primera victoria en el cuadro principal ATP. En la segunda ronda se enfrentó al No. 1 del mundo, Rafael Nadal , y perdió en tres sets. Se le concedió un comodín para el cuadro principal del Open 13 , pero perdió ante el No. 8 del mundo, Gilles Simon , en la primera ronda, a pesar de servir para el partido en el noveno juego del tercer set. Luego completó dos victorias en la Copa Davis contra Hungría. Perdió ante Danai Udomchoke en sets seguidos en la segunda ronda del SAT Bangkok Open.. Siguieron cuatro salidas de la primera ronda en Challengers. Luego alcanzó los cuartos de final después de la clasificación de dos Challengers sucesivos en el Trofeo Paolo Corazzi y Aegon Trophy . Llegó a la segunda ronda del Aegon Championships tras derrotar a Iván Navarro , pero perdió en dos desempates ante Gilles Simon . En Wimbledon, donde obtuvo un comodín como campeón junior de 2008, ganó el primer set de su partido de primera ronda contra Igor Kunitsyn, pero luego sufrió una lesión en la rodilla. A pesar de esto, intentó continuar, pero perdió los siguientes diez juegos antes de retirarse.

Se le concedió un comodín para el cuadro principal del Abierto de Suecia, pero perdió en la primera ronda ante Guillermo Cañas . Llegó a cuartos de final del Challenger Open Castilla y León perdiendo en tres sets ante Marcel Granollers . Luego perdió en la segunda ronda ante Martin Fischer en sets seguidos en el American Express - TED Open . Como ganador del torneo masculino del Abierto de Estados Unidos en 2008 , se le concedió un comodín para el torneo de clasificación del Abierto de Estados Unidos . Ganó su partido de primera ronda contra Tobias Kamke, pero en la segunda ronda perdió ante el cabeza de serie número uno de la clasificación, Thomaz Bellucci.. Dimitrov ganó su primer título Challenger de dobles en el Trofeo ATP Challenger con Teymuraz Gabashvili venciendo a Jan Minář y Lukáš Rosol . Luego recibió un comodín en el If Stockholm Open, pero perdió en la primera ronda ante Jarkko Nieminen .

2010 [ editar ]

Dimitrov comenzó la temporada con un final en cuartos de final en un evento retador de Internationaux de Nouvelle-Calédonie . Luego intentó clasificar para el Abierto de Australia , pero perdió en la primera ronda ante Robert Kendrick en tres sets.

Dimitrov en 2010

Se recuperó una semana después al clasificar en el Honolulu Challenger , pero perdió ante Donald Young en la segunda ronda. Dimitrov luego participó para Bulgaria en la Copa Davis , logrando las tres victorias en una victoria por 3-2 sobre Mónaco. Tras la eliminatoria de la Copa Davis, Dimitrov tuvo varias derrotas tempranas en varios torneos de retadores. Dimitrov ganó su primer partido ATP del año en las canchas de césped del Aegon Championships en Londres. Venció a Alex Bogdanovic antes de perder ante el No. 31 del mundo, Feliciano López , en la segunda ronda. Luego tuvo una gran carrera en el Marburg Open, un evento Challenger, donde superó la clasificación para llegar a las semifinales donde perdió ante Simone Vagnozzi . Dimitrov volvió a tener una serie de derrotas decepcionantes en los eventos Challenger y otra eliminatoria de la Copa Davis. Luego, Dimitrov participó en cuatro torneos de futuros, obteniendo resultados impresionantes, incluidas dos victorias en Alemania y otra en España. Dimitrov ganó suficientes puntos para entrar en el top 250 del mundo por primera vez en su carrera.

Su buena forma reciente se tradujo en el Challenger Tour, capturando tres títulos consecutivos, el primero en el Trofeo IPP , derrotando a Pablo Andújar en tres sets. Y títulos consecutivos en el Bangkok Open , donde venció al ex jugador top 20 Dmitry Tursunov en los cuartos de final y a Konstantin Kravchuk en la final, y en el Bangkok Open 2 derrotando a Alexander Kudryavtsev . [23] [24] Hizo una salida anticipada en su primer Challenger después de un descanso de dos semanas, pero se recuperó una semana después, venciendo al top 100 Lukáš Lacko y al No. 32 del mundo Michaël Llodrade camino a la final del Open d'Orléans . En la final, Dimitrov perdió ante Nicolas Mahut en un desempate en el tercer set. Después de dos torneos Challenger decepcionantes en Alemania, en los que Dimitrov sufrió salidas en la primera ronda, llegó a las semifinales del IPP Open , su último torneo del año. Allí interpretó al joven lituano Ričardas Berankis. Después de perder un ajustado primer set en un tiebreak, Dimitrov dominó el segundo set pero fue dominado a su vez por Berankis en una derrota en el tercer set. En un incidente fuera de la cancha después del partido, Dimitrov empujó al juez de silla con ambas manos y lo maldijo porque sintió que lo trataron injustamente después de algunas decisiones cercanas en el desempate del primer set. Dimitrov fue multado con 2.000 €. Al llegar a las semifinales en Helsinki, Dimitrov alcanzó su mejor ranking mundial ATP (106).

2011 [ editar ]

Su primer torneo del año fue el Abierto de Australia, donde avanzó a las rondas de clasificación con la pérdida de solo un set. Derrotó al No. 38 del mundo, Andrey Golubev , para avanzar por primera vez a la segunda ronda de un torneo de Grand Slam donde perdió ante el 19º favorito Stanislas Wawrinka . No obstante, Dimitrov logró su mejor ranking ATP hasta el 85. Por lo tanto, se convirtió en el mejor tenista búlgaro de todos los tiempos. Dimitrov luego se clasificó para el Torneo Mundial de Tenis ABN AMRO, pero perdió ante el octavo sembrado Jo-Wilfried Tsonga en la primera ronda en dos sets. [25] Luego perdió en las primeras rondas de laOpen 13 y Dubai Tennis Championships para Dmitry Tursunov y Richard Gasquet respectivamente. Dimitrov luego ganó el Challenger DCNS de Cherbourg derrotando al campeón defensor y cabeza de serie número dos Nicolas Mahut en la final. Luego se clasificó para el Sony Ericsson Open perdiendo ante Sergiy Stakhovsky . Dimitrov se convirtió en el primer búlgaro en ser cabeza de serie en un torneo ATP World Tour siendo octavo en el US Clay Court Championships, pero perdió en la segunda ronda ante Teymuraz Gabashvili . En el Barcelona Open Banco Sabadell perdió en primera ronda ante Juan Mónaco. Llegó a su primer cuarto de final en un torneo ATP en el BMW Open después de derrotar a Marcos Baghdatis, pero perdió ante Florian Mayer en tres sets. Dimitrov perdió en la primera ronda del Abierto de Francia ante Jérémy Chardy .

Dimitrov luego avanzó a sus segundos cuartos de final ATP en el Aegon International después de derrotar al sexto sembrado Kevin Anderson en la segunda ronda, pero perdió en la tercera ronda ante el tercer sembrado Janko Tipsarević . También compitió en dobles con Andreas Seppi y se convirtió en el primer búlgaro en llegar a una final de dobles en un torneo ATP, perdieron ante Jonathan Erlich y Andy Ram . En Wimbledon , perdió un memorable partido de segunda ronda ante Jo-Wilfried Tsonga , en un ajustado partido de cuatro sets. Luego alcanzó las segundas rondas del Campeonato de Tenis del Salón de la Fama de Campbell y el Farmers Classic., Perdiendo a los estadounidenses Denis Kudla y Alex Bogomolov Jr. . En el Campeonato de Tenis de Atlanta , cayó ante Rajeev Ram en la primera ronda. En el Western & Southern Open, Dimitrov derrotó a Marsel İlhan en la primera ronda, pero perdió ante el No. 6 del mundo, David Ferrer , en la segunda ronda en tres sets. [26] También llegó a la tercera ronda del Winston-Salem Open siendo derrotado por Alexandr Dolgopolov en un tie-break en el tercer set. En el US Open, Dimitrov fue derrotado por Gaël Monfils en la primera ronda. [27] En elEn el Open de Moselle , Dimitrov fue derrotado en 53 minutos por el clasificado Igor Sijsling en la primera ronda. [28] Después de eso, en el Abierto de Tailandia , Dimitrov venció a Ivan Dodig y Simone Bolelli , antes de caer ante Andy Murray en los cuartos de final en dos sets.

En su siguiente torneo, en el China Open , perdió una vez más ante el cabeza de serie Jo-Wilfried Tsonga en la primera ronda. En Shanghai Rolex Masters, Dimitrov venció a Marsel İlhan en la primera ronda, pero fue derrotado por Andy Roddick en la segunda ronda en dos sets apretados. [29] En el If Stockholm Open, Dimitrov venció a Ryan Sweeting y Juan Ignacio Chela antes de perder ante Milos Raonic en los cuartos de final. [30] Terminó el año en el puesto 76.

2012 [ editar ]

Dimitrov comenzó su temporada 2012 compitiendo en la Copa Hopman junto a Tsvetana Pironkova . Su equipo fue derrotado por la República Checa 1-2, después de que ganaron un partido en dobles mixtos pero perdieron sus partidos individuales. Luego, su equipo derrotó a Dinamarca 2-1. [31] Contra Estados Unidos, Dimitrov derrotó a Mardy Fish en sets seguidos en su primera victoria (aunque no es una victoria oficial de la ATP) contra un jugador Top 10. En el Abierto de Australia, Dimitrov derrotó a Jérémy Chardy para llegar a la segunda ronda, pero luego perdió en cinco sets ante Nicolás Almagro . Dimitrov compitió en el SAP Open pero perdió en la primera ronda anteKevin Anderson , a pesar de ganar el primer set con facilidad, perdió los dos siguientes en desempates. [32]

En el BNP Paribas Open, Dimitrov derrotó a Ivan Dodig en la primera ronda, pero perdió ante David Ferrer en la segunda ronda. El siguiente torneo de Dimitrov fue el Sony Ericsson Open , donde alcanzó la cuarta ronda después de derrotar a Mikhail Kukushkin , Juan Ignacio Chela y derrotar al No. 7 del mundo, Tomáš Berdych, su primera victoria sobre un jugador entre los diez primeros, antes de perder ante Janko Tipsarević . [33] [34] Dimitrov entró en el evento retador Strabag Prague Open como el quinto jugador cabeza de serie. En la primera ronda derrotó a Jan Hájek y luego perdió ante Aljaž Bedene en la segunda. En elAbierto de Francia , Dimitrov fue un set y una ruptura contra el 17 ° sembrado Gasquet antes de sufrir una lesión, perdió el set, el impulso y finalmente el partido.

Dimitrov en el US Open 2012

El siguiente torneo de Dimitrov fue el Campeonato Aegon . Venció a Bobby Reynolds , Gilles Müller y Nicolas Mahut y luego alcanzó su primera semifinal ATP al vencer al sembrado No. 9, Kevin Anderson, al regresar de un set en desventaja. Dimitrov se convirtió en el primer tenista búlgaro en llegar a una semifinal ATP. [35] En su primera semifinal ATP, Dimitrov perdió ante el décimo cabeza de serie David Nalbandian en dos sets. [36] Este torneo lo ayudó a convertirse en el número 65 en la clasificación.

En el Campeonato de Wimbledon de 2012 , Dimitrov se enfrentó al sembrado No. 32, Kevin Anderson en la primera ronda. Dimitrov ganó en cuatro sets muy igualados. En la segunda vuelta se enfrentó al chipriota Marcos Baghdatis , donde Dimitrov se retiró por lesión. Su siguiente torneo fue el Abierto de Suecia . Sexto cabeza de serie , eliminó a Rogério Dutra da Silva , Frederico Gil y al tercer favorito Albert Ramos, todos en sets seguidos para alcanzar una segunda semifinal ATP en su carrera. En la semifinal, perdió ante el máximo favorito y eventual campeón David Ferrer en sets seguidos. Dimitrov luego compitió en el Crédit Agricole Suisse Open Gstaad . Derrotó al sexto sembradoJulien Benneteau , Dustin Brown y Łukasz Kubot . En la tercera semifinal de su carrera, volvió a perder, esta vez ante Thomaz Bellucci en dos difíciles desempates. En el césped de Wimbledon, Dimitrov representó a su país por primera vez en los Juegos Olímpicos . En la primera ronda, derrotó nuevamente al polaco Łukasz Kubot en dos sets apretados, dos semanas después de haberlo vencido en los cuartos de final del Abierto de Suiza. Cayó en la segunda ronda ante el 12º sembrado, Gilles Simon, su cuarta derrota contra Simon (a quien nunca ha vencido).

En canchas duras, Dimitrov no se ha clasificado para la Rogers Cup y Western & Southern Open . En ambos torneos Master, perdió en la primera ronda de la ronda de clasificación ante Marco Chiudinelli y Rajeev Ram respectivamente. Dimitrov sufrió una primera derrota en el último slam del año, el US Open ante Benoît Paire en cuatro sets. Terminó su sequía en el PTT Thailand Open , llegando a la segunda ronda antes de perder ante Richard Gasquet en tres sets apretados. Luego se clasificó para el Abierto de Japón , pero cayó ante Juan Mónaco en dos sets.

En el evento Masters de Shanghai , derrotó a Pablo Andújar antes de perder ante el No. 2 del mundo Novak Djokovic . En el Swiss Indoors Basel, Dimitrov alcanzó los cuartos de final, derrotando a Viktor Troicki en sets corridos ya Julien Benneteau en tres sets de desempate, antes de perder ante Paul-Henri Mathieu en dos sets de desempate. Su siguiente torneo fue el BNP Paribas Masters , después de recibir una entrada del cuadro de clasificación. Venció a Jürgen Melzer antes de que terminara su campaña de 2012 a manos de Juan Mónaco . [37] Dimitrov terminó 2012 clasificado como No. 48 del mundo en individuales.

2013: primer título ATP [ editar ]

Dimitrov comenzó su temporada 2013 compitiendo en el Brisbane International . Derrotó a Brian Baker , al No. 13 del mundo Milos Raonic , Jürgen Melzer y Marcos Baghdatis para alcanzar su primera final de singles ATP, convirtiéndose así en el primer jugador búlgaro en llegar a una final ATP. [38] [39] [40] Perdió ante el No. 3 del mundo y campeón defensor Andy Murray en sets seguidos, a pesar de ser una ruptura en ambos sets. [41] Dimitrov emparejó a Kei Nishikori en dobles y alcanzó las semifinales, pero se retiró debido a la lesión de Nishikori. Esta actuación también significó que Dimitrov superó el millón de dólares ganados en premios, [42]una hazaña que ningún otro tenista búlgaro ha logrado. En su siguiente evento, el Apia International , Dimitrov sufrió una derrota en primera ronda en sets corridos ante el italiano Fabio Fognini . [43]

En el Abierto de Australia , Dimitrov sufrió una derrota en primera ronda en sets seguidos ante Julien Benneteau. [44] También compitió en el evento de dobles masculino con Marcos Baghdatis. La pareja derrotó a los cuartos sembrados Max Mirnyi y Horia Tecău en la segunda ronda, [45] antes de perder ante Juan Sebastián Cabal y Robert Farah Maksoud en la tercera ronda en dos sets de desempate. [46] A pesar de perder en la primera ronda, Dimitrov se convirtió en el primer jugador masculino búlgaro en ubicarse dentro del top 40 después del evento. [47] Luego compitió con Bulgaria en la Copa Davis.contra Finlandia, y ganó sus dos partidos individuales contra Juho Paukku y Micke Kontinen, pero perdió sus dobles en cinco sets (con su compañero Dimitar Kuzmanov ) contra Henri Kontinen de Finlandia y Harri Heliövaara . Finlandia terminó ganando el empate 3-2.

At the PBZ Zagreb Indoors, Dimitrov lost in the first round to Ivo Karlović in two tie-breaks.[48] At the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament, Dimitrov beat Bernard Tomic and Nikolai Davydenko, and Marcos Baghdatis in three sets.[49][50][51] In the semifinals, Dimitrov lost against world No. 7 and eventual champion Juan Martín del Potro in straight sets.[52] At the BNP Paribas Open, Dimitrov became the first Bulgarian male tennis player to be seeded in a Masters 1000 event.[53] In singles, he beat Matthew Ebden in two sets, but lost to world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the third round.[54] In doubles he partnered with Frederik Nielsen; they lost to Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo in the second round.[55] At the Sony Open Tennis, Dimitrov beat Simone Bolelli, but lost to second seed Andy Murray in straight sets in the following round.[56] In doubles with partner Frederik Nielsen, they reached semi-finals losing in straight sets against the eighth seeds, Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski.[57]

Dimitrov at the 2013 Monte-Carlo Masters

Dimitrov's next tournament was the clay-court Monte-Carlo Masters, where he reached the quarterfinals beating Xavier Malisse, eighth seed Janko Tipsarević, and Florian Mayer, all in straight sets, but lost in three sets to eight-time defending champion and third seed Rafael Nadal.[58] This good run in Monte Carlo meant Dimitrov entered the top 30 in the ATP rankings for the first time, at No. 28. His next event was Barcelona Open Banco Sabadell, seeded 14th, he received a bye, but lost in the second round, despite leading 5–2 in the first set, he lost in straight sets to in-form Tommy Robredo.[59]

At the Madrid Open, following a victory over fellow 21-year-old Javier Martí, Dimitrov recorded the biggest win of his career, defeating world No. 1, Novak Djokovic in a three set match, in just over three hours. The two had met twice before, with Djokovic taking both encounters. In the third round, despite winning the first set, he lost in three sets to 15th seed Stan Wawrinka.[60]

Dimitrov's next event was at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia. In what was his fourth victory over the Cypriot out of five matches, he beat Marcos Baghdatis in straight sets in the first round, with one break of serve deciding both sets. In the second round he lost in straight sets against ninth seed and world No. 9 Richard Gasquet – his fourth loss against the Frenchman out of four matches.[61]

At the Roland Garros Dimitrov was seeded 26th, thus becoming the first ever Bulgarian male tennis player to be seeded at a Grand Slam tournament.[62] He beat Alejandro Falla in the first round, after the Colombian retired trailing one set to love and one game down in the second set, citing an elbow problem.[63] Dimitrov eliminated wildcard world No. 324, Lucas Pouille, in straight sets in the second round, thus becoming the first ever Bulgarian male tennis player to reach the third round of a Grand Slam.[64] He lost in straight sets against world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the third round.[65]Dimitrov also played in the doubles with partner Frederik Nielsen losing in straight sets to seventh seeded Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares in the second round.

Dimitrov at Wimbledon, 2013

In the grass season, Dimitrov played the Aegon Championships, where he was seeded tenth. He faced Dudi Sela in the first round, he came back from a set down and won the third set in a tie-break, but lost to four-time champion Lleyton Hewitt in the second round in straight sets. He then played the Boodles Challenge, an exhibition event, he lost to Janko Tipsarević and Novak Djokovic on a match tie-break, but defeated Jerzy Janowicz in straight sets.[66] At the Wimbledon Championships, Dimitrov eliminated Simone Bolelli in straight sets and then lost in the second round to world No. 55 Grega Žemlja 11–9 in the fifth set.[67]

At Swedish Open Dimitrov reached semifinals for his second consecutive year. He eliminated Elias Ymer and Filippo Volandri in three sets, and upset world No. 20 Juan Mónaco in the quarterfinals, in straight sets.[68] In the semifinals he lost to Fernando Verdasco, in an epic three set battle.[69] He then started his US Open Series campaign at the Citi Open, Dimitrov received a bye and defeated Xavier Malisse and Sam Querrey in straight sets.[70][71] In the quarterfinals, Dimitrov lost in two tiebreak sets to the German veteran Tommy Haas.[72] At the Rogers Cup, he fell in the first round the Spaniard Marcel Granollers in straight sets, but rebounded at the Western & Southern Open, defeating world No. 15 Nicolás Almagro and Brian Baker, before losing to Rafael Nadal in three sets in the third round. The Bulgarian then suffered three consecutive first round exits at the US Open to João Sousa in five sets, the China Open to Roberto Bautista Agut in straight set, and the Shanghai Rolex Masters to Kei Nishikori in straight sets as well.

At the Stockholm Open Dimitrov won his first ATP title by defeating top seed David Ferrer in the final, coming back from a set down, becoming the first ever male Bulgarian player in the Open era to win such a title. This win also meant Dimitrov reached a career-best No. 22 in the world. He followed it up with a quarterfinal showing at the Swiss Indoors defeating Radek Štěpánek and Alexandr Dolgopolov in straight sets, before losing to childhood idol Roger Federer in two tight sets. He played his final event of the year at the BNP Paribas Masters, where he beat Michaël Llodra and Fabio Fognini, both in three sets, but then lost to Juan Martín del Potro in the third round, despite winning the first set. Dimitrov finished the year ranked 23rd in singles and 68th in doubles.

On 16 December 2013, Dimitrov received the second most votes for the Bulgarian Sportsperson of the Year award, earning 1331 points and finishing just behind wrestler Ivo Angelov.[73]

2014: Three titles on three different surfaces, first Grand Slam Australian Open quarterfinal and Wimbledon semifinal and top 10 ranking[edit]

Dimitrov started the 2014 season ranked 23rd. His first event was the Brisbane International, where he took part in the last event too and reached his first final at that time. He was now seeded fifth. However, now he was unable to repeat that good performance, winning in the first round in two sets against Robin Haase in under one hour, but then losing against Marin Čilić in two sets,[74] losing both sets to five games with a break of his serve in the last game deciding both sets. He also competed in the doubles with partner Jérémy Chardy and won in the first round against Brits Fleming and Hutchins[75] (winning the deciding champion tiebreak), but then lost in the second round against Federer and Mahut[76] in a match which featured three tiebreaks, with a champion tiebreak again deciding the match. Dimitrov then played at the exhibition tournament in Kooyong, Australia, an event which featured top players Richard Gasquet, Stan Wawrinka and Tomáš Berdych. However he failed to take a single victory (losing in straight sets to Kei Nishikori[77] and Fernando Verdasco[78]), and ultimately pulled out prior to the seventh place playoff.

Seeded 22nd at the Australian Open, Dimitrov had his best run at a Grand Slam event, defeating Bradley Klahn,[79] Lu Yen-hsun,[80] eleventh seed Milos Raonic and Roberto Bautista Agut in succession, leading him to his first ever major quarterfinal, where he lost to top seed and world No. 1 Rafael Nadal in four sets[81] after winning the first and also having three set points to win the third. As a result of this career-best run at a Grand Slam tournament, Dimitrov entered the world's top 20 for the first time (at No. 19),[82] becoming the first ever Bulgarian male tennis player to do so.

Next, in February, he played at the Rotterdam indoor event, where he was seeded eighth. Dimitrov beat world No. 28 Dmitry Tursunov in the first round 2–1 sets. Dimitrov then lost to world No. 24 Ernests Gulbis in straight sets.[83]

Dimitrov with the trophy at the Acapulco event

Dimitrov played in the Acapulco hard court event, where he was seeded 4th. Dimitrov beat world No. 71 Marinko Matosevic in the first round and Marcos Baghdatis in the second in straight sets. In the quarterfinals Dimitrov beat seventh seed and world No. 18 Ernests Gulbis in two sets to one in a match lasting over 2½ hours. In the semifinals Dimitrov beat second seed and world No. 7, Andy Murray for the first time in a match that lasted almost three hours – losing the first set then overcoming the Brit in two tiebreaks; thus, reaching his third ATP final where he defeated Kevin Anderson in three sets. The victory was Dimitrov's first win at an ATP 500 level tournament[84] and with it he reached his highest ever ATP rank – No. 16. Following his win, Dimitrov played at Indian Wells, an ATP 1000 event, where he was seeded 15th and received a bye into the second round where he beat Robin Haase in straight sets, but then lost in the third round in two sets to one to world No. 22, Ernests Gulbis, who reached the quarterfinal.

Dimitrov then played in Miami, where he was again seeded 15th and had a bye in the first round. He beat Albert Montañés 2–1 sets (losing the second set on a tiebreak) in round two. In the third round, in what was his second loss against the Japanese out of two matches between them, he lost in a tight two sets to 20th seed Kei Nishikori, who went on to reach the semifinals. After Miami, Dimitrov reached a new career-high ranking of No. 15.

Next, in April, he played for the Bulgarian Davis Cup team in the Europe Group II playoffs between Greece and Bulgaria. In the opening match of the tie, he beat No. 690 teenager Markos Kalovelonis 3–0 sets, losing just six games. He then teamed up with No. 344 Dimitar Kutrovsky, who previously brought a 2nd win for Bulgaria, and they beat the Greek team of Alexandros Jakupovic and Markos Kalovelonis 3–0 sets, thus bringing the tie to a crucial 3–0 lead, meaning Bulgaria keeps their Europe Group II position for 2015 and Greece gets relegated to Europe Group III.

Just before Monte Carlo, Dimitrov reached a new career-high ranking of No. 14.[85] At the Monte-Carlo Masters clay-court event, he was seeded 12th. Dimitrov beat in-form No. 32 Marcel Granollers 2–1 sets in the 1st round, then another Spaniard – qualifier Albert Ramos, ranked just outside the top-100, also 2–1 sets. However, in what was his fourth loss out of five matches between them, Dimitrov lost 2–0 sets to sixth seed David Ferrer in round three.

He then played in the Bucharest clay-court event, where he was given a wildcard and was the top seed and had a bye in the first round. In what was the first meeting between the two, in round two Dimitrov beat No. 79 Jiří Veselý 2–0 sets. He beat Sergiy Stakhovsky 2–0 sets in round three, then beat third seed No. 24 Gaël Monfils in the semifinals after leading in the first set when Monfils retired,[86] thus reaching his fourth ATP final. In the final, Dimitrov defeated Lukáš Rosol 2–0 sets, winning the first on a tie-break, then winning the second set with the loss of just one game to win his third ATP title and first one on clay.[87]

In May, he played in the Madrid Open clay-court event, where he was seeded 12th. Dimitrov beat local wildcard Pablo Carreño Busta 2–0 sets in the first round,[88] then in the second round another wildcard – No. 164 Marius Copil – 2–1 sets, coming back from a set down, winning the deciding set on a tie-break. However, in what was his first loss against the Czech out of three matches between them, in round three he lost 2–1 sets to sixth seed No. 6, Tomáš Berdych, after winning the first set.

Dimitrov then played at the Italian Open, where he was again seeded 12th. He beat No. 47 Édouard Roger-Vasselin 2–1 sets, No. 52 Ivo Karlović 2–0 sets, then sixth seed, Tomáš Berdych, 2–1 for a third victory against the Czech out of four matches between them, then 15th seed Tommy Haas in the quarterfinals, after the German retired while losing 1–0 in sets. In what was the fifth match between them and the first match that Dimitrov was unable to win a set in, he lost 2–0 sets to first seed, Rafael Nadal, in the semifinals. This reaching of the Rome semifinal was Dimitrov's best ATP Masters performance. He also successfully played in the Rome doubles with partner Lukáš Rosol and they beat unseeded world No. 4 Colombian pair Juan Sebastián Cabal and Robert Farah Maksoud in the first round 2–0 sets, winning both sets on a tie-break. In the second and third rounds, they beat second seeded Austrian-Brazilian duo of Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares then unseeded Marin Čilić and Santiago González, both 2–1 sets. They lost 2–0 sets to undeeded Robin Haase and Feliciano López in the semifinals. This performance meant Dimitrov reached a new career-best singles ranking of 12th,[89] and also moved 58 places up the doubles rankings, to No. 84.[89]

He then played at Roland Garros, where he was seeded 11th. In round one he lost 3–0 sets to big-serving No. 37 Ivo Karlović, whom he recently beat in Rome.

In June 2014, Dimitrov played at the Queens grass-court event, where he was seeded fourth and had a bye into round two. He beat local No. 168 James Ward in round two, then No. 53 Édouard Roger-Vasselin in the third round, both 2–0 sets. Dimitrov was due to play eighth seed Alexandr Dolgopolov in the quarterfinals, but received a walkover when the Ukrainian retired before the match, citing a thigh injury. Dimitrov then faced first seed, Stan Wawrinka, in the semifinals, and won in straight sets. Dimitrov claimed his first title in a grass court against Feliciano López in three sets, being a set behind and saving a match point. It was the event's first time in which the final was decided with three tiebreakers, as well as being the longest ever Queens final. Dimitrov also played in the Queens doubles event, with partner world No. 3 Wawrinka (ranked outside the top 150 in the ATP doubles rankings), and in round one they beat local brother wildcard duo of Ken and Neal Skupski in straight sets, but then lost in a tight two-setter to third-seeded Canadian-Serbian veteran duo of Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjić in the second round.

Next, Dimitrov played at the 2014 Wimbledon Championships, where he was seeded 11th. In rounds one and twp he beat two qualifiers —No. 150 Ryan Harrison and No. 236 Luke Saville, both in three sets. In round three, in what was his second victory against the Ukrainian out of three matches, he beat 21st seed Alexandr Dolgopolov in a five-set match, coming back from 2–1 sets down. Dimitrov followed that up with a straight sets victory over No. 64 Leonardo Mayer in round four. In the quarterfinals, in what was his second victory against the Brit out of five matches, he beat defending Wimbledon champion and third seed Andy Murray 3–0 sets. This win meant Dimitrov reached his first Grand Slam semifinal, becoming the first male Bulgarian player to reach that stage. He was beaten in four sets by first seed No. 2, Novak Djokovic, who went on to win the tournament. This good performance also meant Dimitrov entered the top-10 ATP rankings for the first time – at No. 9 – becoming the first ever Bulgarian male tennis player to do so.[90]

In the end of July, Dimitrov was due to play at the Washington Open hard-court event, where he was seeded third, but had to withdraw due to flu and sinus problems. In August, he played at the Canadian Open Masters, where he was seeded No. 7 and had a bye into the second round. In the second and third rounds Dimitrov beat Donald Young and 17th seed Tommy Robredo, both 2–1 sets. Then, in the quarterfinals, in what was his fifth victory against the South-African out of six matches between them, he beat No. 21, Kevin Anderson, 2–1 sets, coming back from a set down and winning the deciding set on a tiebreak. In the semifinals, he lost to 13th seed and eventual champion, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Next, Dimitrov played at the Cincinnati Masters. He was seeded seventh again and had a bye into the second round where he lost to Jerzy Janowicz. At the US Open, Dimitrov was seeded seventh. After Dimitrov defeated Ryan Harrison in the first round, Dudi Sela in the second, and David Goffin in the third, he lost to 20th seed Gaël Monfils in the round of 16 in three close sets, which dropped his tennis ranking to No. 10 after the tournament.

Along with Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, Dimitrov competed in the annual September China Open tournament in Beijing. After defeating Fernando Verdasco and Pablo Andújar, Dimitrov lost to world No. 1 Djokovic in the quarterfinals. Dimitrov's next tournament was the Shanghai Rolex Masters, where he was seeded 10th. After defeating Denis Istomin in the first round, Dimitrov lost to the unseeded Julien Benneteau in the second round.

Dimitrov began the defence of his ATP maiden title in Stockholm, winning his second- and third-round matches with Teymuraz Gabashvili and Jack Sock.[91] He beat Bernard Tomic in the semifinals, reaching his sixth career ATP World Tour singles final. Dimitrov lost the final to Tomáš Berdych in three sets.[92]

In Basel, Dimitrov beat teenager Alexander Zverev and Vasek Pospisil in first and second rounds, before losing to top-seeded and eventual champion Roger Federer at the quarterfinals for a second year in a row. At the Paris Masters, Dimitrov beat Pablo Cuevas in the second round, but then lost to Andy Murray in the third. This was his last tournament for the year. Dimitrov had an opportunity to qualify for the 2014 ATP World Tour Finals, but he finished 11th. On 22 December 2014, Dimitrov was chosen as the Bulgarian Sportsperson of the Year (earning 1190 points), becoming the first tennis player to win the award.[93]

2015: Australian Open fourth round, struggles and split with coach[edit]

Dimitrov started the year ranked No. 11. In the beginning of January, he began his season at the Brisbane outdoor hard-court event, where he was seeded fourth and received a bye into the second round. There Dimitrov beat Jérémy Chardy, coming back from a set down and winning the deciding set on a tiebreak. In the quarterfinals, he beat Martin Kližan in straight sets, but then lost to world No. 2 and eventual champion Roger Federer at the semifinals in less than an hour. Dimitrov also played in the doubles event, paired with the Australian teenager Thanasi Kokkinakis, with whom he reached the semifinals.

At the Australian Open, Dimitrov was seeded tenth. In the first round he overcame Dustin Brown in just 69 minutes, then in the second round he beat Lukáš Lacko in four sets and Marcos Baghdatis in five sets in the third round. Dimitrov lost to sixth seed and eventual runner-up, Andy Murray, in the fourth round in four sets. In February, Dimitrov participated in the Rotterdam Open indoor hard-court event, where he was seeded fifth. In the first round he beat the qualifier Paul-Henri Mathieu 2–1 sets, saving two match points in the second set, but then lost in straight sets to world No. 37, Gilles Müller, in the second round. Dimitrov played in Acapulco next, where he was the defending champion and seeded third. He lost in the second round to Ryan Harrison. On 10 March 2015, Dimitrov played at an annual exhibition tournament in Madison Square Garden against Federer, defeating the Swiss star for the first time.[94]

In March Dimitrov played at the Indian Wells Masters, where he was seeded 11th and had a bye into the second round, where he beat in three sets the Australian teenager and world No. 37, Nick Kyrgios. Dimitrov lost to world No. 19, Tommy Robredo, in the third round. Dimitrov also played at the doubles event, paired with Mardy Fish, but they lost in the first round to Spaniards David Ferrer and Fernando Verdasco. Dimitrov was seeded ninth at the Miami Masters and had a bye into the second round, where he beat Vasek Pospisil, but then lost to the 22nd seed John Isner in the third round. Dimitrov began his clay season at the Monte-Carlo Masters. He was seeded ninth and beat Verdasco in the first round, and then defeated in straight sets Fabio Fognini in the second round. In the third round, Dimitrov crushed in less than an hour the seventh seed and defending champion Stan Wawrinka and then lost in straight sets to Gaël Monfils in the quarterfinals. Dimitrov also played in the doubles, paired with Max Mirnyi. They reached the second round, where they lost to the Bryan brothers.

Dimitrov decided not to defend his title in Bucharest, and instead he participated in the first edition of the Istanbul event. He was seeded second and had a bye into the second round, where he defeated Andrey Golubev. In the quarterfinals Dimitrov beat Ivan Dodig, but then lost to Pablo Cuevas in the semifinals. Next, Dimitrov played at the Madrid Masters, where he was seeded tenth. His opponent in the first round Donald Young retired, after Dimitrov was leading by a set and by 3–0 games in the second set. Then, Dimitrov beat Fabio Fognini, coming back from a set down, and overcame eighth seed Stan Wawrinka in three sets in the third round. At the quarterfinals, Dimitrov lost in straight sets to third seed and two-time defending champion Rafael Nadal, which was his sixth defeat out of six matches between them. Dimitrov also played in the doubles and reached the second round.

Dimitrov was unable to defend his semifinal at the Rome Masters in May. He was seeded 10th and beat in straight sets Jerzy Janowicz in the first round, but then lost in three sets to Fabio Fognini, in what was the third match between them within a month. Next, Dimitrov lost in straight sets to Jack Sock at the French Open in the first round despite being seeded tenth. Dimitrov exited the tournament early for a second year in a row.

In June, Dimitrov failed to defend his title at the Queens grass-court event, losing in the second round to Gilles Müller. Next, being seeded 11th, he played at the Wimbledon Championships and in the first two-round eliminated Federico Delbonis and Steve Johnson. Dimitrov lost in straight sets to Richard Gasquet in the third round, in what was his fifth defeat out of five matches against the Frenchman. Following that defeat, Dimitrov decided to part ways with coach Roger Rasheed.[95]

In July, he participated in the 2015 Davis Cup against Luxembourg, winning all his matches. In August, he started his US Open series campaign in Washington, reaching the third round. Then, he played at the Rogers Cup, losing to Jack Sock in the second round. At the Cincinnati Masters, Dimitrov was eliminated in the third round by the world No. 2, Andy Murray, having missed a match point in the third set. Dimitrov's weak performance continued at the US Open, where he lost in five sets to Mikhail Kukushkin in the second round.

In September he hired Franco Davín as his coach.[96] Dimitrov reached the quarterfinals in Kuala Lumpur and then in the beginning of October had another first round exit in Tokyo. After these tournament Dimitrov dropped out of top 20. After an unsuccessful Asia swing, Dimitrov traveled to Sweden to participate in the Stockholm Open and reached the quarterfinals where he was defeated by Tomáš Berdych in straight sets. Following that tournament, he traveled to Basel for the Swiss Indoors where he lost to Rafael Nadal in three sets in the round of 16. His last tournament for the year was Paris, where Dimitrov managed to eliminate Marin Čilić, before losing to Ferrer. He did not qualify for the ATP World Tour Finals.

2016: Second US Open fourth round, late summer resurgence[edit]

Ranked world No. 28, Dimitrov began the season in Brisbane, where he reached the quarterfinals, losing to Federer. Paired with Kei Nishikori, Dimitrov also reached the semifinals in the doubles, but withdrew due to shoulder soreness. The Bulgarian reached his seventh career final in Sydney, losing to the defending champion Viktor Troicki in three sets and a tie-break in the third set. Next, Dimitrov recorded another defeat to Federer, his fifth overall between the two, in the third round of the Australian Open.

In February, Dimitrov decided to skip the first edition of Sofia Open in his homeland and participated in the Delray Beach event, where he lost to the unseeded Rajeev Ram in the semifinals. Next, Dimitrov lost to the in-form and eventual champion Dominic Thiem at the quarterfinals in Acapulco.

In March, seeded 23rd, Dimitrov had a bye into the second round of the Indian Wells Masters, but was upset by the German teenager Alexander Zverev. Dimitrov also had a bye into the second round of the Miami Open. In the third round, he overcame the world No. 2, Andy Murray, coming back from a set down, but then lost to Gaël Monfils.

In April, Dimitrov began his clay-court season. He reached the second round of the Monte-Carlo Masters, losing to the 15th seed Gilles Simon in straight sets. Seeded 2nd, Dimitrov reached his eighth career final in the Istanbul event, beating third seed, Ivo Karlović at the semifinals in two tie-breaks. In the final, against the unseeded Diego Schwartzman, Dimitrov was serving for the match in the second set, but started cramping and then had a complete meltdown. After smashing two rackets, and being warned and penalized, Dimitrov smashed a third racket in the third set, which resulted in a match-ending penalty.[97][98]

At the Madrid Masters in the beginning of May, Dimitrov was unable to defend his quarterfinal from the previous year, suffering a first round exit in straight sets to Pablo Carreño, not having lost even a set to the Spaniard prior to that match. In the following week, Dimitrov's position in the ATP ranking deteriorated further to No.35, a three-year low. The Bulgarian was then beaten again by Alexander Zverev in first round of the Rome Masters. This was followed by another first round loss at Roland Garros to Viktor Troicki, this time in five sets.

In June, Dimitrov's downfall continued, as he played on grass courts in Stuttgart and in London, losing once again in the first rounds to the wildcard Juan Martín del Potro in straight sets, and to the returning from injury Janko Tipsarević, respectively. Being unseeded at a Major for the first time since 2013, Dimitrov ended his losing streak at the 2016 Wimbledon, first beating qualifier Bjorn Fratangelo and then 16th seed Gilles Simon, before losing to Steve Johnson. Soon after that, Dimitrov revealed that prior to Wimbledon he had split with his coach Franco Davín.[99] The Bulgarian hired Daniel Vallverdu as coach.[100]

In July, Dimitrov was seeded 12th in Washington Open and had a bye into the second round, but had another disappointment, as he lost in straight sets to No. 82, Daniel Evans. At Rogers Cup, Dimitrov survived another early elimination against Yūichi Sugita in the first round, coming back from a set down and facing 2–5 in the second set tiebreak. That was followed by an easy win against wildcard Denis Shapovalov and then Dimitrov beat Ivo Karlović in straight sets in the third round. The Bulgarian lost in three sets to third seed Nishikori in the quarterfinals. Paired with Wawrinka, he beat Lucas Pouille and Dominic Thiem in the doubles, before losing to Henri Kontinen and John Peers.

Dimitrov participated in the 2016 Summer Olympics in the first half of August, but lost in the first round to ninth seed Marin Čilić. The Bulgarian then had a good run in Cincinnati, reaching his third career Masters semifinal. He subsequently beat in straight sets Gilles Simon in the first round and then came back from a set to down to eliminate 16th seed, Feliciano López. In the third round Dimitrov won against second seed Wawrinka and then beat Steve Johnson in the quarterfinals, both in straight sets. In the semifinal he was stopped again by the eventual champion Marin Čilić, after allowing re-breaks twice in the third set. With his performance, the Bulgarian secured the second spot in the 2016 US Open Series standings. In the following week, Dimitrov returned in top 30 of ATP ranking, jumping ten positions to No. 24 spot.

Seeded 22nd, Dimitrov played in the 2016 US Open and reached the fourth round for a second time in his career after beating en route Íñigo Cervantes, Jérémy Chardy and João Sousa before losing in straight sets to second seed, Andy Murray, who allowed Dimitrov only five games in total.

Dimitrov moved to Asia to play in the inaugural Chengdu Open. He was seeded third and reached the semifinals, where he lost to fifth seed Albert Ramos-Viñolas. The Bulgarian then went to the final of the Beijing event, beating Steve Johnson, sixth seed Lucas Pouille and gaining first victory over Rafael Nadal, who was ranked No. 4 at the moment. At the semifinals, the third seed, Milos Raonic, withdrew prior to the match with Dimitrov due to ankle injury. Dimitrov lost the final to No. 2, Andy Murray, in two tight sets. The Bulgarian then participated in the Shanghai Masters, where in the first round he overcame in straight sets 14th seed, Richard Gasquet, to whom Dimitrov had had a negative record of 0-5 losses, but in the second lost to qualifier Vasek Pospisil, who had never beaten Dimitrov.

The Bulgarian returned to Europe and reached the semifinals in Stockholm, where he was stopped by the eventual champion Juan Martín del Potro. Dimitrov then played in Basel, but exited the event with a first round loss against Gilles Müller. In his last tournament for the season, the Paris Masters, Dimitrov lost in three sets to No. 1, Novak Djokovic in the third round.

2017: Australian Open semifinal, Cincinnati Masters 1000 title, ATP Finals champion, top-three debut[edit]

Ranked world No. 17, Dimitrov had a flying start to the season in Brisbane, reaching the final by defeating world No. 8, Dominic Thiem in the quarterfinals and then No. 3 and defending champion Milos Raonic in the semifinals. In the final he overcame world No. 5, Kei Nishikori, in three sets, winning his first ATP title in nearly three years, his last having been at Queen's Club in 2014. Dimitrov next moved on to play in the 2017 Australian Open, where he extended his winning streak further, reaching the semifinals. Dimitrov beat 18th seed, Richard Gasquet, in the third round and 11th seed David Goffin in the quarterfinals, before being eliminated by Rafael Nadal in a five-set thriller, which lasted almost five hours, with Dimitrov failing to convert double break points in the fifth set when the score was 4–3 for Dimitrov.[101] The match with Nadal was later cited among the top 3 of best Grand Slam matches in 2017.[102][103]

In February, Dimitrov competed in the Sofia Open, where he was seeded third. The Bulgarian maintained his excellent start to the season, winning his second title of the year on home soil, defeating second seed, David Goffin, in straight sets in the final.[104] However, the Belgian managed to grab his first victory over Dimitrov, eliminating him in three sets in the quarterfinals of the Rotterdam Open.

In March, Dimitrov played in the Indian Wells Masters, losing in three sets to Jack Sock in the third round, after missing four match points.[105] The Bulgarian then participated in the Miami Open, but was upset by unseeded Guido Pella in the second round.

Dimitrov began his clay-court season with a loss to Tommy Robredo in the second round of the Grand Prix Hassan II tournament, for which he received a wild card and was the top seed. This was followed by another upset at the Monte-Carlo Masters, where Dimitrov was seeded eighth and had a bye into the second round, but lost to qualifier Jan-Lennard Struff.

The Bulgarian ended his losing streak in the Madrid Masters, reaching the third round, where he was eliminated by Dominic Thiem in three tight sets after missing five match points in the third-set tiebreak.[106] Next, Dimitrov had a first-round exit in the Rome Masters, being defeated by Juan Martín del Potro in three sets. This was the fifth loss to the Argentine in five meetings. Dimitrov then went to the third round of Roland Garros, where he lost to Pablo Carreño Busta.

Dimitrov started on grass court in Stuttgart. He was seeded second, but lost in his first match. The Bulgarian then had a good run at the Queen's Club event, where he reached the semifinals. Dimitrov lost in three sets to in-form eventual champion Feliciano López. Without dropping a set, the Bulgarian reached the fourth round at Wimbledon, but then lost in straight sets to eventual champion Roger Federer in what was his sixth defeat in six official matches with the Swiss. Dimitrov returned to the top ten for the first time since February 2015 at the conclusion of the tournament.[107]

Dimitrov at the 2017 Washington Open

Dimitrov returned to hard courts in August. After reaching third rounds at the Washington Open and the Rogers Cup in Montreal, the Bulgarian won his first Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati, defeating Nick Kyrgios in the final in straight sets, winning the tournament without losing a set. Dimitrov then reached the second round of the US Open, where he lost to teenager Andrey Rublev.

In the beginning of October, Dimitrov reached the semi-finals in Beijing after wins over Juan Martín del Potro and Roberto Bautista Agut, and then the quarterfinals of the Shanghai Masters. In both events the Bulgarian was eliminated by world No. 1, Rafael Nadal, in three-setters.[108] Dimitrov then advanced to the final of the Stockholm Open with wins over Jerzy Janowicz, Mischa Zverev and Fabio Fognini but lost to US Open semifinalist del Potro in straight sets. This was Dimitrov's third final in Stockholm. In the following week, Dimitrov was confirmed to participate for the first time at the ATP Finals, thus becoming the first Bulgarian to qualify for the season-ending championships.[5]

Afterwards, he decided to skip the Vienna Open (despite being given a wild card) due to fatigue, and to prepare for the Paris Masters the following week, where Dimitrov grabbed third victory in a row over Richard Gasquet before losing in the third round to big serving John Isner in three sets. On the following week, prior to the ATP Finals, Dimitrov achieved a new career high, climbing to world No. 6 position.

Dimitrov was drawn in the Pete Sampras group of the 2017 ATP Finals, together with Rafael Nadal, Dominic Thiem and David Goffin. Playing with Thiem in his debut match, Dimitrov clinched a maiden victory in the ATP Finals in a tight three-setter.[109] The Bulgarian then routed Goffin, allowing only two games to his opponent. With this win Dimitrov won the first place in the group and secured his place at the semi-finals.[110] Dimitrov stayed perfect in the group after another convincing victory, this time against alternate Pablo Carreño Busta.[111] The Bulgarian came back from a set down to ultimately eliminate in-form Jack Sock in the semi-finals.[112]Dimitrov won the biggest title of his career by defeating once again David Goffin in three tight sets in the final. He finished the tournament as an undefeated champion, receiving a prize of $2,549,000 and 1,500 ranking points, the latter helped him finish 2017 at a career-high world No. 3 (only behind Nadal and Federer).[113]

Dimitrov ended his 2017 season with these significant milestones [current figure in brackets]: (1) first Masters 1000 title (2) first ATP Finals crown, (3) 5 Tour finals, (4) four tour titles, (5) eight top-10 match wins [had 13 total prior to 2017], (6) 250 career match wins [257 match wins], (7) cracked $10,000,000 in career earnings [$13,103,976], (8) cracked $5,000,000 in a single season [$5,628,512], (9) second Grand Slam semifinal, (10) first Grand Slam semifinal on hard courts.

2018: Third Australian Open quarterfinal, struggles with form, Laver cup win[edit]

Dimitrov started his 2018 campaign in Brisbane, where he was the defending champion and top seed. He started from the second round with hard three set win against the home favourite and wild card John Millman, then overcame with another three setter the British number two Kyle Edmund. Dimitrov was eliminated in the semi-finals by the third seed and eventual champion Nick Kyrgios. The Bulgarian played in the doubles as well. Paired with Ryan Harrison, he reached the semi-finals, before withdrawing. Having started his campaign at Australian Open with a couple of wins against qualifiers Dennis Novak and Mackenzie McDonald, Dimitrov was drawn against Andrey Rublev who had knocked him out in the second round of US Open several months before and took revenge, eliminating the 30th seeded Russian. Dimitrov then edged in-form Nick Kyrgios in tight four sets to qualify for his third Australian Open quarter-final, where he lost to Kyle Edmund in four sets.[114] In the following week Dimitrov stated that he had played the last matches with a shoulder injury. Failing to recover, the Bulgarian withdrew from the Sofia Open, where he was defending champion.

In February, Dimitrov reached the final of the Rotterdam Open without dropping a set, defeating Yūichi Sugita, Filip Krajinovic, Andrey Rublev, and David Goffin en route, but eventually lost to Roger Federer, who would regain world No. 1 ranking after the tournament.[115] Next, Dimitrov played in Dubai, where he was top seed, but was upset in the first round by Malek Jaziri.

In March, Dimitrov was third seed at both the Indian Wells and Miami Masters, but faced early eliminations by Fernando Verdasco in the second round and by Jérémy Chardy in the third round, respectively.

Dimitrov rebounded on the next tournament, the Monte-Carlo Masters, advancing to the semi-finals of the clay event after beating No. 10 David Goffin in the quarter-finals. Dimitrov ultimately lost to world No. 1 Rafael Nadal.[116] That was followed by a quarter-final in Barcelona, where Dimitrov lost to Pablo Carreño Busta. After the match ending handshake, Dimitrov accused Carreño Busta of stopping the point in the second set tie-break, which led to an unforced error by the Bulgarian. Carreño Busta denied the accusations.[117]

In May, Dimitrov lost in the second rounds of the Madrid and Rome Masters to Milos Raonic and Kei Nishikori, respectively. Dimitrov then lost in straight sets to Fernando Verdasco in the third round of Roland Garros.

Dimitrov had his worst grass-court season since 2010, having recorded early losses to Novak Djokovic at the Queen's Club tournament and to Stan Wawrinka at the Wimbledon Championships. The second of the defeats came in the first round of the Grand Slam event.

Dimitrov next played in August at the Toronto Masters, where he reached the quarterfinals, losing to Kevin Anderson. Dimitrov then failed to defend his Masters title in Cincinnati after he was beaten in the third round by the eventual champion Novak Djokovic in a tight three-setter. As a result, Dimitrov's ranking dropped to world No. 8. That was followed by first round elimination at the 2018 US Open, with Dimitrov losing to Stan Wawrinka in straights.

Dimitrov contributed to Team Europe for winning the second edition of the Laver cup. However his struggles with form continued after early exits at the China Open and in Vienna, losing to unseeded Dušan Lajović and Mikhail Kukushkin, respectively. Dimitrov's season ended after the Paris Masters, where he lost to fifth seed, Marin Cilic in the third round. Dimitrov didn't qualify for the ATP Finals, where he was the defending champion. Former world No. 1, Andre Agassi, joined Dimitrov's team prior to the Paris Masters.[118]

2019: Australian Open fourth round, shoulder injury, US Open semifinal[edit]

Dimitrov started his campaign in Brisbane where he defeated Yoshihito Nishioka and John Millman in straight sets before losing to eventual champion Kei Nishikori in the quarterfinals.[119] In January, Dimitrov reached the last 16 of the 2019 Australian Open, but was knocked out by Frances Tiafoe in four sets.

Having suffered from a shoulder injury, Dimitrov returned to play in the Miami Masters, reaching the third round. Dimitrov then started his clay court campaign at the Monte-Carlo Masters, where he lost to Rafael Nadal in the third round. Dimitrov then went to the third round of Barcelona Open. His ranking deteriorated to No. 49, the lowest since 2012. At the French Open, Dimitrov upset Marin Čilić in the second round but was subsequently eliminated by Stan Wawrinka in straight sets.[120] Dimitrov had a disappointing Wimbledon, losing to Corentin Moutet in five sets in the first round, despite being up two sets.

Dimitrov's hard court season started off poorly. He lost in the first round of the Atlanta Open to world No. 405 Kevin King, who had never won a main-draw match on the ATP Tour.[121][122] Dimitrov then lost to Stan Wawrinka in the first rounds of both the Rogers Cup and the Western & Southern Open. Following this, Dimitrov had lost seven of his past eight matches, and his ranking had slipped to No. 78, his lowest ranking in over seven years.

At the US Open, Dimitrov was unseeded. He defeated Andreas Seppi in the first round before receiving a walkover over 12th seed Borna Ćorić. He then defeated lucky loser Kamil Majchrzak and Alex de Minaur in straight sets to reach the quarterfinals. There, he faced third seed Roger Federer. In a lengthy five-set match, Dimitrov upset Federer to reach his first Grand Slam semifinal since the 2017 Australian Open. This was also his first career win against Federer, having been defeated on seven previous occasions. He then lost to Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals. As a result of this run, Dimitrov rose 53 ranking places in a single tournament, appearing at No. 25 the next week.

Dimitrov failed to proceed beyond the second round at Chengdu, Beijing, Stockholm, and Vienna. At the Paris Masters, he defeated Ugo Humbert and 12th seed David Goffin to reach the third round, where he defeated the fifth seed Dominic Thiem. In the quarterfinals, he defeated Cristian Garín, before losing to Djokovic in straight sets in the semifinals.

2020: Inaugural ATP Cup edition and French Open fourth round[edit]

In January, Dimitrov participated in the inaugural 2020 ATP Cup where the top 24 countries qualified based on the singles ATP ranking of their No. 1 country player. The Bulgarian team was No. 19 based on Dimitrov’s ranking and part of Group C where Dimitrov won both his single matches against the top players of Great Britain Dan Evans and Moldova Radu Albot.[123] He pulled a victory where as the underdog he stunned the top British experienced pair of Jamie Murray/Joe Salisbury in doubles in a close match partnering with teammate Alexandar Lazarov.[124]

In October, Dimitrov reached the fourth round of the French Open for the first time, losing to Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets.

2021: Fourth Australian Open quarterfinal[edit]

In February Dimitrov seeded 18th, reached his fourth quarterfinal at the 2021 Australian Open defeating past Grand Slam champion Marin Cilic in the first round, Alex Bolt, 15th seed Pablo Carreno Busta by retirement and 3rd seed and last year’s runner-up Dominic Thiem in the fourth round, before he lost to qualifier Aslan Karatsev as he suffered from a back spasm.[125]

National representation[edit]

Davis Cup[edit]

Dimitrov made his Davis Cup debut for Bulgaria in 2008 as a 16-year-old. Playing in front of a home crowd in Plovdiv, the teenage Dimitrov compiled an undefeated record in both singles and doubles to promote his country into the second division of the Europe/Africa zone. A 17-year-old Dimitrov returned to the Bulgarian Davis Cup team for the first round of the Davis Cup Europe/Africa zone in 2009. Dimitrov was victorious in both his singles rubbers which led to a narrow 3–2 victory over Hungary. He would then take a few breaks from Davis Cup which would result in Bulgaria being relegated back to the lowest division of Davis Cup.

Dimitrov would return to Davis Cup competition in 2012 as a top 100 player. The Bulgarians breezed through the round robin tournament held in their home city of Sofia and would once again be promoted to the second division of the Europe/Africa zone. Dimitrov and the Bulgarian Davis Cup team have been unable to advance past the first round since being promoted but have been victorious in their two relegation ties.

Olympics[edit]

Dimitrov represented Bulgaria at his maiden Olympics in London 2012. He competed in the singles competition and advanced past the first round with a straight sets victory over Poland's Łukasz Kubot. He was then beaten by France's 12th seed Gilles Simon. Dimitrov made his second Olympic appearance in 2016 Rio where he was beaten in the first round of the singles competition by Croatian Marin Čilić.

Coaching[edit]

As a child, Dimitrov was coached by his father, Dimitar, at Tennis Club Haskovo. As his talent became more apparent he started to receive coaching from abroad, most notably from Spaniard Pato Alvarez, who has also coached Britain's Andy Murray. Alvarez has reportedly said that Dimitrov is the best 17 year old he has coached. Around the time of his success at the 2009 ABN AMRO in Rotterdam, Dimitrov formally began a coaching relationship with Peter Lundgren, former coach of world No. 1s Marat Safin and Roger Federer. Lundgren has also been quick to praise Dimitrov, saying that "he is better than Federer was at his age."[126]

In June 2010, Dimitrov ended his coaching relationship with Lundgren and was subsequently coached by Australian pro Peter McNamara.[127] Dimitrov and McNamara have ended their coaching relationship at the end of the 2011 season.[128] In 2012, Dimitrov was coached by Patrick Mouratoglou in an attempt to revive his fortunes.[129] On 26 November 2012, Dimitrov left the Patrick Mouratoglou Academy and has joined the Good to Great Tennis Academy in Sweden, which is run by ex-touring pros Magnus Norman, Nicklas Kulti, and Mikael Tillström. On 7 October 2013, Dimitrov announced on his Facebook page that he has hired Roger Rasheed (former coach of Gaël Monfils, Jo-Wilifred Tsonga and Lleyton Hewitt) to be his new coach.[130] On 7 July 2015 Dimitrov announced via Twitter that he would be parting ways with coach Roger Rasheed.[131] On 25 September 2015, Dimitrov announced he had hired Juan Martín del Potro's former coach Franco Davín,[132] but they parted ways in the first half of 2016.[133]

Since June 2016 Dimitrov has been coached by Daniel Vallverdu, a former coach of Andy Murray, during which tenure Murray won 2 Grand Slam Titles. Dimitrov has credited Vallverdu with his upturn in form during the 2017 season and has mentioned several times during interviews and during his thank you speech, following his win of the 2017 ATP Finals, that he is very thankful for his success to his coaching team and particularly Vallverdu. Dimitrov also stated numerous times through the season, that Valverdu changed his mentality towards the game and is the main factor for the way he plays against top ten players.[134][135] On 7 May 2019, Dimitrov declared that he and Vallverdu had parted ways following a string of unsuccessful tournament participations.[136]

Since 3 January 2021 Dimitrov is coached by Dante Bottini. Dante Bottini replaces the German coach Christian Groh, with whom Dimitrov worked during 2020.[137] The most serious successes of the new coach are linked to Japanese Kei Nishikori, who managed to climb to number 4 in the world rankings under his guidance [138]

Playing style[edit]

Dimitrov employs an all-round style of playing, and is said to have one of the most unusual playstyles on the tour. His flexibility and the fact that he's comfortable on all parts of the court is the main reason why many people have said he is one of the most talented up-and-coming players. Dimitrov is known for his hustle, athleticism, fluid style of play and exceptional shot-making.

Dimitrov employs an eastern to semi-western grip on his forehand, somewhat similar to that of Roger Federer. When hitting, unlike most players, he uses his elbow, wrist, and arm to generate power instead of his body. His forehand is known to be very heavy, powerful and accurate and is his primary weapon. He uses it to generate sudden pace in baseline rallies, often catching his opponents off guard. Dimitrov employs a conventional single-handed backhand. His backhand is one of the most versatile in the game[1] [2] due to his ability to hit it with top-spin, flat, and his backhand slice, which John McEnroe has said is the best slice in the game. He also has a slightly unusual follow-through and finish on his backhand, often straightening out his hand and extending it all the way across his waist, which some have said is a weakness due to the time taken to recover by recoiling his arm. Dimitrov usually uses his backhand as a rally stroke to build up points rather than hit immediate winners, although he is known to be able to generate significant pace on his backhand when returning a weak shot from his opponent or when neutralising a fast-paced shot. He has displayed this ability more than 50 times alone in his semi-final against Rafael Nadal on the Australian Open 2017.

Dimitrov has a solid fast serve, often reaching 210 km/h, (130 mph) up to 220 km/h (137 mph). His first serve has been known to be clutch, often producing aces on important points. Dimitrov employs more top-spin on his second serve, making it slower but more consistent. In 2017 however he had a big problem with double faults as he made 254 of them (around 40 more than 2016), although he made his best season so far.

One aspect of Dimitrov's game that has been widely praised is his variety and flexibility. He is comfortable playing on all areas of the court, having solid ground strokes and exceptional touch at the net. He also employs aggressive drop shots to catch opponents off guard and is even known to frequently use fakes, especially on the forehand side, to fake drop shots instead of fast ground strokes, wrongfooting opponents. His speed and athleticism are also exceptional, as is famous for using slide, sometimes even to the point of splitting, to reach balls. He also occasionally dives to reach balls, one of the most famous occasions being his second round match at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters against Janko Tipsarević, in which he dove to hit a drop-shot, winning him the point. His all-round play has had many commentators and past players call him "classy" and "stylish".

Dimitrov is also noted as one of the only players on the tour who can consistently produce trick shots, alongside Gaël Monfils, Dustin Brown, Nick Kyrgios and Roger Federer. He has been known to hit a variety of trick shots and unorthodox shots, such as the Tweener. Sometimes, he does it for entertainment purposes, eventually losing the point. Some of his most famous trick shots include his behind the back drop-shot against Viktor Troicki in the Swiss Indoors 2012 and his successive between-the-leg shots off Jack Sock's returns in the Stockholm Open 2014. Both shots were considered among the best trick shots ever, with the former considered the shot of the year in 2012.

Early in his career, Dimitrov was compared to Roger Federer due to their similarity in play style and actions, notably his forehand, backhand and serve, earning him the nickname "Baby Fed". Over the years he has attempted to shed this title and has had people appreciate his own style. Dimitrov has won one of his eight meetings with Federer, at the US Open 2019.

Equipment[edit]

As of 2013, Dimitrov uses a customized Wilson mid-size 93 square inches prototype racket provided by the Wilson Pro Room Team (as disclosed by pro tour stringers such as the Priority One team members), cosmetic on it is the Pro Staff 95 BLX, it is weighted about 12.oz strung with a 16X19 string pattern. In 2014, he switched to 18X17 string pattern. From 2015 and on, he switched to a 97 square inches head size, similar to Federer's frame but with a 18X17 pattern. In 2016, he worked with Wilson Pro Room Team to come up with the model now known as the Pro Staff 97S with a thinner beam width of 19.5mm. He is sponsored by Nike wearing the brand apparel and the Nike Zoom Vapor Tour 9 shoes which are also Federer's shoes of choice.

Honours and awards[edit]

Best young tennis player in Bulgaria – 2005[139]

Bulgarian Sportsperson of the Year – 2014,[93] 2017[140]

Sports Icarus Award — 2014,[141] 2017[140][142]

Balkan Athlete of the Year — 2017[140][143][144]

Career statistics[edit]

Main article: Grigor Dimitrov career statistics

Grand Slam tournament performance timeline[edit]

Key
W F SFQF#RRRQ#ANH
(W) Won; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (A) absent; (NH) not held. SR=strike rate (events won/competed)
To avoid confusion and double counting, these charts are updated at the conclusion of a tournament or when the player's participation has ended.

Current through the 2021 Australian Open.

Tournament2009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021SRW–LWin%
Australian OpenAQ12R2R1RQF4R3RSFQF4R2RQF0 / 1128–1172%
French OpenAA1R2R3R1R1R1R3R3R3R4R0 / 1012–1055%
Wimbledon1RA2R2R2RSF3R3R4R1R1RNH0 / 1015–1060%
US OpenQ2A1R1R1R4R2R4R2R1RSF2R0 / 1013–1058%
Win–Loss0–10–02–43–43–412–46–47–411–46–49–45–34–10 / 4168–4162%

Year–end championship finals[edit]

Singles: 1 (1 title)[edit]

ResultYearTournamentSurface1OpponentScore
Win2017ATP Finals, LondonHard (i) David Goffin7–5, 4–6, 6–3

ATP Masters 1000[edit]

Singles: 1 (1 title)[edit]

ResultYearTournamentSurfaceOpponentScore
Win2017Cincinnati Masters, United StatesHard Nick Kyrgios6–3, 7–5

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External links[edit]

  • Grigor Dimitrov at the Association of Tennis Professionals
  • Grigor Dimitrov at the International Tennis Federation
  • Grigor Dimitrov at the Davis Cup