Grigor Dimitrov took the tennis world by storm as a teenager, with many pundits likening his game and potential to that of Roger Federer. However, in a career which has seen many ups and downs, how does one assess where Dimitrov stands at the monent?
Not just because of the slick single backhand shot, but also the ability to hit any shot with his forehand and create winners from all angles of the court.
Dimitrov was a superstar as a junior player winning the Wimbledon, which put him in illustrious company with the likes of Federer and Stefan Edberg. It did however take the Bulgarian a few years to consistently turn his potential into the kind of results many expected of him, but in 2013, Dimitrov did just that.
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A maiden ATP title at the Stockholm Open, wins over Novak Djokovic, Milor Roanic and Nikolai Davydenko among others, put the now twelve year pro into the sports spotlight as a star of the future and present.
The following year got even better for Dimitrov as he claimed another three titles and also his first Grand Slam semi-final. A straight sets victory over British hero Andy Murray is still arguably the pinnacle of Dimitrov’s career.
Tennis fans around the world have been greeted to some of the most spectacular duels over the last decade. Djokovic vs Murray at the US Open in 2012, Djokovic and Rafael Nadal’s marathon at the Australian Open that same year, and Federer vs Djokovic at Wimbledon in 2019 are just a few examples.
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However, when it comes to an individual performance, Dimitrov’s win over Murray at the All England Club remains one of the more impressive. Then came 2015, and the beginning of Dimitrov’s problems.
The 28-year-old started to struggle immensely, but why was this? It’s a difficult one to explain, as Dimitrov was coming off his best season to date, and in the best physical shape of his young career. More often than not, a young player builds more consistency with time spent on the professional tour playing against the very best players.
But this was the complete opposite for the man they called the ‘baby Federer’. If we take young players of the last few seasons in Alexander Zverev, Dominic Thiem and Denis Medvedev, they have continued their trajectory into becoming the next wave of superstars, managing several Grand Slam final appearances between them, Masters 1000 victories and World Tour success.
2015 saw the beginning of not just inconsistent form for Dimitrov, but also a coaching carousel. Dimitrov was with Roger Rasheed at the start of the new season, but quickly ended that relationship and went in the direction of Franco Davin, former coach of US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro.
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That partnership only lasted a few months, as the two parted ways at the beginning of 2016, after Dimitrov’s struggles continued. It wasn’t just his coaching decisions that were making the news, as high profile relationships started with rumors about the Bulgarian and Serena Williams being involved.
Though the rumors were never confirmed, it was said that the two dated for a few short months, before Dimitrov began dating another multiple time Grand Slam winner Maria Sharapova. The two broke up after three years together, which then led Dimitrov to begin dating Nicole Sherzinger which lasted four years before ending in 2019.
Dimitrov was criticized, probably unfairly, within the media that his high profile dating life was another concern and reason for the struggles he endured. Dimitrov didn’t seem to let that phase him though, and finally turned his form around with arguably his best season so far in 2017 with Daniel Vallverdu as his coach.
Masters 1000 success in Cincinnati with a straight sets victory against Nick Kyrgios, ATP World Tour Finals champion, and reaching the top three in the world made it a milestone season for the Bulgarian.
But just like the 2014 season which was his best at the time, it was followed up by yet another tough season and yet more disappointment. Dimitrov accumulated several early tournament exits, and while crediting Vallverdu for turning his form around in 2017, the two parted ways due to the poor run which once again highlights the lack of stability in his game.
When we think of the games greatest players, yes there has been coaching turnover and change, but for the most part prolonged success is determined by stability between player and coach.
This is also crucial to a coach having enough time with a player to really understand that particular individual’s skill set, as it takes time to know the finer details of what qualities and difficulties are in a player’s repertoire.
It’s hard, and absolutely unfair, to raise questions of the quality of coaching that Dimitrov has received in his career. However, delving into his game over the last few seasons surely raises questions over the patterns of his playing style. It could be defined as Dimitrov himself not quite knowing what kind of a player he is, or at least what is the best way to unlock his full potential.
2019 was a better year for Dimitrov as we saw flashes of the 2017 player, but as of yet no Grand Slam finals or victories have happened. It’s easy to see why people believe Dimitrov might struggle to show the necessary form to reach those levels going forward based on the information provided.
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