Grigor Dimitrov has become the big surprise of this Miami Open 2024 with his presence in the grand final, where he will try to beat Jannik Sinner. The Bulgarian player speaks at a press conference about the importance that the Big 4 has had in his career, in addition to his great form and his game.
Was there a turning point after coming back from 2-5 down against Tabilo in the second round?
“That wasn’t fun, that’s for sure. I always feel like I have options when I’m on the court, whether I’m going down or about to lose the match like against Tabilo. You are winning with each game. After that match, I felt like I could take a step forward and play better tennis. Conditions are very different throughout the day.
After that game I started to acclimatize to the conditions, getting used to the weather. All of this gives me incredible confidence to prepare myself physically in the best possible way. With each victory, you get a little more excited, there is more adrenaline. “You want to do better and better, and now we are here, in the final.”
His greatest success
“The most important thing above all for me is that I have managed to win these games consecutively. The consistency of beating the best is my greatest success. If you do that, the ranking improves, everything becomes better for you. The discipline, the hard work, all the dedication, the adaptation, you need all that to achieve it consistently. It’s been happening for the last 12 months, and it’s been complicated. I have played very difficult games that I have lost and for which I am still angry, but I continued to believe, working hard.
Discipline has brought me here. There is nothing else. I have never thought about changing my goal. Every week I have my goals. Every day I wake up and I don’t have major pain that prevents me from training, so that part is also a success for me. What I’m most proud of is putting all of this together. Competing against the best and beating them also gives me a lot of happiness.”
About his game
“It’s great tennis, physical too. It sounds easy, but you have to be able to do it for two and a half hours. The important thing is the adjustments. I know I have a lot of tools I can use, but I have to make sure I use them at the right time. The diversity of my game is what scares many players, but it all depends on whether you can do it in the crucial moments. That helps me have more control of the game.”
Do you think you have been unlucky for coinciding with the Big 4?
“Quite the opposite, in fact. I ‘ve been very lucky. How many times can you say that you once played against the best players and beat them all? It’s great. I’m sorry, but I can live with it. The titles are very good, but the path without them is a bit sad. It’s not that I want to confront them, don’t confuse me, but it’s sad. I love watching them play, competing against them, you always learn something.
Over the years I have had many quarterfinals and third rounds where I have had to face them. That has shaped me mentally and in what I have to do in the different periods of my career. You can learn a lot from each one, they have their own ways of doing things, but they all have incredible qualities. They are the pioneers of current tennis. “Having players like them adds spectacular diversity.”
2024-03-30 10:10:19
#titles #good #path #Big #sad
