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AEGON CHAMPIONSHIPSJune 15, 2014Grigor DimitrovLONDON, ENGLAND G. DIMITROV/F. Lopez THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. Well played. I don't think we have seen you as fired up as you were when you turned that around when you were in trouble in the second set. It seems this final meant an awful lot to you. GRIGOR DIMITROV: I mean, I was fired up the whole week. It's been a very successful week for me. That's the first thing I can say. Of course, I'm really happy with the win. Obviously I knew what I had to do today out on the court, and Feli is one of those competitors that when it comes to fast surfaces, he's always very tricky to play. Down match point in the second set was‑‑ I mean, that wasn't the coolest thing, but, you know, I just fought hard. I think today was ‑‑I just left everything out on the court. As I said before, that was my main goal. I achieved what I was looking for. You know, I'm happy with the win. I'm not going to lie. There is still the big task in front of me. It's after a week, so I'm already looking forward to that one. Q. The last man who held that trophy went on to win Wimbledon. Do you feel that you're perhaps approaching the point at least where you're a genuine contender at that level? GRIGOR DIMITROV: We're about to find that out in a week. It's always I think special to win that week. I mean, to me always this tournament in particular has been that tournament I always wanted to win. I remember myself playing as a teenager here, and ever since I have dreamt about that moment. You know, you can feel it in the spirit of the trophy itself. When you lift it, it means something. The only thing I can say is I'm going to be with a lot of positive vibes coming out to Wimbledon. I'm going to look for my game the same way I was looking here, match by match. The rest I think would be easy, but it's just how I'm going to approach those matches out there. Q. A nice gesture at the end there, what Chris has done, plucking you from a lowish ranking, giving you a wildcard. That was a nice touch. GRIGOR DIMITROV: Yeah, of course. What comes around goes around. You know, that's just the way it is. I'm more than thankful to Chris not only for that, but to me that meant a lot. Ever since I came on that tournament, I have been taking unbelievable ‑‑he's been taking care of me throughout all the years in a magnificent way. As I said, I really feel part of his family. I've known him for quite some time now. It's probably the least thing I can do for him, just a little gesture. I hope he won't forget. Q. How nice is it to share the moment with Maria? How important has she been to your progress over the last year or so? GRIGOR DIMITROV: Of course it's great when you have all the pieces around you and obviously that surround you. This is something that is very ‑‑it's touching for me. I always feel comfortable when I have the closest people around me and I have my team on a good level. Of course that adds up and you feel even more determined because you know that you're embraced either way. I mean, she's just been unbelievable, with me throughout all the year so far and just supporting me. You know, I think the feeling is pretty mutual. I hope that's not going to be the last tournament that she's at. Q. You have been described as a rising star for so long. Do you feel this is like a coming‑of‑age, if you like? GRIGOR DIMITROV: I think it's just a step for me, a step forward. To me, I'm excited with the progress that I have so far, but my goals are way too high. So I wouldn't call it a breakthrough or, you know, coming to an age or any of that because I'm competing every week. Every week I want to be out there and give 100% for myself every day. Whether it's going to be, you know, that tournament or any other bigger ones means just something that I do with passion and I just love to compete. Today I think was one of those days that I think just the love of the game became a bit too much. I think that was my main key. I was just ‑‑I was hungry for the title. That was just very simple. But I was just a simple boy who was really determined to get that. I have it as a good sign, but there is still a lot to be achieved. Q. How pleasing, the three times you have won, have all been on different surfaces? GRIGOR DIMITROV: It's great. It definitely shows that I'm capable of achieving even bigger things. I have played on hard, clay, grass, and I have played some of those tough matches. That gives me of course a lot of confidence and of course getting to‑‑ in a way, like I'm getting to know myself even better how I'm responding on different surfaces and sort of finding that right formula to be good on every surface or find this little tuneup that you need or against a different opponent. It's been a long season so far with a lot of tournaments behind me, but I feel fresh. I feel positive about it. Most important thing is that I'm healthy, so, you know, on to the next one. Q. Do you think in the long term will Wimbledon be your best chance of winning a Grand Slam given that you have won on three different surfaces but grass is probably the surface most people have the most trouble with? GRIGOR DIMITROV: You know, now that I have won on all three surfaces, I think I should give myself a fair chance for all of the tournaments (smiling). Of course, of course, Wimby has been closer to me and what I have always wanted to achieve, and it's definitely on my list to do or to win, and I'm going to have the chance in a week to go out there and perform the best way I can. But I don't have to forget all the other events. I don't have to forget it, whether it's going to be Wimbledon or any other slam or a different tournament. I have to be as determined as if I'm playing one of my last matches and let's see what's going to happen. Q. You seem to have become a lot more professional in the last couple of years and really learned the trade. Has having Roger and Maria around you, has that kind of maybe helped show you the way of how you need to be to maximize your potential? GRIGOR DIMITROV: Well, I think throughout all the years I have changed coaches maybe six, seven coaches throughout all the years. So I have definitely learned a lot from all of them. But I think coming into ‑‑I think approaching my like sort of early 20s I felt really determined with what I actually wanted to do and what I wanted to achieve. I think it took a little bit of time for me to start to understand what, you know, what my game is and what I'm looking for, as also people that is outside of tennis, and in the same time just everything happened pretty naturally with Roger. I just really needed a strong person on the court, I mean, on and off the court for me. That was something that always kept me on a good way. It just feels comfortable. Of course I think having Maria on my side definitely adds up, and a tremendous champion like her, there is a lot to learn. But it's still completely different areas in a way, women's tennis and men's tennis. But there is certainly a good amount that I have learned throughout so far. On the other hand, I have Roger all the time next to me, and, you know, that gives me confidence. I'm more than happy that most of the times we're on the same page when it comes to work and practice, so that's a good sign. Q. How encouraged are you in the finals that you have played you have come back against Ferrer, come back against Anderson, come back against Lopez, that you actually had to work very, very hard and be pushed to the end to win and you have come out to win those finals? GRIGOR DIMITROV: I think it's never easy coming out to any final. Of course there is a bit of nerves, but for some reason I wasn't nervous at all today, which I was a bit scared of that because usually when I'm a little nervous I play some of my best tennis. But today was more of those days for me that I just wanted to compete. Of course I was focusing on winning the last point, but was all about competing and testing myself on the mental side, which was a little bit more important. I remember playing actually Feli a couple years ago here and I had a pretty bad loss. I think it was 2 and 4, something like that. That showed a lot to me that I have grown a lot since then, and that showed me that I have worked to come that far and to be able to keep that and perform in that way on a match like that, on a stage like that. It's a good thing to have. In the same time, I think all of us from my team, we appreciate that. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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