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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 14, 2019

Grigor Dimitrov

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

G. DIMITROV/J. Tipsarevic

4-6, 6-3, 6-1, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. First of all, congratulations. You had lost to Janko four times in the past. Was that in your mind at all going into today's match?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: Not really. I mean, the past is the past. I mean, I knew that he's a very tricky opponent. I know how he can play. We had quite a few battles, as you said, in the past.

So, yeah, I mean, I just was looking forward to just playing that match. It was the first match back for me at a slam, so I was just kind of happy to focus on my side and see where I was at.

Q. You have spoken already about Andre. Can you speak about how that relationship started?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: How the relationship started?

Q. Yes.
GRIGOR DIMITROV: At some point last year, I think mid through the year, me and Dani sat down to talk about our goals, objectives, and so on. I have known Andre for a really long time, since I was 14 I have spent some time with him back in the past, in Vegas. And we just wanted to kind of add a person that has done a little bit of, I mean, of what we are trying to achieve, you know.

There was one person that I could trust unconditionally, and that was him. So we spoke with Dani and ultimately both of us kind of reached out and just, yeah, seek for a little bit of help. Step by step, we developed our relationship and next thing you know he's in here watching my first match.

Q. Andre, of course, is one of the truly special men in our sport and has done so much beyond the game. Talk about what you have learned about him as a man, how he's impacted you?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: As you said, he's done so much outside of the court. I'm going to start with that. I'm just a better person, period. On a daily basis, I have learned something new from him.

Sometimes some of the things that he says, it doesn't really, it has nothing to do with tennis, absolutely nothing to do with tennis. And today before the match we are talking about completely different stuff. I was, like, Oh, that feels nice. I think he also keeps me on point, keeps me on check. He's just trying to remind you of the good things in life.

Of course on the court when we are together, we are really zoomed in, very focused. He's super intense on the court. We are all like, I mean, on the same page.

That's really important. But, I mean, the biggest thing that stands out is that I'm learning something every single day.

Q. Can you take it just a step further? Is there one story or one incident that you can point to that was pure Andre Agassi?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: Oh, my God. No, actually I don't want to. I have a perfect one, but it's very personal.

In time I might share it. Just not now.

Q. Over the past couple of years, most of the players in the generation above you have had serious injuries and a long time out. From your perspective, when you see that, do you change your like approach? Does it make you feel like you should play less or try and...
GRIGOR DIMITROV: Well, you already said it, it was a different generation. Everybody has done things very differently I think throughout the years.

You know, it's very hard to -- I'm not one to judge any of the other players or anything like that. We all have our own process of taking on. I mean, whatever might work for some players might not work for me.

I think the best things that I have learned I would say throughout these years is I have always been very focused on what I had to do on my side of the net and even outside of the court. Some things work for certain players. I mean, I have tried to see if it's going to help me and it's not. For instance, if somebody is gluten-free, it doesn't mean it's going to be good for me.

All those small components like that, when you add them up, I mean, I think I have found a great, you know, combination of working throughout with the whole team and the recovery and I think also scheduling and so on.

So I think things are going on the right path for me. I feel like I have improved every year physically.

I think, I mean, I think that's a good thing. I haven't had like a major injury or anything like that. So that also helps a lot, for sure.

So it means I'm doing something right (smiling).

Q. A political question. There is a strong group in the player council who are looking to change the president. I just wondered if you thought they were representative of the feelings of the wider player body.
GRIGOR DIMITROV: I think changing Chris Kermode would be one of the biggest mistakes. I mean, tennis is in such a good place. Everything has gone through so many good and positive changes. I mean, I wouldn't do that, absolutely.

Q. Do you have any idea what the motivation is behind it?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: No idea. I mean, I have just recently heard about those things. I was staying away from that. Obviously we have seen what he has done for the sport so far. Tennis has never been in a better place.

Q. Speaking of Andre, you have, tennis players have the ability to hire coaches and all of that stuff compared to other sports where they don't, the coaches are kind of above them in the hierarchy. Do you like having that power in your career?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: Everybody has to agree, too. Even if I want someone, it has to be pretty mutual. I haven't thought about it that way, to be honest, till now. It doesn't hurt to reach out, simple as that, or just seek help in any way that you could possibly think you need.

I mean, that's all. The decision was made purely because the team, we really wanted to improve, wanted to add something, to maximize our potential on every corner. And, yeah, I think reaching out was the right thing, and things are, as I said, things are going in the right path right now.

Hopefully things stay like that.

Q. How much have you mapped out the schedule with Andre, or is it see how it goes?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: Pretty much up in the air, to be honest, with him traveling particularly. Yeah, we have spent about four weeks this offseason together. That was the best time I could possibly ask for. He's here right now. We will see how we gonna proceed with the further tournaments, obviously.

I think also it's good to have that distance and all that. I mean, still Dani is heavily involved in everything. To have that leadership from both ends is pretty good. In the same time, their understanding from one another is wonderful. I have seen them on the court, off the court, overheard stuff, so that's good.

So, yeah, I think we will go probably like month by month and also like probably like target certain tournaments that we will really feel like.

Q. Have you had conversations with Gil Reyes?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: Yeah, but I have known him forever. We speak almost like once a month, for so many years. He's been, I would say, a friend of mine since, yeah, since I started playing tennis pretty much.

Q. How did you, you know, when you were 14 or whatever, how did you meet those guys?
GRIGOR DIMITROV: My previous sponsors. So that was -- yeah, that was that. We had an opportunity to go to Vegas and work with them. Yeah, I was, I think, 14 or 15 years old. We decided to give it a go. Went out there, and, yeah, I have practiced there quite a few seasons out there.

So the time I won -- it was pre-US Open and before I won the US Open juniors. I spent quite a bit of time out there. I'm pretty familiar with the -- I mean, with Vegas and everything that surrounds me there.

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