THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 9, 2023

Grigor Dimitrov

Press Conference

G. DIMITROV/F. Tiafoe

6-2, 6-3, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations on your result today. Could you just give us some initial thoughts on the match.

GRIGOR DIMITROV: Wonderful match, honestly. That's all I can say on that.

Yesterday I was playing good tennis, and obviously it was a little bit unfortunate to stop, and usually when you stop it's very hard to come back and do the same, you know, the next day.

I just prepared the same way. I did all the right things. I tried to put myself in sort of the same state of mind that I was the day before.

It paid off, absolutely paid off today.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. How long has it been since you felt that you were playing this well at a Grand Slam?

GRIGOR DIMITROV: To be honest, I don't really think about that in particular. I think all I'm trying to do is really, like, put in the work, because I think this is more important to me. I think once I'm able to do certain amount of work, certain amount of days on court, in the gym, this gives me I think the right state of mind and a very good chance to win any match.

I think also my confidence is increasing every time I'm able to do that. Also, again on the grass, that surface is a little bit more specific to any other, and I just felt like I have done the good preparation, the good hours.

I mean, therefore, I'm here. I think it's just I think more of like what I've been able to do prior to tournament than anything else more so than the wins and everything else.

Q. Surprise, I'd like to ask about Holger Rune. As I see, you haven't met professionally as I remember, but have you come along with him during his youth years? Have you practiced together in Monaco?

GRIGOR DIMITROV: Yeah, I think we have had a few hits. Obviously, yeah, not that many. I think he's fairly young if you think about it.

Yeah, I mean, we hit a few times. I think obviously he's already done so well and he's been playing, you know, amazing tennis over the past couple of years.

You know, strong kid with quite a few good weapons. It's a great matchup for me. I'm really looking forward to that. I just want to get out there and do my thing. I'm not gonna treat this match as any other match.

Q. Would you point out one weapon that you're not afraid of but you see in him? What's the biggest strength you see in Holger's game?

GRIGOR DIMITROV: To be honest, I haven't seen enough of him to state something like that. Overall he seems like a pretty complete player with all the shots and all that.

I haven't had like much time to really like study his game to that extent, Okay, this is his best, or anything like that.

As I said, also, you know, you're excited, you're just started on tour, so there is a lot of things that have been going your way and doing them the right and the good things.

I mean, time will tell the rest, but for now we're in the fourth round.

Q. I wanted to ask you about reuniting with Dani. What went into the decision bringing him back onboard this year? What makes you a good fit?

GRIGOR DIMITROV: We go way back with Dani, as you know. I think that time away I think from each other, it gave us time to think, I guess, to do other stuff and to explore other, I think, ways of navigating through that type of period. Then obviously always kept in contact and, you know, we're also close friends, so I think that helps a lot.

I felt also I was at a point in my career where I really wanted -- I have always wanted to give my best and my all every single time, but this time it felt like we wanted to do something bigger.

I think putting up the whole team all together was I think very exciting to me. Obviously with Jamie Delgado as well and Dani and everyone else is, you know, helping in the best way possible. I think just the fit of all of us right now, I think it's very good and comfortable for the whole team.

I think it also makes them knowing my habits and knowing how I have been doing and how I have been going on with my business over the past years, it helps a lot. So it was kind of like, I mean, we picked it up where we left off, so I think that was also in a way a very smooth transition for all of us.

Q. I've got a more general question. If you could change one thing about tennis, what would you change?

GRIGOR DIMITROV: Don't know. Never really thought about that.

I don't know. I think the general answer is the tennis balls. Everyone wants to play with the same tennis ball. Other than that, I think we already are going through so many changes, plus the past years with everything that has been happening around. So we already go through I think enough changes, so I like things the way they are at the moment.

Q. Just have the same ball?

GRIGOR DIMITROV: Yeah, for me I think that would probably be one of the things.

Q. How different is the new generation to your generation? What do you see the main differences are?

GRIGOR DIMITROV: I think a lot of things overall. I mean, I've gone through, I don't know, three, now four generations of different players. Each one of them had brought very different, in a way, game style.

I think also the physicality of the generation has changed us, as well. If you think about it, all this sort of the younger generation, they are already at 20, I mean, extremely hit, they're hitting the ball so big, you know, strong with their feet, great serves. Overall they are moving well.

They already come in very completed. More so I think than maybe my generation and even the one after me. I think I could see that they kind of improved over the years, like a lot. But when I see now the young generation I feel like, what else can they improve? Certain decision-making and all that, yes, but that comes also with experience.

Yeah, it's a very interesting question, and I think maybe, yeah, we as players can see it maybe a little bit different.