BRISBANE INTERNATIONAL

January 7, 2024

Grigor Dimitrov

Press Conference

G. DIMITROV/H. Rune

7-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Grigor, congratulations. A sea of emotions out there. Such a great start to the year for you. Take us through this entire week.

GRIGOR DIMITROV: Yeah, I think there's a lot of emotions on so many different levels for me. I think clearly winning a title, it means a lot to me. It's been a while. I think having that moment is in a way what I'm after.

I think playing against the top players, way younger than me as well, it's a very good way for me to see where I'm at. I think this is in a way where I'm most proud with.

Of course a win is a win, a title is a title, but I think seeing where I'm at is way more important. I think the past four or five months, the things that I've been doing on and off the court, it has been a tremendous way in a way to pay off. I think that's what happened today.

It humbles me in the same time because I feel like I've been playing good tennis, and I also feel there's a little bit more that I can get better at on a few more things. Who knows, if those things go right, what else might be coming my way.

For now I'm going to enjoy that, enjoy the moment, enjoy a couple of days, reassess a little bit, and back at it.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You say who knows what's coming. After you play a week like this, you must be thinking you have a good chance this year in Melbourne.

GRIGOR DIMITROV: I think in any tournament, that's the best part, you want to win. That's just how it is, period. I don't want to set, as I said at the beginning, it's not even pressure. I think it's just to set any sort of like a high in a way expectations of myself.

Just because I'm playing well doesn't mean you're going to win. There's times you go through tournaments where you're playing absolutely amazing, all of a sudden something happens. You're on the under-deliver.

At the same time, as I said, I'm very focused on my side of the net. I'm focusing on what I do on daily basis, how I practice, how I sleep, how I eat, what I do, what kind of work I do in the gym, what are we working with the team. There's so many variable things I do on a daily basis that I don't think - I know it sounds weird - but I don't think about I'm playing really well, no. It's more how am I going to compose a point, what am I going to do during a match, what am I going to do in a clutch moment, how am I going to go after the ball. For me, that's the fun part right now.

Of course, I think if you do all these things in the right and correct way, things are happening and you win. Yeah, there's one week till Melbourne. Of course, everybody is going to be out there. Everybody is going to fight and hustle. It's best-of-five sets. It's a very different tournament.

All I need to do is keep up that line, keep on doing what I've been doing, get some practices outdoors a little bit. We play with the roof. It changes the conditions a little bit. There's so many other things you need to adapt now, small things. That's all I'm going to focus on.

Q. It feels like since the US Open you've been in some fantastic form. Has there been anything you've changed? You mentioned your parents are here traveling with you. Has it been a change of mindset as much as anything?

GRIGOR DIMITROV: I don't know. When you ask me that way, I don't know how to answer (smiling). I'm sure if I think about it, I'll get to the bottom of it.

I don't know. I've just been trying to be disciplined as much as possible. I think a lot of things are linked with, as I said, life, what you're doing also outside of the court, how you prepare yourself. I don't know.

I think after US Open I had a little bit of a break. I had to reassess a few things in my life. I felt like I was in a good position physically to really, like, push through a lot of tournaments and matches. All I wanted to do was play as many matches as possible. This is what happened.

I think that itself gave me quite a bit of confidence. My body got stronger as well. I sort of like calloused my mind a little bit that I'm staying here, I'm here for the long haul. I kept on playing matches. I had a few very good wins that boost me up a little bit at the end of the year. Brick by brick things are happening.

That's the best part of our sport: there's always next week. I think if you put the right things, if you do the right things, build the right habits, you never know where things might pay off for you.

I mean, for me coming into Brisbane was no different. I just wanted to come here and play as many matches as possible, and that was about it. It ended up with this.

Of course, I'm more than thrilled. More than thrilled. Absolutely. In the same time it's like a token of all these little wins, those little days that I've put that extra work, the little reps that I did on the court or the little reps I did in the fitness, I don't know, the diet that I've been having, the special drinks that I've been drinking. There's so many little things, that when you put them all together, that's the reward.

Q. How would you compare your form now to 2017, the style, how you're trying to play?

GRIGOR DIMITROV: I think I'm a completely different person, first of all, since then. Very difficult for me to compare.

I want to say I'm a better player now than I was back then. I think because of the style of everybody else, also had to alter mine a little bit, had to find a way to get through those powerful guys differently.

I mean, I think everyone has seen it now, that I'm playing a little bit different than I used to play before. Basically I'm trying to find my way around the court against sort of a different generation. I've gone through quite a few generations over the year, so many different players. All the time I had to adapt.

I think as a player, if you think you know it all, that's simply just not going to cut it. On many occasions I had to sit down and think a little bit how I wanted to push my game forward, the things I wanted to believe, the game plan I wanted to have.

Again, all that comes with the team. We had to sit down and discuss, like, should I be more aggressive, focus more on the serve, more on the backhand. There's so many parts of the game that they just have to be on a good level. That's just how it is.

Then you compete. That's just how it is. Nothing beats competition. You can practice as much as you want, be the fittest guy out there, but when the ball is rolling, this is where the truth comes out.

I think, again, the amount of matches you've played, the wins you have, it gives you that extra confidence. It makes you feel more, like, sustainable to those long matches. That helps a lot.

Q. I'm not sure if you're heard but Rafa announced he has to withdraw from the Australian Open. Your immediate thoughts?

GRIGOR DIMITROV: Yeah, that sucks. Is it the same injury?

Q. Different. Similar area. Muscular.

GRIGOR DIMITROV: What can I say? This is the worst thing that can happen. I don't know. I hope it's not too bad, for sure. I actually have a practice with him this week. I guess that's not going to happen.

I watched him practice a few times here. I always like watching him play regardless whether it's a practice or a match. I mean, for sure that's disappointing. Much more to him than anybody else. I was really looking forward to that.

I guess this thing has to wait a little bit. I wish him a speedy recovery for sure. I really hope to see him back at least for the clay. This is something I think I can never get bored of watching, even though it's no fun playing.