"I can live with that": Grigor Dimitrov sees positives of being in Big Four era and beating them all in his career
ATP
Grigor
Dimitrov reflected on sharing the era with the Big-4 and having defeated each
of them. The Bulgarian's career coincided from his early steps on the ATP Tour
with the successes of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Andy
Murray.
The former
world No. 3 managed to secure victories over each of them and clinched several
titles, including the Masters 1000 Cincinnati Open and the 2017 ATP Finals.
After
reaching the final of the Miami Open, with significant wins over Carlos Alcaraz
in the quarterfinals and Alexander Zverev in the semifinals, Dimitrov prepares
to play another Masters 1000 final, this time against Jannik Sinner. He was
asked if he considers himself unlucky to have coincided throughout his career
with the dominance of the Big-4.
"Totally
the opposite, actually. Totally the opposite," Grigor Dimitrov said.
"Very lucky. How often you say I played in an era against the best players
and you have beaten them all?"
"It's
great. I'm sorry, but I can live with that. You know, all that, the titles and
all this, yeah, it's great. But the journey, the ride, it was, for me
personally, not having these guys around, it's a little sad," he added.
Dimitrov
commented that he prefers not to play too frequently against the Big-4, but he
acknowledged that the experience of competing with some of the greatest tennis
players in history helped him to build his mental toughness:
"I
don't want to play them, don't get me wrong (smiling) at the moment, but it's
kind of sad," the Bulgarian said. "I love watching them play. I love
competing against them, and you can always learn something."
"I
think throughout the years I have had so many quarterfinal matches and third-,
fourth-round matches where I had to play against them. But that also maybe
shaped me to have that mental toughness and to do certain things different at
that point in my career, like them," he added.
Read also
Dimitrov guaranteed his return to the top-10 for the first time in almost 6
years. Despite being close to turning 33 years old, he seems to be experiencing
a second youth and mentioned that the differences in the playing styles of each
member of the Big-4 and their paths to success allowed him to learn and improve
significantly:
"You
can certainly learn a lot from each one, very different," Grigor Dimitrov
said. "I think each one had a very different way of doing things, but each
one of them had amazing qualities."
"I
think in a way they are the pioneers of nowadays tennis for us. I don't know. I
think overall, to have players like that with such a diversity that all of them
had, Novak is still playing and Andy, as well, but to really see that is I
think going to be a little bit more rare," he added
Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist
Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.
His reporting combines statistical analysis with clear explanation, helping readers understand tactical developments, player form, and broader storylines across the tour. Working fluently in both Spanish and English, Cristhián collaborates with an international editorial team and contributes to comprehensive global coverage. As part of his work, he has conducted interviews and media interactions with leading figures in the sport, including Caroline Wozniacki and John McEnroe.
In his journalism, Cristhián places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. His coverage is grounded in research, context, and direct engagement with professional tennis.
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