"Step by step, I want to see my limit": Grigor Dimitrov back on court and hungry for more wins

Grigor Dimitrov returned to the Tour this week at the Brisbane International, making an impressive comeback with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over former world No. 10 Pablo Carreño Busta in his debut match. The Bulgarian, coming off a long recovery from injury, was visibly emotional after completing the match against Carreño.

Dimitrov has struggled over the past two seasons, accumulating several retirements, particularly in physically demanding tournaments. He holds the unusual record of retiring from five consecutive Grand Slam events due to injury. Perhaps the most painful of these was when he was on the verge of defeating Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon.

On that occasion, the former world No. 3 had a two-set lead over Sinner in the fourth round. However, a misstep caused Dimitrov to suffer a pectoral injury while the score was 6-3, 7-5, 2-2 against the world No. 1. The Bulgarian was unable to continue and withdrew from the tournament, beginning a career pause that lasted several months.

After nearly four months, Dimitrov returned at the Paris Masters, debuting with a win over Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. However, a physical issue forced him to withdraw before his second-round match. It was the end of the season for Dimitrov, who had started the year in the top 10 but finished as No. 44.

Dimitrov’s comeback finally came in Brisbane against the experienced Carreño Busta. The Bulgarian showed he doesn’t need much time to regain form, taking the victory by winning 87% of points on his first serve and 67% on the second. Dimitrov hit 7 aces with only one double fault and converted three out of four break points, while Carreño wasted his only break chance of the match.

"Starting the year here, in Brisbane, has always been very special to me. The path I have traveled in recent months has been challenging, but I am grateful,” said the former world No. 3. “These months have been very, very difficult in terms of preparation, mentality, and overall care of my body. I have been through a lot. Just the ability to compete again is already a success. Winning is just a bonus. I feel good, I have felt very good on the court, so I want to take it step by step and see where the limit is.”

Dimitrov also made significant changes to his team during the off-season, parting ways with long-time collaborators Jamie Delgado and Dani Vallverdu. He has started a new phase with Xavier Malisse, former coach of Alexei Popyrin who guided him to the Canadian Open title in 2024.

Now 34 years old, Dimitrov acknowledges he is in the final stage of his career and among the more veteran players on Tour. He emphasized that staying physically fit is his priority and expressed satisfaction at being back on court, particularly enjoying the strong support from fans.

"With each year I live, I feel increasingly privileged and more human seeing all the support I receive every time I step onto a tennis court. Every start of the season here has proven to be a good omen for the rest of the season, and I always feel fantastic in Brisbane even when I'm not physically at my best."

The former ATP Finals champion now awaits his next challenge against Belgian qualifier Raphael Collignon, who stunned Shapovalov in straight sets in the first round. Dimitrov aims to achieve consecutive wins for the first time since Wimbledon 2025 and continue building his physical form ahead of the Australian Open.